Luke 14:1;7-14

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, most recently on August 28, 2025.

Summary:
At first glance, this passage seems practical moral advice with a heavenly reward. Jesus' use of δοξα (doxa) and δοξη (doxe) suggest something deeper is going on. δοξη is a fairly uncommon word meaning "banquet." In fact, in the OT, the people who throw such banquets are normally Persian kings! Also unusual is the word δοξα, or glory. Although it is a fairly common word, here it is translated unusually as "honor." This is possible, but really stretches it. The word is not really a word one would associate with mortals. In fact, the last time we heard the word in Luke's Gospel was when the angels announced Jesus birth. These two words, in other words, are fairly out of place for a typical meal. Which suggests that what is at the stake (and not steak) is hardly a common meal, but the feast of the humbled yet exalted one! He is the one to whom glory will be given.

Key Words:
δοξα (14.10; "honor"): Normally we think of δοξα as glory (Think OT and the "glory of the Lord"). Here, however, it is translated as honor...well, maybe. Luke only uses this word three other times. When Jesus is born and the angels sing (2.9 and 14) and when the people cry out during Jesus' entry in to Jerusalem. The context permits translating δοξα as "esteemed." However, it has such divine implications that it points us back to Christ, to the one to whom glory is given.

δοξη (14.13; "meal"): This word is very rare in the New Testament; only used twice. The other time it is in Luke when Levi, the tax-collector, invites Jesus to his house. When this word is used in the OT, it normally refers to banquets put on by Persian kings. In other words, this is a big, rich party that few can actually host.

If you put these words together, you get a very surprising twist at the end of the story:  Who is invited to this feast of glory?  Jesus commends us to invite those on the outside.  Jesus here is introducing table fellowship to the unthinkable.

δικαίων (form of δίκαιος, 14.14)  It is a humbling reminder that even in the Gospel of Luke, there is a limit to inclusion, a limit to salvation.  The resurrection if for the righteous.  Which leads to the question -- who is righteous and how are they made righteous?  Here you might find a way to a broad and expansive tent, but heaven isn't for sinners as they are, but sinners made righteous by Christ.  The gate does narrow (see 13.24).

Other words worth pondering:
ταπεινοω (14.11; "humble"): This word is often paired with exalts (υψοω).  In Philippians 2 and Hebrews 12, we are reminded that Jesus humbles himself that he might be exalted.

μακαριος (14.14; "blessed"): This is the word Luke (and Matthew) use for the beatitudes, "Blessed are..."

καλεω (14.7; used 7 times in this passage!; "invite") This word is used virtually very sentence. It means invite and call.  If we think about this parable as a reference to God, then we get a new name for God in vs 10:  The one who has invited or called you.  God as one who calls!  (I still remember one of my first chapel services at Luther Seminary, during orientation week.  A Greek/NT professor preached on this text and focused on this word!)

αισχυνη (14.9; "disgrace" or "shame"): One would expect to find this word quite frequently in the NT, especially given the 'fuss' about honor/shame societies (see my post for the previous week's lectionary Gospel!). While this word appears quite frequently in the OT, it is rather rare in the NT. This might be an avenue for more reflection. Is Jesus neglecting this dynamic in his society?  Is it so much a part of the world that the writers do not need to mention it?  In this case, Jesus seems to be appealing to people's sense of honor and shame, telling them that seeking honor is itself shameful.

Aside: One of the places "shame" (αισχυνη) is used in the NT is Philippians 3:19 -- "their glory is their shame." Classic line.

Sentence deconstructed:
και εγενετο εν τη ελθειν αυτον εις οικον τινος των αρχοντων των φαρισαων σαββατω φαγειν αρτον και αυτοι ησαν παρατηρουμενοι αυτον

14.1 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely.

και εγενετο : This is a typical way to begin a sentence. It simply means: "And it happened." It is unnecessary.

εν τη ελθειν αυτον : Technically this is an "articular infinitive with preposition." This means a couple of things. It combines a preposition (in) with an article (the) with an infinitive (coming). Literally: "In the coming." You have to translate the preposition as an adverb: "While he comes..." The problem with an infinitive is that it is, well, infinite. This means it is un-conjugated. You don't know who is doing the action. So, to indicate this, they stick the subject of an infinitive clause in the accusative. In this case, auton, or he.

εις οικον τινος των αρχοντων των φαρισαων: "into the house" is fairly straight forward. The rest is a genitive where we just put in a lot of "ofs": 'of one of the leaders of the pharisees.'  Worth contemplating that the Pharisees had leaders.  Those seeking holiness found a way to hierarchy very quickly...

σαββατω : The sabbath here is in the dative; here this is a dative revealing when something happens, ie, "on the sabbath." So you can combine this with the earlier infinitive (we are still in the infinitive phrase here): "When Jesus went on the sabbath into the house of one...pharisees...

φαγειν αρτον: Here we have another infinitive, which completes the other verb, "went" as in, "he went to eat." Oddly enough, the object of this infinitive phrase is also in the accusative, "arton" or bread. In an infinitive phrase, both subject and object can be in the accusative!

και αυτοι ησαν παρατηρουμενοι αυτον: Let's take care of the "autoi"s here. The first is plural, they; the second is mas. sing, him. 95% of "auto"s are not going to be translated as "self" or "very" but are simply pronouns.

ησαν παρατηρουμενοι: A really complex way of making a verb in the imperfect -- put an imperfect for of "to be" with a perfect tense participle. Used quite frequently with middle/passive verbs. But simple to translated: "were watching."

Luke 13:10-17

This passage occurs in the RCL year C, most recently August 24, 2025.

Summary:  I do not think our culture needs to hear words encouraging us to ignore the Sabbath.  Clearly we are in the entirely opposite place than the Jewish world of 2,000 years ago.  What is the consequence?  We are bound by our exhaustion, our stress and our love of our works.  Jesus comes to free this woman from Satan's chains and evil spirits.  I argue that if Jesus were around today, he would seek to free us from the chains that our lack of Sabbath structure imposes on us.

2025 add-on: A reflection on honor/shame

Note for 2028:  I ended up, in 2025, preaching on being seen

Key words on healing
λυω (luo, "free"; 13.15;13:16): "...untie his ox; should not this woman...be set free."  This word appears in two consecutive verses, however, we likely miss this.  First because the English translators translate the word differently in verses 15 and 16.  Second, it appears in a slightly more difficult form as λυθηναι in 13:16.  The verb, which many of us know from all sorts of conjugation charts, means "to loose, to set free." Jesus makes a play on words here: You set free your animals; I set people free. 

This passage puts this illness in terms of binding and releasing in two other places.  We are told in verse 12 that Jesus απολελυθαι the woman.  This word, essentially a linguistic sibling to λυω means "release."  Jesus even says that the woman was in δεσμος (chains, 13:16; also used as verb in this sentence).

ανωρθωθι (from ανορθοω, "straighten", 13.13): "...she stood up straight"  This verb comes from the prefix/preposition "ana" which means upright or again and the adjective "ortho" meaning straight. It simply means straighten up or restore. It is not an especially common word in the Bible, but it recalls the words from the book of Psalms: "The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down (146:8)." [Technical note:  The Psalm translation is in a slightly different order.]

ασθενειας  ("weakness," 13.11)  This word does not necessarily mean crippled or hunched over.  It simply means "frailty, weakness, want of strength."  The ambiguity around her illness creates a potential for connection with this woman.  It could be physical, it could be emotional, it could be spiritual, it could be communal.  It is unclear if the spirit was causing her infirmity; or she simply has a spirit that could be described as frail.  In the end, she will have multiple layers of healing

• Physical:  She stands up
• Spiritual:  She glorifies God
• Communal:  She is called by name, by Jesus, in front of everyone (Child of Abraham) and restored to a place of honor.

παντελες (13.11): "could not straighten up at all..." The word builds "pan", meaning "all" and "teles" meaning complete together for a 1-2 punch, like a baseball announcer shouting "it could...go...all...the...way."  The woman was bound up over herself so she did not have the power to stand up into her full measure.

Honor/Shame

καταισχύνω ("be put to shame", 13.17)  Increasingly, I have tried to pay attention to words around shame and honor.  First, this is a matter of understanding the biblical world, which was likely more of an honor-shame society than ours today.  Shame, as opposed to guilt, is not necessarily the internal feeling of remorse, but the social embarrassment at reducing the social rank of one's family or clan.  What mattered was not so much that your sin was forgiven, but that your social standing was restored.  You can see how in many situations, Jesus' work of forgiveness and healing were intended to retore the person to community and in fact, a good status within that community, not simply to address the individual's failures or limitations.

Second, this has incredibly powerful missiological implications.  (A good summary of the differences between honor-shame and guilt-innocence cultures can be found here -- the book this website references is a great read!)  In the last 300+ years, as Western cultures have grown increasingly individualistic, we have tended to have more of a guilt-innocence paradigm for understanding life and therefore Scripture.  This has meant that our understanding of atonement and salvation tends to be understood in terms of guilt and innocence.  This category of thinking is unlikely an effective way to formulate and communicate the Gospel to shame-honor cultures.  This may help explain the ineffectiveness of the Christian missionary efforts in Asian, Middle eastern and African cultures where honor-shame dynamics are more important than guilt-innocence.  There has been an incredibly renewed interest among missionary movements to attend to the honor-shame (and power-fear) dynamics at work in the cultures where they work but also the Gospel narrative itself!

Third, I wonder if our culture may actually becoming more honor-shame as we worry less about abstract rules for moral conduct.  We spend more time signaling our virtue to others rather than worrying about our own righteousness before God.  But I also wonder if we are living a new world that is based on honor-shame but it is individualistic rather than communal.

Fourth -- least importantly -- there is some sense that "καταισχύνω" means disappoint.  

• Hope does not put us to shame(καταισχύνω), because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5)

In this light, it is interesting to think that Jesus disappointed the leaders of the synagogue!

However, I think the better interpretation, within an honor-shame dynamic is to see that Jesus gives her honor and reduces their social rank by upstaging them.

Other words

διδασκων (didaskoon, participle meaning "teaching", 13:10)  A reminder that Jesus is teaching on the sabbath.  He continues teaching until the end.  Perhaps a reminder that good teaching isn't just about content, but about transformation!  (Also this is the last time Jesus is in a synagogue!)

χειρας ("hands", 13:13)  Jesus touches her!  A reminder that the word is embodied and incarnate.  He speaks, but he also touches.

αγανακτων (aganakton, meaning "indignant", 13.14): "Indignant because Jesus..." The word here has its root in "agony." The people watching are in agony over Jesus performing a healing!  How easy it is to get upset about mercy!

εθεραπεθσεν (from θεραπευω, "therapy", meaning "heal", 13.14): "healed" The word began in Greek by meaning service to the Gods; almost like worship! It became to mean, it seems, service that the Gods could render, namely, healing.

υποκριται (hypocrites, 13.15):  This word came right into English!  (The rough breathing mark over the υ means it is sounded hy.)  The word literally means "down judge-er/answer-er." It comes from theater, where the person has to speak to the people from a different height than the others. It came then to mean someone who pretends.

I might also add something about δει...

Total breakdown of 13:11
και ιδου γυνη πνευμα εχουσα ασθενειας ετη δεκαοκτω και ην συγκυπτουσα και μη δυναμενη ανακυψαι εις το παντελες

NRSV Luke 13:11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight.

The sentence begins with "και ", typical for a Greek sentence and essentially translatable by either "and" or a "period."  It can also mean but, even, more, also, etc...

The next word is "ιδου " This word, like the Hebrew hennah means "pay attention!" It does not describe what happens in the narrative, but it is a direction for the reader.

"γυνη πνευμα εχουσα ασθενειας" Before we parse this, let's just stick in the word-for-word translations: "woman spirit having weakness." The specific cases (accusative verses genitive) help here, but one can probably deduce this reads: "a woman having a spirit of weakness." For modern readers we'd like to take out the word "having a spirit" and replace it with "illness" but this limits the connection we will make later when Jesus says that Satan had this woman bound.

The participle "εχουσα" looks like an aorist because it has an "s" toward the end, but this is a feminine marker! Sigh! How does one translate this participle? Because there is neither a "the" (definitive article) nor a helping verb anywhere near by, you can assume it is a circumstantial. If we then use the formula "A woman, under the circumstance of having, an ill spirit" we see we can toss out the formula and just roll with it, "A woman having a ill spirit."

"ετη δεκαοκτω" 18 years.

και ην συγκυπτουσα ; Here we come to a supplementary participle. You will come to love these because your brain in English already thinks this way.  If you see a form of a "to-be" verb (ie, ην) next to a participle, you can read it like in English -- just stick in the basic translation of the words -- "The woman was bent over." This is the very complex way in Greek of forming the imperfect tense!

και μη δυναμενη ανακυψαι: This is a train wreck by Luke! He basically continues to leave the helping verb, here δυναμενη (to be able) as a participle. This means he must use "μη " for a negative instead of "ou" (all non indicative no-s should be μη and not ou). He then connects it with an aorist infinitive. Ouch.  At the end of the day: "was not able to stand up"

εις το παντελες: This use of εις here basically makes the adjective, παντελες, an adverb because it now describes the action of standing up straight.  The way Luke writes this little tidbit here though leaves a very poetic end to the sentence:  "She was not able to stand up into completeness."  Her not standing up had an impact in her life beyond simply being hunched over.

Late Summer 2025 Preaching

I will not be posting the next couple of weeks, but here are links for the next few weeks

July 27

Luke 11:1-13

August 3

Luke 12:13-21 

August 10

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Luke 12:32-40

August 17

Isaiah 5:1-7

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Luke 12:49-56

Luke 12:32-40

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C. Most recently August 10, 2025.

Summary:  Jesus offers us some words of wisdom

I also add that it might be worth including some of the previous verses, especially 12:31.  It helps set up the context for what Jesus says here.

Key Words:
ευδοκενσεν (meaning "please", 12:32)  In Luke's Gospel, the voice of the God billows over the waters of Jesus Baptism and declares "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased" (3:22).  In Matthew's Gospel, God's voice also reaffirms this claim about Jesus during the transfiguration.  What might it mean that Jesus says it is the father's good pleasure to give the kingdom?  God has two great joys:  Jesus and giving the kingdom. 

μη φοβου (meaning "do not be afraid", 12:31)  Jesus tells people three times not to be afraid in Luke's Gospel

- When the boat is overflowing with fish and nearly sinking (5:10)

- When a man has learned his daughter has died (8:50)

In the previous verses there is no threat of death, simply an acknowledgment of the every day worries of life.

οσφυες  περιζωσμεναι  (literally meaning "gird loins", 12:35)  The NRSV and NIV poetically translate this passage, because "gird your loins" doesn't have the same force as it did years ago.  Jesus is issuing a summons though, a clear call to be ready -- get dressed!

κυριον (meaning "Lord", from κυριος, 12:36 ).  The translators correctly translate this word as "Master" in Jesus parable.  However, the literal word is "Lord."  Jesus parable isn't so hidden after all -- he is speaking about when the Lord comes.

διακονησει  (diakonia, meaning "serve", from διακονεω, 12:37)  In Mark's Gospel, Jesus declares that he did not come to be served, but to serve others.  In Luke's Gospel, he promises the same thing -- that he is ultimately a servant!

Some phrases I will look at another time

εκ των γαμων ("from the wedding", 12:36).  The use of the wedding image in the Gospels is fascinating..

μακαριοι ("blessings", 12:37,38,43)  It would be interesting to stack up these three blessings with the other blessings of Luke.

Luke 10:38-42

This passage occurs in the RCL, Year C.  It occurred most recently in July 20, 2025.

Summary:  This passage is a powerful contrast to the previous passage of the Good Samaritan.  The work of the church (or of Christian individuals) cannot be service to neighbor alone but also worship of Christ.  Perhaps the two are more connected than we think though.  Jesus commends the rich lawyer to show mercy.  In this passage Mary is praised for attentive listening.  Maybe in our culture of sound bites and tweets, active listening is one of the most powerful displays of mercy we can give someone.

Key words (and use of language):
For Martha:
υπεδεξατο (from υποδεξομαι, "hypodexato", meaning receive; 10:38).  The Liddell-Scott offers a tremendous number of variations on the meaning of this word.  It literally means, "to receive beneath the surface."
It also means, among other variants:
A)  to receive into one's house, receive hospitably.
B)  to give ear to, hearken to
C)  to take in charge as a nurse
D)  of a woman, to conceive

I commend this list (truncated) because all of these are good things.  They are powerful ways to think about hospitality to strangers or ways in which we can "receive beneath the surface."  Martha seems on the right track!

διακονια(ν) ("diakonia", meaning "service", 10:40).  The word diakonia means originally "table service" but came in the Christian tradition to mean acts of ministry.  Long-complicated development of this word that is still debated today.  Regardless, to describe oneself as doing diakonia on behalf of Jesus is a very good thing, something in fact, every Christian is called to in their baptism.

So what's the problem?
επιστασα  (from εφιστημι, ephistemi, meaning "stand over", 10:40)  Mary gets so frustrated she goes over to Jesus and is literally looking down on him (and her sister).  We can get so busy doing the work of the Lord that we lose sight of the Lord and develop an unjustified sense of our own importance.

Imperfect tense:  The words to describe Martha's worries: περισπαω (40), μεριμνας (41) and θορυβαζη (41) are all imperfect/present tense verbs, suggesting an on-going action.  She was consumed and continually worried.  All this said, I have a lot of compassion for Martha.  In my family (both of origin and current) people put a lot of effort into welcoming our guests.  This would be especially true in times before modern kitchens, when even things as basic as getting water for guests, would have required tremendous effort.  It is hard for me to hear Martha criticized.

Also, the word θορυβαζη comes from θόρυβος, which means "riot" or "clamoring tumult" (like, Pilate fears a θόρυβος from happening).  There is a chaos around Martha - she is even creating it.  In short, Jesus is not simply saying "you are distracted" but you are creating the distraction!!  (There probably is another sermon in here too about our world being constantly distracted!)

Furthermore, Martha complains that Mary has not: "συναντιλάβηται"  This word begins with the prefix συν or "together."  Martha isn't simply complaining that Mary hasn't helped, but that she hasn't helped her.  Martha has moved from the agenda being serving the Lord to serving Martha!

For Mary:
παρακαθεσθεισα (from παρακαθεζομαι, meaning "sit along side of"; 10:39)  Mary seats herself along side of Jesus, giving him attention.  How often do we have people simply sit alongside of us, without any agenda but to focus on us?

ηκουεν (ακουω meaning "listen"; 10:39) She listens.  In fact, the verb ακουεν is in the imperfect tense, showing this is an on-going action.  As I wrote earlier, I think this is profound.  She listened.  In our culture that wants to blog, livestream and tweet, she actually took time to listen.  Not for one or two sentences, but for a long time.  Maybe she loved it.  I am sure she did.  (Most times when I actually listen and truly give someone my focus, I love it too!) 

Note -- This past year I went to Tanzania.  I was quite struck by how much of the day is spent procuring food, water and fire (for cooking and heating).  It is worth pointing out that in all likelihood, Mary listened to Jesus for hours!!  Imagine listening to anyone for hours!

The worship of Jesus is ultimate.  I am not trying to refute the basic meaning of the story.  I wonder though, if here on Earth, in this time and cultural space, listening may be a profound way to love our neighbor.  Listening to Jesus, as well, might be the profound way in which we worship him!

Luke 10:25-37

This passage occurs in the RCL, Year C.  Most recently July 20, 2025.
 
Summary:  This is a classic passage that needs no complex exegesis to make it understandable.  One can tell it as a morality tale (we should be the Good Samaritan); or one go a Lutheran route (Christ is the Good Samaritan).  But if you want to try something else...A word I'd never caught before was the word for inn -- πανδοχειον -- literally all-are-welcome.  I find this a comforting image of the church -- a place where anyone and everyone comes to receive mercy and healing on the road of life.  (okay, okay, it is not a great image of repentance, but nonetheless, it is worth pondering:  why do people find comfort at a local bar/inn and not the church).

2025 addition:  The Good Samaritan may not have started the story as the neighbor; he may have needed to become the neighbor.  A reminder that in our divided world, we are not born neighbors, but trauma can bring us together.

Other words:

σπλαγχνιζομαι ("splagchnizoma", meaning "compassion", 10.33)  This word means compassion in Greek; it comes from intestines.  To have compassion meant your guts were turned over.

Based on a reader comment (2025):  Some translators employ "seized with compassion" to translate ἐσπλαγχνίσθη. The aorist aspect/tense of the verb is understood, in this translation, to emphasize the action beginning. The verb is very common in the Greek New Testament. The particular form (aorist passive) is less common and is found only in the synoptics. However, it is not rare. In this form Jesus is almost always the subject. This is also true in Luke's Gospel, where once Jesus has compassion on a grieving mother, where another time the prodigal son's father has compassion and then here, when the Good Samaritan has compassion. Another hint that the Good Samaritan is Jesus. 

That said, I don't think one needs to appeal to how Luke uses this verb three times in the aorist passive to make the case that the Good Samaritan is Christ-like.

ζωην (from ζωη "zooe" meaning life, 10.25)  In John's Gospel Jesus affirms that everlasting life is not something that begins after death, but begins here.  You can really see this in the Greek in his Gospel, where many of the tenses regarding everlasting life are in the present:  he who believes HAS everlasting life (John 3:36).  In this passage from Luke, Jesus also connects everlasting life with earthly life.  (Do this, Jesus says, and you will live.)  Jesus denies a distinction between everlasting life (the lawyers' question) and life.  To live with God is everlasting life, which begins here on earth.  However, Luke here connects them with moral action.  What does everlasting life look and feel like?  Like showing mercy.  I have no desire to drive a wedge between Luke and John or between faith and works here.  Simply, the everlasting life is the life in the new creation, where our faith transforms us into God's instruments of mercy.

πως ("poos" meaning "how", 10.26)  Jesus does not say, "What does the law say?"  Rather he says, "How do you read the law?"  A reminder that people can read the same laws in different ways!

συγκυρίαν (syn + kyria = "by chance", 10.31)  I cannot confirm the etymology, but from what I can read here, the word literally means "with the Lord."  In other words, this is not "random", but seemingly orchestrated by the Lord!

τραῦμα (trauma, "wound", 10.34)  There is a beautiful image here of the Good Samaritan binding up the wounds.  The Good Samaritan isn't simply donating money, but he is dealing with the wounds of another person.  More deeply, it is interesting to think about the trauma caused by such an event.  In what ways is the Good Samaritan, by his acts, healing the other wounds the person experienced?

γεγονέναι (become, 10.37)  The common way we remember the story is that Jesus asked the person "Who was the neighbor to the man who (was injured)"?  But Jesus asks a slightly different question -- who became the neighbor?  This word γίνομαι can mean "be" but has more of a sense of "came into being or became."  The point is that these people may not always have been neighbors, but they became neighbors through the trauma!

Galatians 6:1-18

This passage occurs as the RCL New Testament Lesson during year C, most recently July 2022.

Summary one:  This passage is full of contradictions, or as Lutherans call them, dialectics.  We are called to bear one another's burdens, yet carry our own load; boast in our work, yet only boast in Christ; we are called to do good for all, yet do good chiefly for those in the community.  Phew.  I don't think a preacher or pastor or theologians should resolve these tensions.  This is life in the spirit, which we are called to walk together (στοιχέω, 5:25).  I think Paul's challenging words here call us into a community of discernment.  Ultimately, we are called in this community back to the cross, where we can realize we will not get it right, but finally Christ will bring about a new creation.

Summary two:  Paul presents us with a couple of images of the church here.  A hospital, a family and a big arrow to the cross.  Perhaps even a military unit.

Summary three:  The canon within the canon, ladies and gentlemen, is, Christ crucified and the new creation.  Done.

Key words:
προσλαμβανω ("catch", Gal 6:1)   The word here for catch is "prolambano." "λαμβανω" is a common word in Greek, meaning give or take. The pro prefix is also a familiar word meaning before or ahead of time.   So this word means 'catch ahead.' Interestingly, this phrase then almost means "If you catch someone before they sin..." The point here is not simply admonishment but prevention of further injury.

καταρτιζω ("restore", 6:1)  The word for "restore" here is "katartizo" which is related to the Greek medical term for "set a bone in place." This obviously takes skill, time and care. What a powerful image about admonishment! Another image comes from Hebrews 11:3, where God καταρτιζ-ed, ie, "prepared", the world by his Word. Talk about skill and time and energy!

πνεθματικος ("spiritual"), 6:1, the word for "spiritual" appears a lot in other Pauline writings, see 1 Cor 2:13, but it is not developed in Galatians. It is worth noting here that the point of our justification, of our ultimate union with Christ, is not to disregard the world, but the enter more fully into it, to help heal others.

βασταζετε ("bear"), 6:2 (and also 6:5).   In 6:2, "Bear one another's burdens" is in the present imperative: Continually and keep bearing one another's burdens. This is an on-going work. It also appears in 6:5.

Curiously there are different Greek (and English) words used for the object of the bearing:
Bear one another's burden (6:2)
Each must carry their own load (6:5)
The first object, burden or βαρος, probably means more weight (and can mean emotional weight).

The second one, load or φορτιον, means more merchandise, a specific thing you could carry, a load. Does Paul intend anything with these different images? Maybe one could say put them together something like this: You are responsible for making your own ship float but this does not absolve you from helping your neighbor's sinking boat either. I wonder if this is a case, like the Gospel of John, where you can try to splice synonyms and not get very far!

καυχμα ("boast", verb in 6:14, 6:4)  The NRSV and NIV locate the pride in different places, based on how they translate εαυτου. The NRSV indicates the pride is in the work. The NIV (and NET) translate it as "Each can take pride in himself." It really says, "in himself" (eauton).   Eauton can mean his as in possessive, but if this were the case, Paul would use the word in the genitive.  (At least I think!)   Here I'd go with the NIV.

Ultimately, none of this boasting really matters because the only thing finally worth boasting about is the cross.  Paul warns here ultimate against spiritual pride, in that we can make the cross (or faith in it) a matter of our own doing by turning faith into works or faith itself into a work, instead of a gift.

oικειος, ("household", 6:10).  This word is really beautiful.  It describes a family member, a relative, one who would dwell with you.  Ephesians 2:19 also contains this:
"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God,"
I sometimes shy away from the idea of a family as a metaphor for church because it can be closed off (everyone considers their family loving but ask that to a new person coming in).  Yet it speaks to the intense care we can and should have for one another.

στοιχησουσιν ("walk," 6:16) This verb has its root in a military or ordered formation.  Paul also uses this verb in chapter 5:25.  Paul commends us to walk in the "stoicheo" of the Spirit; now we are to walk in-line with the standard of Christ crucified and the new creation

κανον ("standard", 6:16)  The word in chapter 6 is "canon," ie standard or law!  What is the canon within the canon:  Christ crucified and the new creation!

Ισραηλ του θεου ("Israel of God", 6:16)  I wonder if Paul means the nation of Israel (ie, the theoretically existing tribal boundaries of the Jews called Israel, which didn't exist in the Roman empire) or if he means the new Israel, the people of God in Jesus Christ?

Grammar Review:  Negative imperatives
μη + verb, 6.7.   A μη imperative should be translated, "No longer" ie "Stop being afraid."   In this   "Stop being deceived."  (Notice the case of "mock" -- present.  God is continually not mocked, or in better English, God is never mocked.")