Luke. Diane G. Chen
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future salvation has impinged upon the present. Those who believe in Jesus experience the relationships and ethics of the kingdom of God now even as its final consummation lies in the future. Eternal salvation is not effected only through the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus. Even during his earthly ministry, Jesus brings release from bondage and reversal of conditions to those who repent and humbly receive the gift of salvation. Jesus’ direct ministry to those around him is salvific in the eschatological sense, as the poor receive the good news of God’s kingdom, the captives and the oppressed are set free, the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the lepers are cleansed, and even the dead are raised (4:18–19; 7:22). Because Jesus embodies the saving power of God both in life and in death, the theological use of the word “today (sēmeron)” in Luke connotes both the immediacy of God’s salvation through Jesus and the urgency of its proclamation (2:11; 4:21; 19:9; 23:43).
Third, and consonant with the theme of reversal, the Lukan narrative puts a heavy emphasis on the faith and humility of those with low status in their openness to the good news of Jesus. Tax collectors, sinners, gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, the sick, the handicapped, and the demon-possessed are recipients of Jesus’ healing touch and acceptance.13 By contrast, the religious leaders who criticize Jesus for breaking Sabbath and purity laws while bringing people to wholeness are indicted for their self-righteousness (5:31–32; 11:42). This emphasis on lifting up the lowly and putting the proud in their place is also apparent among the many parables of Jesus found only in Luke. These include stories such as the two debtors (7:41–43), the good Samaritan (10:25–37), the lost sons (15:11–32), the rich man and Lazarus (16:19–31), the widow and the unjust judge (18:1–8), and the Pharisee and the tax collector (18:9–14). It is no wonder that this Gospel is deeply embraced by liberationist theologians and communities that identify with the oppressed and the underdogs in various times and places.
Fourth, a journey motif cuts across Luke-Acts. The saving plan of God is always in motion, seen in the lives and proclamation of Jesus’ disciples. From the very beginning, Mary travels south to visit Elizabeth. The two women, both with child, confirm that God is about to fulfill his promise to Israel (1:39–45). Nine months later, Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Judea. Even though the couple embark on that journey to comply with the edict of Caesar, the emperor’s oppressive act of census-taking becomes an unwitting instrument to situate the Messiah’s birthplace in Bethlehem in fulfillment of the words of the prophet Micah (2:1–7; cf. Mic 5:2). Throughout the narrative, Jesus conducts an itinerant ministry around Galilee, moving from one town to another to preach the good news (4:14–15, 43–44). Twice, he sends his disciples to do likewise (9:1–6; 10:1–12). Most distinctively, however, is the large section from 9:51—19:27, commonly known as the “travel narrative,” which begins with Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem and ends right before his entry into the city. On the one hand, these chapters cover a physical journey, as Jesus and his entourage make their way from Galilee to Judea where Jesus will meet his destiny.14 On the other hand, this section is replete with teaching materials concerning the path of discipleship, addressing topics from prayer and money to repentance and judgment. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the final chapter of Luke contains one more important journey to and from Emmaus. On this journey two disciples leave Jerusalem in despair and return with great joy and insight, having traveled and shared table with the risen Christ (24:13–33). The twin themes of the dynamic movement of the gospel and the notion of journey as discipleship continue into Luke’s second volume. Known as “the Way,”15 the early Christian movement is shown in Acts to take the good news of salvation out of Jerusalem and Judea into Samaria, Phoenicia, Syria, Cyprus, Asia Minor, Macedonia, Achaia (Greece), and Rome.
Beyond these key themes, others, such as God’s fatherhood, Luke’s prophetic portrayal of Jesus, the importance of prayer, the proper use of wealth, and the call for perseverance are also worthy of attention when reading the Lukan narrative. The more familiar we are with the individual vignettes and how they contribute to the overall flow of this long book, the better equipped we are in finding those delightful nuggets of rhetorical and theological truths that the author has artfully woven into the narrative. As we invest time and energy into the meaning of the text, may we also sit with prayerful hearts ready to receive the instruction and convictions of the Holy Spirit. Welcome aboard this journey through the Gospel of Luke.
1. P75, dated to 200 CE.
2. See Clement of Alexandria (second century) Strom. 5.12; Irenaeus (second century) Haer. 3.1.1; 3.14.1; Tertullian (second/third century) Marc. 4.2.2; 4.2.5; 4.5.3; Eusebius (third/fourth century) Hist. eccl. 3.4.6; Jerome (fourth/fifth century) Vir. ill. 7.1.
3. The Prologue to Luke within the Anti-Marcionite Prologues is dated to the second half of the second century (Koester 1992: 335).
4. Hagner 2012: 246; Edwards 2015: 6.
5. Marshall 1978: 35; Edwards 2015: 12–13.
6. Marshall 1978: 34–35; Edwards 2015: 11–12.
7. Carroll 2012: 4.
8. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, the verb euangelizō is found in contexts that speak of God’s salvation, e.g., Pss 11:1; 95:2; Isa 49:2; 52:7; Joel 3:5.
9. E.g., Matt 4:23; Mark 1:14; Rom 1:1; Rev 14:6. This term is used in Acts (15:7; 20:24) but not in Luke.
10. Green 1997: 2–6; Carroll 2012: 5–6.
11. E.g., Mark 1:14—3:19//Luke 4:14—6:16; Mark 11:27—13:32//Luke 20:1—21:33.
12. With the majority of NT scholars, I subscribe to both Markan priority and the four-document hypothesis to account for the literary relationship between the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). First, Mark is the earliest of the four canonical Gospels. Second, both Matthew and Luke used Mark and Q as their sources. Q, a hypothetical source, contains the sayings of Jesus common to both Matthew and Luke. Third, all remaining materials found only in Matthew is attributed to the M source, and those found only in Luke, to the L source. In short, these four documents (Mark, Q, M, and L), together explain how Matthew, Mark, and Luke can have overlapping materials but are not identical in order and detail.
13. E.g., 4:33–35; 5:17–26, 29–32; 7:11–15, 36–50; 17:11–19; 18:15–17, 35–43.
14. Even so, the name places in these stories, if plotted out on a map, show a rather meandering itinerary. The point is not to track Jesus’ geographical progress from town to town but to show a deliberate movement toward the climax of his mission.
15. E.g., Acts 9:2; 18:25–26; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22.
Luke 1
Prologue