Luke 9:60

9:60 But Jesus ¹  said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, ²  but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ³ 

Luke 10:36

10:36 Which of these three do you think became a neighbor ⁴  to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”

Luke 12:30

12:30 For all the nations of the world pursue ⁵  these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Luke 14:13

14:13 But when you host an elaborate meal, ⁶  invite the poor, the crippled, ⁷  the lame, and ⁸  the blind. ⁹ 

[9:60]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:60]  ² sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20 b.c. to a.d. 70 involved a reinterment of the bones a year after the initial burial, once the flesh had rotted away. At that point the son would have placed his father’s bones in a special box known as an ossuary to be set into the wall of the tomb. Thus Jesus could well be rebuking the man for wanting to wait around for as much as a year before making a commitment to follow him. In 1st century Jewish culture, to have followed Jesus rather than burying one’s father would have seriously dishonored one’s father (cf. Tobit 4:3-4). (2) The remark is an idiom (possibly a proverbial saying) that means, “The matter in question is not the real issue,” in which case Jesus was making a wordplay on the wording of the man’s (literal) request (see L&N 33.137). (3) This remark could be a figurative reference to various kinds of people, meaning, “Let the spiritually dead bury the dead.” (4) It could also be literal and designed to shock the hearer by the surprise of the contrast. Whichever option is preferred, it is clear that the most important priority is to preach the gospel (proclaim the kingdom of God).

[9:60]  ³ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[10:36]  ⁴ sn Jesus reversed the question the expert in religious law asked in v. 29 to one of becoming a neighbor by loving. “Do not think about who they are, but who you are,” was his reply.

[12:30]  ⁷ tn Grk “seek.”

[14:13]  ¹⁰ tn This term, δοχή (doch), is a third term for a meal (see v. 12) that could also be translated “banquet, feast.”

[14:13]  ¹¹ sn Normally the term means crippled as a result of being maimed or mutilated (L&N 23.177).

[14:13]  ¹² tn Here “and” has been supplied between the last two elements in the series in keeping with English style.

[14:13]  ¹³ sn This list of needy is like Luke 7:22. See Deut 14:28-29; 16:11-14; 26:11-13.