From verse 51 onward, Jesus will be making his way to Jerusalem where He will face the agony of the cross. He has much to say and to teach before that hour arrives. He sends 72 disciples ahead of him to the neighboring towns so that they might heal the sick and declare the coming kingdom of God. On the road to Jerusalem, when asked to define what it means to love your neighbor, Jesus tells a parable that would have shocked his audience, as he makes a Samaritan, whom the Jews despised, the champion of his story. If that weren’t enough, he portrays upright, religious Jews in the story as loving their neighbors inadequately. Finally, a busy and distracted Martha wants help from her sister, but receives a soft rebuke instead.