Luke 21 Bible study: Lift up your heads

"He looked up and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury." (21:1). "He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins." (21:2) (tap poor). "He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”" (21:3-4) (tap poverty). Here is what almost everyone misses: she is called poor twice, with two different Greek words. In 21:2, in Luke's own words, it is penichros, and no other verse of the New Testament has it (counted in RP2018). In 21:3, in Jesus's words, it is ptochos (tap poor in 21:3). Luke doesn't explain the difference, and these notes draw nothing more from it. Mark tells the scene too (Mark 12:41-44), and there "He called his disciples to himself" (Mark 12:43); Luke doesn't say whom Jesus said it to. Favor's Mark 12 asks whether Jesus is telling his disciples to give all they have, as the widow did; this chapter doesn't ask it again, and applies her gift to no one.

Exodus 4:12→leads toLuke 21:15

God tells Moses, "I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak" (4:12). Jesus tells his followers who will be brought "before kings and governors" not to plan their answers beforehand, "for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict" (Luke 21:12-15), and "the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what you must say" (Luke 12:12). Jesus doesn't cite Exodus 4, so this is a reading: some hear the same promise in both; others read Jesus's words on their own.

μέριμναmerimnasay MER-im-nah

Strong's: "solicitude". Thayer lists 21:34 under "care, anxiety". "So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly." (21:34). Here is what almost everyone misses: the Gospels have this word four times (counted in RP2018), and the other three are all in Jesus's explanation of the parable of the farmer, of the seed among the thorns: "they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life" (Luke 8:14), and "the cares of this age" (Mark 4:19; Matthew 13:22). Luke's Greek has it only in 8:14 and here. Luke doesn't say the two are linked, and these notes don't say what the likeness means.