The Gospel According to Luke

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See Revelation 4.6-8.

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Introduction:

- See Textbook, “Luke’s Gospel” pp. 392-408;

- 80-90 C.E.: the Gospel according to Luke is written (see Table 11.2, p. 349);

- see Figure 11.2: “… the two-document theory” (p. 351);

- see Box 11.3: “From Oral Kerygma to Written Gospel …” (p. 352);

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Introduction:

- the first part of a two-volume work (Luke-Acts);

- written for a Greco-Roman audience;

- the emphasize: Jesus and his disciples, working under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are innocent of any crime against Rome;

- moreover, the author insists that the religion is a universal faith.

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Outline of the Gospel according to Luke:

- Chs. 1 and 2: formal preface and an extended nativity account;

- Chs. 3-9: Jesus’ Galilean ministry;

- Chs. 9.51-18.30: the “greater interpolation”;

- Chs. 18.31-23.56: the Jerusalem ministry and Passion story;

- Ch. 24: post-resurrection appearances in or near Jerusalem.

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Luke’s Historical Vision:

- Luke seeks to trace the course of a new religious movement from its inception in a stable in Bethlehem to its hoped-for status as a legitimate faith of the Roman Empire;

- Luke’s two-volume work places Jesus at the centre of history.

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Luke’s Historical Vision:

- John the Baptist - the last of Israel’s prophets and the forerunner of the Messiah (16.16);

- Jesus’ life is the central act of a three-part drama:

1) Israel (the period of the Old Testament);

2) Jesus (the Gospel accounts); and

3) the Christian church (the Acts of the Apostles).

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Luke’s Historical Vision:

- For Luke, Jesus’ ministry represents a new beginning;

- Luke ties Jesus’ resurrection to the disciples’ job of evangelizing the world (24.44-53; Acts 1.1-8);

- he focuses on the future work of the church;

- Luke’s Acts of the Apostles portrays the disciples as entering a new historical epoch, the age of the church;

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Luke’s Historical Vision:

-Acts concludes:

- not by drawing attention to the Parousia;

- but, by expressing Paul’s resolve to concentrate on ministry to the Gentiles (28.27- 28).

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The Author and his Sources:

- Luke was not an eyewitness to the events he describes (see Luke 1.1-4);

- he is identified in the Muratorian list of NT book (from the 4th century [?]) as “the beloved” physician who accompanied Paul on some of Paul’s missionary journeys; (see G-31)

- Iranaeus (ca. 140-ca. 202 A.D.), a bishop of Gaul, refers to the author as a companion of Paul (see Col 4.14; Philem 24; 2 Tim 4.11);

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The Author and his Sources:

- however, he does not seem to be aware of Paul’s letters;

- furthermore, he never refers to Paul’s writing;

- he refers to Paul only twice as an “apostle”;

- for convenience sake, the author is called “Luke”;

- he is fluent in Greek and has the most polished style of any of the Evangelists;

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The Author and his Sources:

- was he a Gentile?

- written after Titus’ destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE;

- reveals detailed knowledge of the Roman siege of the city (21.20-24; see also 19.43-44);

- thus, Luke-Acts was probably written after the Jewish revolts of A.D. 66-73;

- many scholars place the writings in the mid-to-late 80s (see Textbook, Table 11.2, p. 349 – “Gospel of Luke and Acts are written: A.D. 80-90);

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The Author and his Sources:

- Ephesus is favoured as the place of composition;

- this city had a large Christian population.

- Luke introduces his account of the Gospel (1.1-4);

- he refers to his method and dedicates the work to Theophilus (1.1; see also the dedication to the same person in Acts [1.1]);

- Who was Theophilus (“lover of God”)?

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17Ephesus: general plan of the ancient city.

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The Author and his Sources:

- the author depends on eyewitnesses;

- he also employs later missionary accounts;

- but he does his own research (1.1-4).

- he is aware of the accounts produced by others (1.1);

- he uses Mark as his primary source;

- but he edits extensively Mark’s account;

- he rearranges Mark’s material to suit his aims;

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The Author and his Sources:

- See Box 12.9 “Luke’s Editing and Restructuring of Mark” (pp. 396-97);

- Luke frames Mark’s account of Jesus’ adult life with his own stories of Jesus’ infancy (Chs. 1 and 2) and resurrection (Ch. 24);

- he adds to Mark two large sections of teaching material:

1) the “lesser interpolation” (6.20-8.3); and

2) the “greater interpolation” (9.51-18.14);

- a great deal of this material comes from Quelle (=Q) and L (=Luke’s special source);

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The Author and his Sources:

- he uses themes and images from the Hebrew Bible;

- e.g., he uses Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17-19; 2 Kings 1-6) as prototypes of the Messiah;

- he uses many of Jesus’ words that occur only in his account (thus, the L source);

- e.g., the parable of the prodigal son (15.11-32), the lost coin (15.8-10), the persistent woman (18.1-8), the good Samaritan (10.29-32), and Lazarus and the rich man (16.19-31).

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The Author and his Sources:

- Luke’s special material tends to depict Jesus as gentle and loving;

- Jesus ... is the Good Shepherd;

- He is concerned for the oppressed, namely, the poor, the socially outcast, and women.

23Jesus raises a young girl (Luke 8.40-56).

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Typical Lukan Themes:

-Luke emphasizes:

- prayer;

- forgiveness;

- compassion;

- interest in the poor;

- concern for women;

- the active role of the Holy Spirit;

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Typical Lukan Themes:

- God’s direction in human history;

- the universality of Jesus’ messiahship; and

- the new religion’s positive relationship with the Greco-Roman world;

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The Holy Spirit:

- for Luke, the career of Jesus and the growth of Christianity are the direct result of God’s will, expressed through the Holy Spirit;

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The Holy Spirit in Luke’s Works:

-Luke uses the term Holy Spirit 14 times:

- For example:

- at Jesus’ conception (1.35);

- the Spirit anoints Jesus after his baptism (3.22);

- the Spirit leads Jesus to the wilderness (4.1);

- the Spirit empowers Jesus for his Galilean ministry (4.14);

- the Spirit is conferred through prayer (11.13);

29Jesus: baptized by John in the Jordan (Mark 1.9-11; Lk 3.21-22).

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The Holy Spirit:

- the Spirit also appears in Acts (2, with power; 11.15-18, and the Gentiles; the Spirit and the church’s expansion; the Christian community is led and blessed by the Spirit).

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Typical Lukan Themes:

- for Luke, Christianity is a saving faith that God offers to all;

- Christianity is, thus, a universal religion ...;

- Luke presents Jesus in a manner that Roman and Greek readers will understand:

- he is aware that his Gentile audience is not primarily interested in a Jewish Messiah;

- he presents Jesus as “Saviour” - soter (1.69; 2.11; Acts 3.13-15).

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Infancy Narrative in Luke:

- only Luke presents Zechariah and Elizabeth (1.5-25, 39-45, 57-80);

- for Luke, John is the culmination of Israel’s purpose (16.16);

- Jesus’ birth begins a new stage in God’s plan for salvation;

- Gabriel announces to Mary … (1.26-28);

- Mary’s response - the Magnificat (1.46-53) (see 1 Sam 2.1-31);

- Luke’s depiction of the birth of Jesus ... (2.1-40);

- how Luke’s account differs from Matthew’s account (2.1-23).

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Infancy Narrative in Luke:

- Jesus’ presentation in the temple in Jerusalem and Simeon’s prophecy - the Nunc Dimittis hymn - “good news” to “all people” (2.29-32);

- Luke is the only evangelist who tells an incident from Jesus’ boyhood days (2.41-52);

- the comparison here with young Samuel (compare Lk 2.52 with 1 Sam 2.26).

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The Importance of Women in Luke:

- Luke alone narrates the conversations between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth (1.29-56);

- also the words of the prophetess Anna (2.36-38);

- Jesus restores to life the son of the widow of Nain (7.11-17);

- he shows compassion to a prostitute (7.36-50);

- Luke alone narrates the parable of the woman who has lost a coin (15.8-10);

- and the parable of the persistent woman (18.1-8);

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The Importance of Women in Luke (contd.):

- female disciples support Jesus and his male followers “out of their own resources” (8.1-3);

- the sisters Mary and Martha are numbered among Jesus’ closest friends (10.38-42).

- Mary Magdalene and Joanna are present at Jesus’ crucifixion (23.49, 55; 24.10);

- they are among the women who find Jesus’ tomb empty (23.55-24.12);

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The Galilean Ministry (chs. 3-9):

- Luke reproduces much of what is in Mark;

- however, he rearranges and modifies this material;

- he introduces special themes:

- Jesus reads (4.18-19) from Isaiah (61.1-2 and 58.6);

- he refers to Elijah (4.25-26) and Elisha (4.27) performing miracles among non-Jewish peoples.

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The Galilean Ministry (chs. 3-9):

- Luke’s Sermon on the Plain (6.20-49):

- this introduces the “lesser interpolation”/”insertion”;

- comparison with Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount;

- Jesus is the model of compassionate service;

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39Sea of Galilee: view from hills to the west.

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Jesus’ Teaching on the Journey to Jerusalem:

- the “Greater Interpolation”/”Insertion” (9.51-18.14):

- this part of Luke’s account is mainly a collection of brief anecdotes, sayings, and parables;

- here Luke mixes Q with L;

- Jesus passes through Samaria (9.52; 17.11):

- the number 72 and the number of non-Jewish nations;

- the 12 disciples and the 12 tribes of Israel;

- the Parable of the Good Samaritan (10.29-35);

- Parable about Wealth and Poverty (12.13-31);

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Jesus’ Teaching on the Journey to Jerusalem:

- The Prodigal Son (15.11-32).

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43Samaria town and region.

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The Jerusalem Ministry: Jesus’ Conflict with Rome:

- Luke draws upon Mark here but emphasizes that Jesus is innocent of plotting treason against Rome (23.4);

- the imminence of the kingdom and the kingdom already being present in Jesus’ miraculous deeds and teaching (see 11.20 and 17.20-21);

- Predictions of Jerusalem’s fall (19.41-44; 21.20-28):

- Luke uses Mark 13 here;

- however, he edits it extensively;

- Luke and the delayed Parousia (Ch. 21);

- he sees a long earthly history for the Christian community.

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The Jerusalem Ministry: Jesus’ Conflict with Rome:

- Jesus as Servant:

- Luke’s narrative of Jesus’ final days (19.28ff) parallels Mark’s account (14.1-16.8);

- however, he introduces variations to emphasize his theological point-of-view;

- for Luke, Jesus appears as a “servant” for others to imitate;

- Luke’s version of the Last Supper (22.14-20) .

46Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper.”

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The Last Supper – Salvadora Dali.

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The Garden of Gethsemane.

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Luke’s Passion Story:

- according to Luke, Jesus has done nothing illegal against Roman rule (23.1-5, 13-15);

- the members of the Sanhedrin bring Jesus to Pilate strictly on political grounds;

- Luke has the Roman governor pronounce Jesus innocent (23.15; 23.22);

- a fellow victim with Jesus asserts that “this man has done nothing wrong” (23.41);

- the Roman centurion proclaims that Jesus is innocent (23.47);

- Luke has Jesus pray for his executioners (23.34);

- they have acted in “ignorance” (23.34);

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Luke’s Passion Story:

- Jesus’ actions illustrate the principle of all-encompassing love that freely pardons sinners and ends the cycle of retaliation that perpetuates evil in this world;

- Jesus’ final words are to his Father to whom he commits his spirit (23.46);

- Luke’s Jesus is an example of compassion and forgiveness for all who receive the Spirit.

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54Second Temple - Reconstruction.

55Herodian Temple: Model.

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Stones from the Herodian Temple Mount.

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Jerusalem: Temple Mount.

58Kedron Valley – immediately to the east of the Walled City.

59Church of All Nations – in Kedron Valley on Palm Sunday.

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62The Pieta - Michaelangelo.

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Jesus is laid in the Tomb.

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The women and the angel at the empty tomb.

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Post-Resurrection Appearances:

- Luke places all experiences of the risen Jesus in or near Jerusalem (Luke 24):

- Jesus’ appearance on the road to Emmaus (24.13);

- Jesus appears in Jerusalem in the midst of a large group, including the Eleven (24.36);

- Luke ends his account with Jesus’ promise to send the disciples his “Father’s gift,” the Holy Spirit (24.44-53) (see this fulfilled in Acts 2).

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69Roman Empire at the time the Gospel accounts written.

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See Revelation 4.6-8.

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Questions for Review (Numbers 1-4 on p. 407 in Textbook).

Questions for Discussion and Reflection (Numbers 1 and 2 on pp. 407 in Textbook).