DOCSLIB.ORG

Gospel Reading Luke 1:26-38 Brief Commentary

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Gospel Reading Luke 1:26-38 Brief Commentary CATHOLIC CONVERSATIONS ON THE SCRIPTURES Archdiocese of Miami - Ministry of Christian Formation th December 21, 2008 4 Sunday of Advent (Cycle B) Gospel reading Luke 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “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 called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren, for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. Brief commentary: Since the second century Luke has been seen as the “beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14) who accompanied Paul from Troas to Philippi. Luke’s narrative of the birth of Jesus is very different from Matthew’s. Here the emphasis is on Mary, Elizabeth and Zechariah, not on Joseph. The story does not mention the Magi. Instead, it includes the shepherds from the nearby fields, consistent with Luke’s interest in the poor and the marginalized from society. The particular focus of the announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is on Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. When Mary objects that she has had no sexual relationships, the sign given to her in confirmation of the angel’s words is the pregnancy of her aged relative Elizabeth. If a woman past the childbearing age could become pregnant, why, the angel implies, should there be doubt about Mary's pregnancy, for “nothing is impossible for God.” The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both the angel Gabriel appears to the parent who is troubled by the vision and then told by the angel not to fear. The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David and Son of God. Today’s reading offers three significant messages: • According to Luke, the virginal conception of Jesus took place through the Holy Spirit, the power of God. • Mary is blessed among women not because of something she has done but because of God’s choice of her for a special role in the plan of salvation. • Mary’s spiritual motherhood is shared by all those who make the same faithful response she did. For our shared or personal reflection: After a brief pause for silent reflection share your answers, ideas or feelings. 1. How open am I to God’s life within me? Even when God seems to ask the impossible? 2. What do the words, “Do not be afraid” say to me today? What fears do I need to surrender to God? Suggested readings: Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 332; 484-494; 497; 697; 2617; 2677. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Gospel According to Luke, Isaiah, and Origen
    Lumen et Vita 9:2 (2019), doi: 10.6017/lv.v9i2.11125 “To Evangelize the Poor:” The Gospel According to Luke, Isaiah, and Origen James E. Kelly Boston College School of Theology and Ministry (Brighton, MA) Abstract In this essay, I will examine the scriptural basis for Origen’s interpretation of Luke 4:18-19 as an allusion to Jesus’ identity as savior, not as a call to social justice. I argue that this interpretation is consistent with the intentions of the gospel writer. The essay begins with an analysis of the gospel writer’s redaction of Mark 1 in Luke 3-5. Based on that redaction, I hypothesize that Luke intends to emphasize Jesus’s identity with the anointed one mentioned in Isaiah 61:1-2. This excerpt from Isaiah not only gives Luke 4:18-19 its Christological significance but also clarifies Luke’s understanding of poverty in relation to the Gospel. I then examine Origen’s application of the Lucan passage for his pastoral purposes. To conclude, I suggest that we, like Luke and Origen, read Scripture Christocentrically in order to better facilitate the church’s encounter with Christ during the liturgy. Text If you want to see what it means to preach the Gospel, look at Jesus in the Nazareth synagogue. Within the Gospel of Luke,1 this occasion marks the first time Jesus preaches—and the first time he is rejected—during his public ministry. The other three evangelists don’t seem to remember it well. For Matthew and Mark, the rejection at Nazareth pales in comparison to the many miracles Jesus previously performed throughout Galilee; for John, this event goes unmentioned.2 What matters to Luke is the message Jesus preaches in the Nazareth synagogue, an excerpt from the book of the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, on account of which He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
    [Show full text]
  • The Magnificat Luke 1:46Ff
    The Magnificat Luke 1:46ff. December 22 & 23, 2012 Steve DeWitt For Christians this truly is a most wonderful time of the year. There are many reasons why our culture, in general, celebrates: being with family and friends . This is our first married Christmas and we will be spending time with my family in Des Moines and her family in Kansas City. For both of us, it’s the first time navigating Christmas with both sides of the family. I hope your time with your family is very blessed. Gift giving . Most of us like to give gifts and all of us like to receive them. Food . Vacation . There are lots of reasons for joy at this time of year no matter what your faith is or isn’t. But as Christians, there is a gladness we have because behind the cultural and sentimental celebrations of Christmas, there is something real and true and historical. Something happened that goes far beyond what silver bells, sleighs, and lights can symbolize. There is a story. A true story. A wonderful story. A story that the Bible says is remembered, not with presents and carols, but with faith. We remember by believing it is true and that the little baby in the manger was the Son of God. This has nothing to do with sentimentality but with truth and meaning and joy and wonder. We will get to that. Luke gives the most detailed account of the birth of Jesus. No surprise, Luke was a doctor. Doctors are scientists who study things in detail.
    [Show full text]
  • The Meaning and Message of the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Ranko Stefanovic Andrews University
    The Meaning and Message of the Beatitudes in the Sermon On the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Ranko Stefanovic Andrews University The Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7 is probably one of the best known of Jesus’ teachings recorded in the Gospels. This is the first of the five discourses in Matthew that Jesus delivered on an unnamed mount that has traditionally been located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee near Capernaum, which is today marked by the Church of the Beatitudes. New Testament scholarship has treated the Sermon on the Mount as a collection of short sayings spoken by the historical Jesus on different occasions, which Matthew, in this view, redactionally put into one sermon.1 A similar version of the Sermon is found in Luke 6:20-49, known as the Sermon on the Plain, which has been commonly regarded as a Lucan variant of the same discourse. 2 The position taken in this paper is, first of all, that the Matthean and Lucan versions are two different sermons with similar content delivered by Jesus on two different occasions. 3 Secondly, it seems almost certain that the two discourses are summaries of much longer ones, each with a different emphasis, spiritual and physical respectively. Whatever position one takes, it appears that the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew is not just a collection of randomly selected pieces; the discourse displays one coherent literary theme. The Sermon is introduced with the Beatitudes, which are concluded with a couplet of short metaphoric parables on salt and light.
    [Show full text]
  • Mary's Magnificat
    Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:39-56) Bill Gaultiere ~ Ignatian Meditation Guides ~ SoulShepherding.org Guidelines (For Groups): Protect confidentiality and follow the leader’s prompts. Ignatian Meditation Process: Ignatius chose this Gospel reading for Week 2 of The Spiritual Exercises. Read the introduction and then “Ask for the grace”. Then quietly read the passage by using your imagination to enter into the story, sensing and feeling what’s going on. Don’t analyze the passage or seek insights — experience yourself as a character in the story. After the second reading have a “colloquy” (short, personal conversation) with the Lord. You can use the prompts and questions at the bottom to guide your prayer time and journaling (and sharing with others). Introduction: When we think about the birth of Christ it’s easy to forget that Mary is a teenage girl who is pregnant outside of marriage. At first nobody believes her story about a miraculous virgin birth. Not even her fiancée or parents. Given her stress and her hormones, surely she is quite emotional! She hurries off to verify the angel’s word that her cousin Elizabeth is indeed pregnant in her old age. What a blessing of affirmation Mary receives! What a glorious song she sings to the Lord! She is inspired by Hannah’s song in the Old Testament. She in turn inspires the message of her son who is the Savior and Lord for her and for the whole world. Ask For the Grace: Divine Majesty, I ask for the grace I desire: that I may not be deaf to your call, but ready and diligent to accomplish your most holy will.
    [Show full text]
  • Mary Magdalene: Her Image and Relationship to Jesus
    Mary Magdalene: Her Image and Relationship to Jesus by Linda Elaine Vogt Turner B.G.S., Simon Fraser University, 2001 PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Liberal Studies Program Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences © Linda Elaine Vogt Turner 2011 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2011 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for "Fair Dealing." Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. APPROVAL Name: Linda Elaine Vogt Turner Degree: Master of Arts (Liberal Studies) Title of Project: Mary Magdalene: Her Image and Relationship to Jesus Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. June Sturrock, Professor Emeritus, English ______________________________________ Dr. Michael Kenny Senior Supervisor Professor of Anthropology ______________________________________ Dr. Eleanor Stebner Supervisor Associate Professor of Humanities, Graduate Chair, Graduate Liberal Studies ______________________________________ Rev. Dr. Donald Grayston External Examiner Director, Institute for the Humanities, Retired Date Defended/Approved: December 14, 2011 _______________________ ii Declaration of Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users.
    [Show full text]
  • Ten Things You Might Not Know About Luke 1. Luke Never Met Jesus. in Fact, None of the Evangelists Did. After the Resurrection
    Ten Things You Might Not Know About Luke 1. Luke never met Jesus. In fact, none of the evangelists did. After the Resurrection, the Apostles went out to preach the good news, as instructed by Jesus, handing on stories of his miracles, sayings, teachings, and most importantly, passion, death and Resurrection, to the new Christian communities they founded. It was not until after the first Apostles began to die that the next generation of Christians began writing down some of the material they had received. Eventually, people such as Luke pulled this material together into a cohesive Gospel account. 2. Luke is also thought to be the author of the Acts of the Apostles, a book which continues the story where the gospel leaves off. There is much continuity between the books as many of the same themes found in the gospel are also developed in Acts. In addition, we see the Apostles performing many of the same miracles we saw Jesus perform in the Gospel, highlighting the connection between their ministry and Jesus’. 3. It is possible that Luke was at one point one of Paul’s travel companions. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul relays greetings to the community from several of his companions, including a physician named Luke. From the earliest centuries, many believe this companion to be the evangelist. 4. Luke was most likely a gentile from Antioch (Syria) addressing a gentile audience. Unlike Matthew, Luke makes few references to Old Testament quotes and explains Jewish traditions, in addition to being attentive to emphasizing that the Gospel message is addressed to all peoples, including gentiles.
    [Show full text]
  • Mary, the Servant of the Lord Luke 1:26-38 December 22Nd, 2019 Big Idea: the God-Man Would Be Born to a Virgin Shown Favor by God in Order to Rescue and Reign
    Mary, the Servant of the Lord Luke 1:26-38 December 22nd, 2019 Big idea: The God-Man would be born to a virgin shown favor by God in order to rescue and reign. Intro Last Sunday we followed Zacharias and Elizabeth, two ordinary people used by God to prepare the preparer, John the Baptist. We skipped through Luke 1, hitting the parts of the narrative that focus on them. Their story closes in Luke 1. They never show back up. This Sunday we turn to a more familiar character in the nativity scene, Mary. While she is the main character in this scene, though her experience we can’t help but look past her to Jesus, the main character in the whole Bible. But let’s not rush too quickly past her. CS Lewis: One man from the whole earth (Abraham) is picked out. He is separated (miserably enough, we may suppose) from his natural surroundings, sent into a strange country, and made the ancestor of a nation who are to carry the knowledge of the true God. Within this nation there is further selection: some die in the desert, some remain behind in Babylon. There is further selection still. The process grows narrower and narrower, sharpens at last into one small bright point like the head of a spear. It is a Jewish girl at her prayers. All humanity (so far as concerns its redemption) has narrowed to that.” (From Miracles, Chapter 14) As we study her description, the words spoken to her by the angel Gabriel, her humble and obedient response, we learn about the humanity that Jesus came to save.
    [Show full text]
  • Luke 1 Resources
    Luke 1 Resources Previous Next Click chart to enlarge Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission See another Luke Overview Chart by Charles Swindoll - right side of page LIFE OF CHRIST IN GOSPEL OF LUKE (See Shaded Areas) Click chart to enlarge Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission GENEALOGY OF JESUS IN GOSPELS OF LUKE & MATTHEW Click chart to enlarge Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the NT - used by permission HENRY ALFORD Charles Haddon Spurgeon writes that this text "is an invaluable aid to the critical study of the text of the New Testament. You will find in it the ripened results of a matured scholarship, the harvesting of a judgment, generally highly impartial, always worthy of respect, which has gleaned from the most important fields of Biblical research, both modern and ancient, at home and abroad. You will not look here for any spirituality of thought or tenderness of feeling; you will find the learned Dean does not forget to do full justice to his own views, and is quite able to express himself vigorously against his opponents; but for what it professes to be, it is an exceedingly able and successful work. The later issues are by far the most desirable, as the author has considerably revised the work in the fourth edition. What I have said of his Greek Testament applies equally to Alford’s New Testament for English Readers,* which is also a standard work." (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to my Students, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Every Mother, a Mary
    Every Mother, a Mary As we search the Scriptures, we can find six Marys in the New Testament. 1. MARY, THE MOTHER OF OUR LORD; THE VIRTUOUS MARY Luke 1:26, 27: “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.” We learn so many things from Mary, the mother of our Lord. We learn the value of a virtuous life. We also learn the importance of following Jesus and giving Him preeminence. John 2:5: “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” We also learn that motherhood will be a heartbreaking experience. Luke 2:35: “Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” 2. MARY MAGDALENE; THE GIVING MARY Luke 8:2, 3: “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.” From Mary Magdalene we learn that we should never allow the unredeemed or formerly backslidden life to define who we are. She rose so far above her previous lifestyle that she was the first person to witness the resurrected Savior! We also learn something that is not often mentioned and that is, we are to serve the Lord with our substance.
    [Show full text]
  • Session 1 > Mark 1:9-20
    Session 1 > Mark 1:9-20 Calls Jesus is the promised Messiah, worthy of being followed. Clay believes firmly that God called him into a life of Christian ministry. He also admits that his experience does not fit the mold of what many believers envision as a call to ministry. That admission, however, has not dampened his commitment to serve the Lord faithfully through the abilities, opportunities, and situations God has given to him. I met Clay years ago while in seminary. He had resigned from a successful accounting business in another state, sold his home, and moved with his family into a small apartment on the seminary’s campus. He proved to be an exceptional student who made good grades and excelled in ministry activities. He was more faithful in sharing the gospel one-on-one with others than any other student I knew. Then Clay made an announcement one day that took me by complete surprise. After completing a year of training, Clay decided to leave the seminary and restart his accounting business. He told me that he had come to understand God was not calling him into ministry as a preacher, pastor, or missionary. When I asked what he planned to do, he replied, “I’m going to be the best layman I can possibly be.” And that is precisely what he did—until God later put before Clay a new opportunity to fulfill his call to ministry and return to the seminary at the same time. Clay was hired as the seminary’s vice- president for business affairs.
    [Show full text]
  • The Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts: a Survey
    Leaven Volume 5 Issue 2 Luke-Acts Article 4 1-1-1997 The Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts: A Survey Barry L. Blackburn Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Blackburn, Barry L. (1997) "The Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts: A Survey," Leaven: Vol. 5 : Iss. 2 , Article 4. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol5/iss2/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Religion at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Leaven by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Blackburn: The Holy Spirit in Luke-Acts: A Survey Luke-Acts 9 Spirit In• Luke-Acts: A Survey By Barry L. Blackburn The eighteenth-century biblical scholar J. A. Bengel Stage One was on to something when he suggested that the Acts of To prepare the way for Jesus' mission, the Spirit works the Apostles would have been more appropriately entitled through several people, especially prophets. Even from his "The Acts of the Holy Spirit,"! "The Holy Spirit" or some mother's womb, John the Baptist will be endowed with similar designation for God's Spirit occurs some fifty-six the Holy Spirit, enabling him to execute his prophetic mis- times in Acts.' But Luke hardly overlooked the work of sion of preparing Israel for the Lord (Luke 1:15, 17).
    [Show full text]
  • Jesus in the Gospel of Luke
    “But who do you say that I am?” —Jesus (Luke 9:20) HIS MISSION In this collection of biblical expositions, eight prominent Bible teachers look to the Gospel of Luke and its unique portrait of our Savior, exploring everything from the nature of Jesus’s divine sonship to his rejection by the religious and political rulers of his day. Chapters include: HIS John Piper - Jesus the Son of God, the Son of Mary (Luke 1–2) Colin Smith - Jesus Despised (Luke 4:14–30) Crawford Loritts - Jesus’s Transforming Power on Behalf of the Afflicted MISSION (Luke 8:26–56) D. A. Carson - Jesus’s Resolve to Head toward Jerusalem (Luke 9:18–62) Kevin DeYoung - Jesus and the Lost (Luke 15:1–32) JESUS IN Stephen Um - Jesus and Money (Luke 16:1–15) Gary Millar - Jesus Betrayed and Crucified(Luke 22:39–23:49) Tim Keller - Jesus Vindicated (Luke 24:1–53) THE GOSPEL This book will help you grasp the overarching message of the book of Luke: the blameless life, atoning death, and vindicating resurrection of Jesus Christ. Carson & nielson OF LUKE D. A. CARSON (PhD, Cambridge University) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where he has taught since 1978. He also serves as president of the Gospel Coalition, and Contributions by has written or edited nearly 60 books, including Scandalous, Memoirs of an John Piper • Colin Smith Ordinary Pastor, and The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God. • • KATHLEEN B. NIELSON (PhD, Vanderbilt University) serves Crawford Loritts d. a. carson Kevin Deyoung as the director of women’s initiatives for the Gospel Coalition.
    [Show full text]