Profile: The Gospel of Luke
This Gospel appears to have been written about the same time as Matthew’s, although later revisions are always possible. It seems that neither writer was aware of the other’s work. The text probably originated around the Aegean Sea or in Asia Minor. The Gospel is the first part of a two-volume work which also includes the Acts of the Apostles.
Luke apparently has two related interests. To non-Christians in the Roman Empire, he wishes to portray the Church as “a philosophically enlightened, politically harmless, socially benevolent, and philanthropic fellowship.” He presents Christianity as a religion for Jews and Gentiles worthy of legal recognition by the Roman Empire. Luke offsets the embarrassing fact that the Church’s founder had been executed for sedition by a Roman prefect by having Pilate declare Jesus innocent three times [23:4, 14, 22]. Furthermore, in Luke, the centurion at the foot of the cross (unlike in Mark and Matthew) exclaims, “Surely, this man was innocent.” [23:47] It is also not an accident that almost every Roman character in Luke-Acts is portrayed favorably.
To members of the church, Luke has a second goal. Because in his time and place the church’s proclamation to Jews is failing, but succeeding in terms of Gentiles, some are apparently wondering if God had been faithful to the promises to the people of Israel that they would be blessed. If blessing through Christ was now shifting onto Gentiles, what did that say about divine promises to Jews? Or was the church a heretical deviation from Judaism as some were charging? Luke’s reply is to stress that the church began, as God so willed, among pious, law-abiding Jews (including Jesus!) and that Jewish-Christians form the irreplaceable Jewish heart of an increasingly Gentile church. Through them comes “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to [the] people Israel.” [2:32]
Luke’s portrait of Jesus relates to these purposes. For Luke, Jesus is the bringer of authentic peace, of spiritual and physical wholeness, and of healing and reconciliation. Therefore, the icon for this Gospel is a dove of peace. At the Lucan Jesus’ birth, angelic messengers proclaim “Good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day . . . a Savior! . . . Peace on earth among those whom God favors!” [2:10-11, 14] These words echo monument inscriptions which praised Augustus Caesar as “god” and “savior,” the bringer of the Roman Peace, whose birth “marks the beginning of good news, through him, for the world.” Luke is hereby claiming that Jesus completes more fully the work of Augustus. He is the one who brings true peace in the world. Similarly, the Lucan John the Baptist is described as one who will “guide our feet into the way of peace.” [2:14]
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is surrounded by an aura of healing and reconciliation that affects all who come into contact with him. This Lucan trait can be seen in several unique passages in his Passion Narrative. It is only in Luke that Jesus heals the servant’s ear that was severed during the scuffle at Jesus’ arrest [22:51]. Only in Luke do Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate become unlikely fast friends after being in Jesus’ presence [23:12]. Jesus prays for forgiveness for his crucifiers only in Luke’s Gospel [23:34]. And only in Luke does one of those crucified with Jesus express faith in him [23:39-43].
There is also a Lucan theme that sees Jesus as the Ultimate Prophet who is fated to die in Jerusalem as prophets before him.
Connected with this Christology is Luke's concern for those marginalized in first-century society. The poor, the oppressed, the diseased, and women all receive special attention in this Gospel. Christians are expected to address the physical needs of people, particularly the disadvantaged, and see to it that none go hungry or without shelter. The rich are shown in Luke as finding it especially difficult to detach themselves from their possessions, although those few who do so are praised [e.g., Acts 4:32-37].
The main christological perspective in Luke is that Jesus is the one who brings shalom, that is, peace, healing, reconciliation, forgiveness, and wholeness. He brings God’s promises of blessings for the world through Israel to fulfillment. Authentic discipleship is defined by promoting the well-being of all, especially the marginalized, and by fostering peace and unity.
Luke Timothy Johnson, Luke [Sacra Pagina] (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1991), p. 9.
Reading from Luke 1:5-56
5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.
8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10Now at the time of the incense-offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ 18Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.’ 19The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.’
21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23When his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25‘This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favourably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.’
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ 34Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’
46 And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
48 for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
56 And Mary remained with her for about three months and then returned to her home.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989,Division of Christian Education of the National Councilof the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Structure
Transcript
Luke’s infancy narrative is structured in terms of parallel presentations of the origins of Jesus and John the Baptizer. This comparison actually represents what could be called a “step parallelism” since Jesus is always depicted as superior to the Baptizer. Thus, John is hailed as “Prophet of the Most High,” while Jesus is announced to be “Son of the Most High.” The narrative’s paired scenes are the announcements and signs given about the births of John the Baptizer and Jesus, and matching scenes about their births and namings. Other scenes stand alone: Mary visiting her kinswoman Elizabeth and the encounter in the Temple with Simeon and Anna. Within these scenes three songs or canticles appear: The Magnificat (from my soul “magnifies”) sung by Mary, the Benedictus (“Blessed be”) sung by Zechariah, and the Nunc Dimitiis (“Now dismiss”) sung by Simeon in the Temple.
The infancy narrative proper is followed by a scene of Jesus in the Temple at age twelve, by the scene of Jesus’ baptism by John, and then by a genealogy. Luke’s genealogy is different from Matthew’s not only in terms of the individuals named (there are no women mentioned, for example), but it also runs in the reverse direction from Joseph all the way back to Adam.
Announcements and Signs
Transcript
Luke stresses that the birth of Jesus takes place among the pious people of Israel. Thus, the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth are introduced as “righteous,” “observing all the commandments blamelessly.” Luke seldom uses “fulfillment passages” as Matthew does. Instead, his narrative echoes episodes from Israel’s scriptures. And so, like Abraham and Sarah before them, Zechariah and Elizabeth are an aged, infertile couple.
Again reminiscent of Abraham, Zechariah encounters an angelic messenger who announces that his wife will become pregnant. The angel describes the child, to be named John, in language filled with scriptural allusions:
Recalling the announcements of the births of Samson and Samuel, the boy will “drink neither wine nor strong drink”
He will be like Elijah of old and, as depicted by the prophet Malachi, will “turn the hearts of fathers toward their children” before the great and terrible day of the Lord.
The messenger who speaks to Zechariah, Gabriel, is named in Daniel chapter 9 as the angel to proclaim the coming of an anointed leader.
Thus, Luke portrays the birth of John as heralding the climax of Israel’s story. Zechariah seems doubtful. As a sign of Gabriel’s truthfulness, he is rendered unable to speak until the child’s birth.
The scene then shifts to Nazareth in the Galilee where a wedded virgin is also visited by Gabriel. “Wedded virgin” refers to the custom of that time for parents to sign a marriage contract for their children shortly after puberty. But the young woman continued to live with her parents until the young man had established himself. Only then did the couple live together and consummate the marriage.
Mary is called God’s “favored one” because she will give birth to a son, who will be named Jesus. The child is to be conceived by the creative power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who was present at the world’s creation. Jesus is referred to in terms surpassing those used of the Baptizer: he will be called “Son of the Most High God” and will rule from the throne of David – recalling the prophet Nathan’s words to David in Second Samuel.
Although Mary questions Gabriel about the predicted pregnancy, she is not given a punitive sign like Zechariah. Apparently she is not disbelieving, but only puzzled. Like Zechariah, she is given a sign. She is told that her cousin Elizabeth is pregnant since “nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary assents to the angel’s words. This is the beginning of Luke’s depiction of Mary as the model disciple. She “hears God’s word and keeps it” (Lk 11:28).
Mary Visits Elizabeth
Transcript
In a scene that links the announcements of the births to the births themselves, Mary visits her kinswoman Elizabeth. She discovers that the sign given by Gabriel about Elizabeth’s pregnancy is indeed correct. Luke is the only New Testament author who establishes a blood relationship between Jesus and the Baptizer. This probably relates to his interest in comparing the two figures, with Jesus always emerging as preeminent. Elizabeth addresses Mary as the “mother of my Lord” (Lk 1:43) and blesses her as one who believed what God told her (Lk 1:45). This continues Luke’s presentation of Mary as worthy of admiration, not so much because she was Jesus’ mother, but because she models discipleship. Mary answers with the first of Luke’s “canticles,” the Magnificat, which draws heavily upon the song of Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel.
Many biblical researchers think that Luke’s canticles are adaptations of psalms developed by early Jewish believers in Jesus Crucified and Raised. These “Jews in Christ” used standard methods of knitting together biblical phrases into their lyrics. They revered Jesus as the one who fulfills their hopes for the rescue of Israel, especially in Davidic terms. The songs may also reflect the situation of the anawim, or “poor ones” in Israel, who in their weakness rely on God alone. Luke may have taken such early Jesus-songs, adapted them, and wove them into his story of Jesus’ birth.
In the Magnificat, Mary begins by describing herself as one “of low estate,” a “handmaiden,” just as earlier to Gabriel she had called herself the handmaid of the Lord. So, too, Hannah had prayed for God to “look with pity on the low estate of your handmaid.” For Luke, Mary symbolizes the lowly ones whom God rescues. She then rejoices in the reversals that the Lord brings upon the poor and rich. This also parallels Hannah’s song, but in addition anticipates the beatitudes and woes that the Lucan Jesus will utter in the Sermon on the Plain in Luke chapter 6. The Magnificat also anticipates the words of the Lucan Jesus in the Nazareth synagogue about bringing glad tidings to the poor and oppressed.
Importantly, all of these divine deeds that Mary praises are seen to be in accord with God’s covenant with Abraham. Only the phrase “all generations will call me blessed” explicitly applies to Mary. The other words of the Magnificat represent the hopes and dreams of Israel’s poor. The Magnificat thus emphasizes God’s covenantal faithfulness to Israel and the Lucan Mary’s role as the model of discipleship.
Reading from Luke 1:57 - 2:40
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. 60But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ 61They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ 62Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63He asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed. 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65Fear came over all their neighbours, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66All who heard them pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him.
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:
68 ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty saviour for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.’
80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.
Luke 2
2In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989,Division of Christian Education of the National Councilof the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Births and Namings
Transcript
The second pair of parallel scenes in Luke’s narrative depicts the births and namings of the Baptizer and Jesus. The sign given to Zechariah that he would be unable to speak until John’s birth comes to pass. With the child’s birth, Zechariah breaks into the second canticle, the Benedictus. Although Zechariah proclaims this song of praise to God at the birth of his son, John, his words are almost entirely about Jesus. The exception is Lk 2:76-77, which subordinates John to Jesus as the one “to prepare his ways.” The puzzling fact that this song about Jesus is expressed in the past tense (even though Jesus’ birth has not yet been narrated) can be understood by thinking of its authors as Jews in the earliest church. They saw their post-resurrectional faith in Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s scriptural promises to Israel.
In the Benedictus, Zechariah first speaks about Jesus in Davidic terms as the one who rescues Israel from the Gentile nations. Then he refers to Jesus in Abrahamic terms as the one who brings the blessing of peace to the nations. The Benedictus, therefore, expresses both an early Jewish christology and Luke’s belief that Jesus is the bringer of peace between Israel and the Gentile nations. As the narration proceeds to the birth of Jesus, Bethlehem is described as “the city of David,” even though elsewhere in the Bible that title is used only of Jerusalem. Luke is likely drawing upon Micah chapter 5, which looks for the birth of a shepherd-king like David. Luke twice refers to “swaddling cloths,” the placing of the child in a manger four times, and portrays shepherds as first to learn of the birth. Luke’s Jesus is clearly to be found among Israel’s lowly.
The sign of the child found in the “manger” relates to Isaiah 1:3: “An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master’s manger; but Israel does not know, my people does not understand.” Luke here introduces one of the recurrent themes of his Gospel. He asks if Israel will understand the manger of the Lord now present. He wonders if Israel will see that Jesus is the realization of God’s biblical promises. It is very noteworthy that the angels’ proclamation of Jesus’ birth are actually paraphrases of monumental tributes to the birthday of Augustus Caesar, the bringer of the Roman Peace: Luke is subtly indicating that the true bringer of peace to the world is not the emperor. It is the baby in the manger. Mary keeps these things in her heart. Once again, she is seen to be a disciple who, as will be mentioned later in the Gospel, “embraces the word with a generous and good heart.” Luke ends the birth scene by noting Jesus’ circumcision on the eighth day. This reiterates his emphasis that Jesus and his family are Torah-observant, pious Jews and that the church is in continuity with the people and traditions of Israel.
The Infant Jesus in the Temple (2:22-40)
Transcript
As with previous scenes, the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple recalls Samuel and his presentation to the priest Eli by his mother Hannah. She had declared, “As long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” In mentioning “their purification”, Luke seems to have confused the Jewish rituals of the purification of the new mother and the dedication of the firstborn male to God. In any case, he repeatedly stresses to his readers that Mary and Joseph do everything “according to the Law of Moses.”
Two prophetic figures, Simeon and Anna now appear. They correspond to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Elkanah and Hannah, parents of Samuel. By their words, Luke depicts the Torah and the prophets testifying to Jesus in the Temple. Simeon utters two prophecies in the Nunc Dimittis that speak of the child’s destiny for the world and for Israel. Simeon’s first prophecy weaves several themes from Isaiah into a declaration that the child is important for the whole world.
Simeon’s second prophecy is addressed to Mary. He speaks of the child as bringing a crisis of decision upon the people of Israel, causing some to rise and some to fall. Some will see his significance and some will oppose him. As a daughter of Israel, Mary, too, will know this “sword of decision.” The phrase about a sword piercing her heart is not referring to Mary witnessing Jesus’ crucifixion since she is not present at his execution in Luke’s Gospel. Rather, Mary will struggle with the decisions that confront all of Israel. She, too, will face “the sword of decision.”
This scene, then, asserts that the child is destined to fulfill God’s promise that all the nations will benefit from the light that will shine from Israel. In Luke’s view, however, Israel will be divided into belief and unbelief because of the child. It is likely that Luke 2:40 was the end of Luke’s infancy narrative in an early form of the Gospel. The following separate episode of Jesus in the Temple at age 12 seems to have been added as the Gospel achieved its final form.
Luke’s Theology
Transcript
The theological perspectives of Luke’sinfancy narrative can be summarized as follows: Luke’s accountpresents the birth of Jesus as the climax of God’s promises toIsrael.
There are many allusions tobiblical figures: Samuel, Samson, Elijah, David, Abraham, Isaiah
Jesus’ family observes both the Torah and Roman laws
Luke sees Jesus’ coming as a time ofdecision for God’s people. He will cause the rise and fall of manyin Israel. For Luke, Jesus is the bringer of peace between Israel andthe Gentile nations and for peace among the nations. Jesus is bornamid the lowly of Israel, reflecting Luke’s concern for the poorand for those who can rely only on God. Luke portrays Mary as thefirst disciple and the model of discipleship. She hears the word ofGod and keeps it.
