Luke: third lecture

1
Luke third lecture the passion

• Father, into your hands . . .

2
Lukes passion

• In general Luke (like Matthew) follows Marks
  narrative and chronology in passion narrative.
• But with additions that make it some sense a
  different narrative, or a least a narrative with
  a new focus.
• Some of these indicate Lukes theme of
  reconciliation, forgiveness.
• But others want to mitigate the responsibility of
  Rome over Jesus death.
• And above all -- different words of Jesus at
  his death.

3
Some details added by Luke to the passion
narrative

• Jesus prayer for Peter, just before the
  prediction of his betrayal 22 31-34.
• The disciples sleeping because of grief during
  Jesus agony in the garden of Gethsemane 22 45.
• Jesus to Judas would you betray the son of man
  with a kiss? 2248.
• Jesus heals the man whose ear is cut off 22 51.
  No more of this!
• Jesus turns and looks at Peter after Peters
  thrice-repeated denial.

4
More Lucan details Pilate and Jesus

• Specifically political charges laid against
  Jesus perverting our nation, forbidding us to
  pay taxes to Caesar, calling himself messiah, a
  king 23 2.
• Pilates judgment of innocence 23 4.
• And more political charges 23 5.
• Pilate tries to avoid jurisdiction Jesus sent to
  Herod 236-12.
• Pilates formal judgment of Jesus innocence 23
  13-16.
• Repeated at 23 22. no ground for the sentence
  of death.
• No mockery by the Roman soldiers (purple robe,
  crown of thorns, reed for scepter, taunting).
• Pilate finally allows Jesus execution but
  against his judgment of innocence.

5
Lukes report of Jesus words on cross

• Forgiveness of the Roman soldiers 23 34.
  Father, forgive them, for they do not know what
  they are doing.
• The good thief and the bad thief 23 39-43.
  Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in
  Paradise.
• Above all No despair on cross My God, my God,
  why have you forsaken me not spoken in Luke.
• Instead, Father, into thy hands I commend my
  spirit.
• Luke shocked by the words of despair?
• And the centurion swears to Jesus innocence --
  not to his being Son of God.
• Why innocence instead of Son of God?

6
Lukes version of the resurrection

• Entering the tomb, the women find two men in
  dazzling apparel.
• And unlike Marks narrative, the women do tell
  the disciples.
• Apparently a larger number of women, Mary
  Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James
  and the other women with them.
• Peter goes to the tomb and also finds it empty.

7
Disciples on the way to Emmaus

• Only Luke tells this resurrection-appearance
  story.
• One of the two is named Cleopas.
• Intertextuality is one of the points of the
  story the interpretation of the events just
  narrated in terms of Hebrew Scriptures.
• Recognition in the blessing and breaking of
  bread.
• Eyes opened in response to this, and hearts
  burning in response to interpretive work of
  relating events to Scriptural texts.
• And they return to Jerusalem that same hour.
• And tell how he had been made known to them in
  the breaking of the bread.

8
Carravaggio the supper at Emmaus
9
Lukes emphasis on the physicality of risen
Jesus

• 24 39 Touch me and see . . . Hes flesh and
  blood.
• And hes hungry! Grilled fish.
• Only Luke emphasizes the physical bodiliness of
  the risen Jesus.
• And opens their minds to understand the
  scriptures as in Emmaus episode. 2446
• And the necessity of staying in Jerusalem
• Return to Jerusalem beginning from Jerusalem
  2447,
• Disciples continually in the temple blessing
  God.

10
Two final questions on Luke

• Why does this gentile writer, as it is generally
  assumed, insist on Jerusalem, the Temple, the
  background in the Hebrew Scriptures, and the
  essential Jewishness of Jesus?
• What in the late first century prompts this
  textual need for a deep historical sense of the
  connectedness of Jesus to Israel?