Discovery BoxLuke 12:33 
Context12:33 Sell your possessions 1 and give to the poor. 2 Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven 3 that never decreases, 4 where no thief approaches and no moth 5 destroys.
Luke 18:22
Context18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have 6 and give the money 7 to the poor, 8 and you will have treasure 9 in heaven. Then 10 come, follow me.”
Luke 22:36
Context22:36 He said to them, “But now, the one who 11 has a money bag must take it, and likewise a traveler’s bag 12 too. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one.
1 sn The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result.
2 tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today.
3 tn Grk “in the heavens.”
4 tn Or “an unfailing treasure in heaven,” or “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven.”
5 tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.
6 sn See Luke 14:33.
7 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
8 sn See Luke 1:50-53; 6:20-23; 14:12-14.
9 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: …you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the conversation.
11 tn The syntax of this verse is disputed, resulting in various translations. The major options are either (1) that reflected in the translation or (2) that those who have a money bag and traveler’s bag should get a sword, just as those who do not have these items should sell their cloak to buy a sword. The point of all the options is that things have changed and one now needs full provisions. Opposition will come. But “sword” is a figure for preparing to fight. See Luke 22:50-51.
12 tn Or possibly “beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145).
