The Road Ahead in Scripture: Getting to know

Who is Luke?

Physician (who traveled with Paul, per Acts which he also penned), , , and traditionally, the first iconographer

Our primary texts today: LUKE! Namely, Intro, Birth and Genealogy, Baptism, First , , Lord's , Good Samaritan and Prodigal Father, all NRSV.

What is unique about Luke: he's the underdog-loving egalitarian among the evangelists, and he has a significant priority of showing 's preference for the poor and outcast. Some great post-Resurrection narratives including Road to …

Linguistic ticks: “On the way/road” (get it? Road ahead? J Even some of Jesus’ most loved parables are told en ho hodos (on the road) in Luke, whereas they were told in the in Matthew ), OH! And about that Sermon… it’s the Sermon on the Plain in Luke! Egalitarian…right? J Kingdom of God (vs Mark's Kingdom of Heaven), role of the Holy Spirit, parables, parables, parables

When was it written? 80-110 CE… definitely after Mark, and the destruction of and the Temple in 70 CE.

So what can we learn about Luke by reading the bearing his name?

• Historian, with a concern for sharing the Good news with the :

Introduction:

1 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent , 4 so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

What were Luke’s sources?

Mark, “Q” (quelle) shared with Matthew, and another collection of Parables. See nifty diagram in the back…

And who is Jesus, according to Luke?

• Jesus is messiah for all of humanity: genealogy traced back to , the first man, unlike Matthew's tracing back to , the first Jewish Man:

The Ancestors of Jesus (:23-38)

23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. He was the son (as was thought) of son of , 24 son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, 25 son of Mattathias, son of , son of , son of Esli, son of Naggai, 26 son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, 27 son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of , son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, 28 son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, 29 son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, 30 son of , son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, 31 son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of , son of , 32 son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Sala, son of Nahshon, 33 son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, 34 son of , son of , son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, 35 son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, 36 son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of , son of Lamech, 37 son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, 38 son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

What does Luke think about the Holy Spirit?

• Holy Spirit is in some ways Luke's favorite member of the godhead... let’s read his account of Jesus’s Baptism:

(Background… we’ve been hearing about the ministry of in chapter 3 when…) 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of , his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added to them all by shutting up John in prison.

(and then…)

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

So who baptized Jesus?

It seems Luke tries really hard to make it clear it’s not John… And the language is incredibly passive voice…. When Jesus had also been baptized... the Holy Spirit descended… The Holy Spirit is the only actor in this story…everything else is passive… The Spirit gets even more exciting press in Acts…

And what can we learn about what Luke thinks about God?

• God has a preference for the poor and outcast:

For example: Quickening to Birth, aka /Stables and Shepherds,

Magnificat, aka Mary’s Song of Praise (:46-55)

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies , 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor 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 forever.”

The Magnificat reads like revolutionary text, because it is…and if that makes us uncomfortable, maybe it is meant to…

Then we have the Birth :1-10: Stables and Shepherds (Magi are Matthew’s cast of characters):

2 In those days a decree went out from Emperor that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while was governor of . 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in to , to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And 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.

The Shepherds and the

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And 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 favors!” 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.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Jesus Is Presented in the Temple (2:22-24)

22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of , 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”), 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” (pigeons would have been sacrifices appropriate for poor people, only)

An aside: Luke is the only Gospel with an adolescent story of Jesus’s life: teaching in the Temple and freaking out his parents…

Jesus’ First Sermon: : 16-30, aka A boy after his Mother’s Heart, or The at Nazareth:

16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at .’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of , when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Sermon on the Plain and : :17-26 Jesus came down with the twelve apostles and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets." "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets."

Parable of the Good Samaritan :25-37

25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 27 He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

And a bit more to distinguish Luke’s Gospel? A little literary tidbit… Luke is definitely a Greek! Note his version of the Lord's prayer includes sins and indebtedness vs Matthenaen debts alone…Sin as an indelible flaw being a more Greek idea…but note the lack of trespasses in either…

11 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

Most Importantly: Luke's God is a God of extravagant love: Prodigal Father (15:11-32)

11 Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

And what will we encounter in our this year? How is that Road Ahead?

Advent: We work backwards…. start with the end of the world as we know it today in …Then hang out with John the Baptist for two weeks in chapter 3 before we have the Visitation in chapter 1… not even the Annunication by ! You will have to come to Lessons and Carols tonight or Christmas Eve to hear it… Not my favorite lectionary arrangement, I admit.

Christmas 1: the Prologue (We miss the 12 year old Jesus because we don’t have a Christmas 2 this year)

Jan 6: Epiphany so back to Matthew and the Magi

Baptism of our Lord gets Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, so we revisit John, skip over his imprisonment and baptize Jesus…

Epiphany 2: John and Wedding in Cana Epiphany 3: Back to Luke for Jesus’ First Sermon… but not the fall out…that comes on Epiphany 4….

It’s a LONG Epiphany

Epiphany 5: Calling Disciples to fish for people

Epiphany 6: Sermon on the Plain and Beatitudes…with the really poor and hungry… not just in spirit and for righteousness…

Epiphany 7: More sermon on the Plain: Love your enemies

Last Epiphany: Transfiguration

Lent in Luke:

Temptation, to Jesus as hen gathering children, fig trees, Prodigal Father,

Break into John with anointing then Palm/Passion Sunday!

Easter!

Back to John for Doubting Thomas…Fish Fry on the Beach, Sheep hearing his voice, love one another, sending an advocate, prayer for unity…

Wait a minute?! NO EMMAUS? No… its’ read in Year A… for some inexplicable reason…

Back to John for and Trinity Sunday and then

Ordinary time he “sets his face to Jerusalem” hits the road, and we hear stories of healings, sayings, teachings, Mary and , Lord’s Prayer, and many favorite parables including the Good Samaritan, Talents, Crooked Manager, Lazarus and Dives, Faith like Mustard Seeds, Ten Lepers (one grateful), Persistent Widow, Proud Pharisee, Zaccheus, Widow and Seven dead brothers…, before returning to the destruction predictions we hear right before Advent… Phew.

More on Luke: SermonPlayer podcasts by David Moseley… http://stpetersdelmar.sermon.net and search for Moseley and look for the Gospel According to Luke ca 2011 and for the “Birth of the Savior of the World”, go here: http://stpetersdelmar.sermon.net/da/2309118/play (for some reason it doesn’t show up in the Archive)

(borrowed from Moseley and Wikimedia Commons)