Luke 15:1 Cross References - JMNT

¹ Now all the tax collection contractors (or: governmental customs and tribute agents) and outcasts (cultural, religious and legal failures; those who by habit and lifestyle miss the mark; sinners) were progressively drawing near to Him to continue listening and hearing Him,

¹⁰ Later, during His reclining [at a meal] within the house – now look and think about this! – it occurred [that] many tax collectors (customs and tribute agents; tax-farmers) and "sinners" (folks that the religious people considered "worldly" and by way of life ceremonially unclean and thus separated from the eligious community: outcasts of society who failed to measure up to religious and cultural standards; irreligious folks) were coming and began reclining back together with Jesus and His disciples [participating in their meal]. ¹¹ Well, upon seeing [this], the Pharisees began saying to His disciples, "Why or through what situation or arrangement does your teacher continue eating with the tax collectors and outcasts ('sinners')?" ¹² Now He, upon hearing [this], said, "The strong and healthy folks are not normally having a need of a healer (a physician), but to the contrary those having it badly (= the sick; the ill) constantly do. ¹³ "Now, upon going your way, learn and become a disciple of what [this] is and means, 'I am presently desiring, habitually intending and progressively purposing mercy, and not a sacrifice!' [Hos. 6:6] You see, I am not (or: did not) come to call 'righteous folks' (people who were supposedly in right relationship with God and community and who were convinced that they walked in accord with the path pointed out), but on the contrary, outcasts ('sinners' who knew that they were neither connected nor in right relationship, nor approved in their way of life: failures)."

²⁸ "But how is it normally seeming to you men (= What are you now thinking of this situation; What is your opinion)? A man had two children. Upon coming to the first one, he said, 'Child, be going (or: lead the way) under [my directive] today, and continue working in the vineyard. ²⁹ "Now he, giving a determined reply, said, 'I am neither wanting nor intending [to] (or: I will not)!' – yet afterward, changing his thoughts and interests (or: regretting his behavior), he went off. ³⁰ "So, upon going to the different one, he said similarly. Now, giving a considered reply, he said, 'I [go], sir,' – and yet, he did not go off. ³¹ "Which of the two did the will of the father?" They [as a group] are saying, "The first one." [other MSS read vs. 29-31 thus: "Now he, giving a considered reply, said,' I {go}, sir,' and yet he did not go off. So, upon approaching the second one, he said likewise. Yet he, giving a determined reply, said, 'I will not! 'Subsequently, he thought better of it {and} went forth. Which of {these} two fulfilled the desire of {his} father?" They are saying, "The latter one."] Jesus said, "That's right (You got it; Amen)! I am now saying and laying it out for you that the tax (or: tribute; toll) collectors (or: tax farmers; businessmen who bought the contract to collect taxes for the government) and the prostitutes are constantly preceding you men into God's reign (or: the kingdom of God; the sovereign activity of God)!

²⁹ Later Levi prepared a great reception banquet for Him within his house. And there was a great crowd of many tax collectors, as well as others who were lying down while dining with them. ³⁰ Then the Pharisees and the scribes (scholars and theologians) began grumbling with subdued talk and perplexed buzzing (murmuring) to His disciples about them, one after another saying, "Why (Because of what [reason or situation]) are you folks participating in eating and drinking with the tax collectors and outcasts (folks who because of their lifestyle or means of making a living were considered as failures, or, 'sinners,' by the religious people; folks who did not by habit adhere to the religious customs of the Jewish culture)?" ³¹ Then Jesus, giving a decided response, said to them, "The folks being normally healthy and sound are not normally having a need of a healer (doctor; physician), but rather those constantly having it badly (= being constantly sick, or having a continuing illness). ³² "I have not come to call 'righteous folks' (= those who consider themselves rightwised in relation to God and mankind; = religious people), but to the contrary, [to call] outcasts (those considered 'sinners' by the religious community, and therefore rejected by them because of their lifestyles and practices; those who are failures and who continuously miss the goal [of life]; or: irreligious people) into a change of thinking, with a new perspective and a return to God."

²⁹ "And so all the people hearing [him] – as well as (or: even) the tax collectors (or: customs and toll agents; tax farmers/contractors) – [by] being immersed (or: baptized) showed (or: declared) that God is fair, equitable and just [through] John's immersion (baptism).

³⁰ "And so – now think about this – there are last ones who will proceed in being first ones; and there are first ones who will regress to being last ones."

²⁰ Now Law and custom at one point entered in alongside (or: intruded into the situation by the side) to the end that the effect of the fall to the side (or: so that the result of the offense and the stumbling aside) would increase to be more than enough (should greatly abound and become more intense). But where the Sin (the failure; the divergence and missing of the target) increases (or: abounded to be more than enough; becomes more intense) THE GRACE ("the act producing happiness, which is granted as a favor" – Jim Coram) at once super-exceeds (or: hyper-exceeded) over and above, surrounding to excessive abundance and overflow,

¹⁵ The Word [is] full of faith, and [is] deserving of every welcome reception of equal value, because (or: Faithful and trustworthy, even worthy of all and complete acceptance, [is] the message and saying that) Christ Jesus came into the ordered System (the world of secular culture, religion, government and economy; or: the cosmos) to rescue failures (to deliver those missing the target; to save and make sinners healthy and whole; to restore outcasts to their rightful position), of whom I myself exist being first (or: am foremost).