I (we, Erin and I) give out of abundance (21:3-4). Luke is really non-stop guilt trips about giving everything you can! I can't say that I'm incredibly proud of how much I give, but I'm definitely not ashamed of it. Living in the northeast, Erin and I spend an amazing amount on a mortgage and child care. Its depressing when I see the totals at tax time! But I still know we are blessed with abundance, especially, as Kelly has mentioned in previous chapters, in the global scale. I'm not sure whether to thank God for our abundance or to complain that we are only making that eye of the needle slightly smaller!
On another note, I was surprised to read verse 33, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." What? Heaven has a time span? Is this translated wrong? Is it supposed to be "the heavens" (i.e. the sky)? I mean, I know I should probably focus on the meaning and not the syntax, but I guess I've aways thought of God and heaven as always together and eternal.
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Your comments on v. 33 caught my attention enough that I went and dug out volume 9 of the New Interpreter's Bible (vol. 9 covers Luke and John). Even there the 3 page description of that section of verses doesn't fully explain what you noted and I had never seen before...I think your supposition about "the heavens" is probably right - but I can't support it. The commentary did note, however, that we've seen something similar recently - Luke 16:17
ReplyDeleteYou're right. I just re-read that other verse in 16 and I had even underlined it, but for another reason. Although, the wording there makes it more hypothetical, while here in 21 makes it more certain? Interesting... :) Thanks for looking into it!
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