Luke second lecture

1
Luke second lecture

• Israel and Temple in infancy/childhood narratives
• Women in Luke
• Rome in Luke
• Lukes parables

2
Lukes emphasis on Israel

• The shepherds as representative of Israel.
• Israels roots in nomadic, shepherding past
  David as shepherd
• Very different tone in comparison to Matthew.
• Lukes narrative creates Christmas?
• Infant Jesus is taken to Temple for presentation.
• Greeted by prophetic figure of Simeon, who comes
  to Temple
• And woman prophet (equal opportunity prophet?)
  Anna, who lives in Temple.
• The child grew and became strong, filled with
  wisdom and favor of God was upon him. Echoes 1
  Samuel 2 26. Like child prophet Samuel

3
Return to the Temple

• The family returns to Jerusalem Passover festival
  every year.
• When Jesus is 12, age of bar mitzvah, he goes to
  the Temple.
• Not really a story of adolescent rebellion.
• Sitting among the teachers, listening to them
  and asking them questions.
• Did you not know I must be in my Fathers
  house?
• 2 52 echoes 1 Samuel 2 26. Again like child
  prophet Samuel, Jesus grows in wisdom and years
  in divine and human favor.

4
Women in Luke

• Women in infancy, childhood narratives
  Elizabeth, Mary, Anna.
• Jesus and John encounter in utero.
• Thematic overture of gospel in Marys poetic
  speech of 147-55. Reversal of social, political
  roles of powerful, lowly.
• Pericopé of 736ff. A version of Marks 143ff.
  But now the woman a sinner.
• Not so much a feminist point as one of
  overturning of expectations woman valued above
  Simon.
• Women among the disciples 82
• And names given Mary called Magdalene (of
  Magdala), Joanna, wife of Herods steward
  Chuza, and Susanna.
• Mary Magdalene mentioned in all four gospels.
  (And not to be identified with prostitute!)
• Clearly a significant figure in first-century
  church.

5
Women in Luke continued

• Martha and Mary in 10 38ff.
• Unfair to Martha of course!
• Reversal of womens roles like parables.
• Story could easily have been told of two men
  but isnt.
• The better part to listen, become disciple.
• 23 49 women who had followed him from Galilee.
• 23 27 among them were women, addressed as
  Daughters of Jerusalem.
• Poor widow of 21 1-3 another reversal of
  understanding.

6
Luke the feminist evangelist?

• Not exactly. Need to historicize this.
• Greater agency of women in gentile world.
• Remember Pauls discomfort with Corinthian
  situation.
• Luke must be reflecting realities in first-cent.
  communities.
• But names, esp. Magdalene, go back to historical
  situation of Jesus teaching.
• Clearly there were women among disciples.
• Will the message penetrate to Benedict?!

7
Luke and Rome

• Luke locates events in Roman as well as Jewish
  time 2 1-2, 3 1-2.
• Lukes genealogy and its difference from
  Matthews not just to Abraham, but to Adam, son
  of God.
• Tax collectors and soldiers come to Johns
  baptism its ethical character.
• But the opening to the gentiles happens gradually
  in Lukes scheme.
• Note the differences between Luke 7 1-10 and
  Matthew 8 5-13.
• In Luke the Centurion (a Roman) does not speak
  directly to Jesus, but sends Jewish emissaries.
  They mention his love of Israel, that he built
  their synagogue.
• Note that Matthew turns the narrative against
  Israel, the heirs of the kingdom.
• In Luke Jesus never preaches directly to
  gentiles.
• Eliminates the story of the Syro-Phoenician
  woman.

8
Lukes parables I

• Nine parables that are not in any other gospel.
• Their historicity is indicated by the fact that
  Luke doesnt always know what to make of them
  e.g., Crafty Servant (161-9) and Unscrupulous
  Judge (181-8).
• Crafty Servant is simply baffling in its moral or
  spiritual meaning.
• Unscrupulous Judge is directed toward the
  recommendation of unceasing prayer, but the
  oddity lies in its comparison of judge to God.
• Neither parable is obviously about themes that
  appear to matter to Luke.
• This strongly suggests Lukes belief in their
  historicity.
• Fig tree (136-9) looks like a transformation of
  the fig tree episode in Mark and Matthew.

9
Parables that express Lukes themes

• Rich man who built bigger barns (1216-21).
• Counters the accumulation of wealth.
• The Rich Man and Lazarus (1619-31).
• Similar conviction of wealth in relation to
  poverty.
• The Pharisee and the tax collector (189-14).
• Reversal of expectations leads into the saying
  on exaltation of humble, humbling of those who
  exalt themselves.

10
The good Samaritan -- 10 29-37

• Told in response to a question.
• Samaritans were despised by good Jews for their
  status as heretics to Judaism.
• Priest is going toward Jerusalem and cant risk
  ritual uncleanness (man might be dead).
• Ditto the Levite.
• Samaritan becomes, paradoxically, a neighbor.
• The ethical direction of the ending Go and do
  likewise.

11
The Prodigal Son -- 1511-32

• The greatest of Lukes parables?
• Notice the context the last of three parables
  about loosing and finding.
• Each of which has a counter-intuitive meaning,
  suggesting extravagance.
• The fathers extravagance in forgiving.
• As it seems to end, it begins again with the
  older brother.
• Does this divide the readers sympathies?
• Extravagance is recommended to the older son as
  well.
• Sets aside all normal categories of moral
  judgment.

12
The episode with Zachaeus, 19 1-10

• Episode seems to function like a Lucan parable.
• Again the sense of extravagance of response.
• Overturning of expectations for righteousness.
• Character of Lukes parables? seldom the
  kingdom of God is like . . .
• Hiddenness or disclosure?
• How compared with Marks parable of sower?