February 15, 2014: Luke Chapter 4

The Gospel According to Luke Chapter 4

Originally posted on Wednesday, March 5, 2008

General Comment: In chapter three John the Baptist's ministry is characterized as one of a baptism of repentance. The word for "repentance" in secular use means to turn or to turn toward. In religious use it typically means to turn toward God in the same way we say that we have turned our life around. We are now heading in a different direction, with a different focus point on our horizon. In Aramaic, repentance and forgiveness are two sides of the same coin. It is in the turning that we are forgiven. We should be reminded that repentance is not an invisible act, as if we could say we are sorry for what we have done and that's the end of it. As John's baptism implies, true repentance includes bearing the fruit of "good works" of mercy, forgiveness, compassion and justice.

Luke Chapter 4:1-13 The Temptation of Jesus  [see MT 4:1-11; MK 1:12-13]

Luke has not followed Mark's very brief, two verse Temptation passage. He has followed the same source used by Matthew (Q) with some rearrangement.

The three temptations are presented as Luke's clarification of what it means for Jesus to be the Son of God, the affirmation with which he closes the Genealogy passage - son of Adam, Son of God. Note in two instances (vss 3, 9b) the Devil prefaces his temptation with the taunt, "If you are the Son of God." Jesus' answers do not respond to the title (I am or I am not). The use of scripture as a response centers Jesus' ministry on God's Kingdom. He will not compromise. He will take direction from God, (Deut. 8:3), "...one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." He will find his strength and power not in the world but from God (Deut. 10:20), "You shall fear the Lord your God; him alone you shall worship; to him you shall hold fast." In times of fierce opposition and personal danger he will trust in God's will (Deut 6:16), "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

We do not want to miss the irony in these three responses. Although they center Jesus in God's will, and in them Jesus points away from himself and toward God, each are components of Jesus' teaching and actions. He will provide bread for the crowds, not through his own power or on his own behalf but by God's presence working through him. He will not call others to trust in or worship the powers of this world but to reject them and to trust in God's coming Reign. He will not expect to be delivered from his darkest hour at Gethsemane as a test of his relationship with God but he will trust in God to be with him no matter what lies ahead. In this idea of Sonship, Jesus accomplishes each of the temptations without selling his soul to the powers of this world.

Luke Chapter 4:14-15 The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry  [see Mt 4:12-17; MK 1:14-15]

Note that Matthew has his own independent and more elaborate source for this passage (M) which is unknown to Luke. Since Luke and Matthew were written in their final forms at approximately the same time (80 - 90 CE), they would not have copies of each other's manuscripts.

Luke does not follow Mark but uses his own source (L) which has two repetitive features of Jesus' ministry: he preaches and acts "in the power of the [Holy] Spirit," and will frequently use the Synagogue as a forum for teaching and a place of healing. Both of these will be prominent in Luke's second volume, the Book of Acts. The Synagogue plays an especially important role in Acts. It was in that setting that most of the early converts to Christianity would have heard the Gospel message. Even when the Christianity began to move from Palestine to Syria, Asia Minor, Greece and Rome, the Synagogue would be important in the conversion of Gentiles. In most locations large enough to sustain a Synagogue there would be numbers of Gentiles who were not converts to Judaism but were drawn to the idea of monotheism in their polytheistic world, as well as the ethical center of Torah in their world of relativism. They were called "God fearers." Many would be of professional and/or governmental status or higher, literate and knowledgeable with regard to the Greek Old Testament. It is probable that Luke was in that category. These Gentiles would make excellent prospects for the work of Christian evangelists such as Paul and later, Luke. The conflicts between Paul and the Synagogues noted in Acts will arise because of such efforts.

While Matthew and Mark interpret Jesus' return to Galilee as a response to John the Baptist's arrest by Herod Antipas, Luke more naturally follows the Temptation story which has defined Jesus' ministry, with the opening of that ministry throughout Galilee.

Luke Chapter 4:16-30 The Rejection at Nazareth  [see MT 13:54-58; MK 6:1-6a]

As in Matthew and Mark Jesus' visit to Nazareth begins in the Synagogue. Only Luke writes of the content of his preaching. It would be hospitable and expected that the "ruler" of the Synagogue would invite a visitor to read form the lectionary passage for that Sabbath and to make comments on its meaning. This is what Jesus is doing. He ends his reading with the pronouncement that the text which he has read (Isaiah 61:-2a and 58:6 a Messianic text adapted by Luke from the Greek Old Testament), has, after some five centuries, been fulfilled in their hearing. For Luke this is an affirmation of Jesus as the anointed one (from his baptism) who will bring good news to the poor, release (forgiveness) to the spiritually captive and religiously oppressed and give sight to the spiritually blind. 

The last part of the passage at vs. 19 is from Lev. 25:10 and relates to the year of the Jubilee, an event mandated at fifty year intervals at which time property would revert back to its original owner. There are no records that such a Jubilee ever occurred, but Jesus' use of the term here most likely refers to the announcement of the coming Kingdom of God, when each part of the text he has quoted (vss. 18-19) will be fulfilled. 

Although vs. 22 indicates the hearers reacted favorable to Jesus' words, there is also an element of cynicism in the comment, "Is this not Joseph's son?" Jesus' response to them seems to indicate as much. The proverb, "Doctor, cure yourself," can be difficult to interpret but here it refers to Nazareth, not Jesus. The townspeople have heard of the many works Jesus has done in Capernaum. Jesus' statement of the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophetic promise "...to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" is taken by them as referring to Nazareth. The proverb would mean, "Do in Nazareth what you have done in Capernaum." Were Jesus to do so the people could share in his fame, bringing honor to them and their village. However, Jesus rejects any notion of localizing his ministry to Nazareth. His mandate is to proclaim the Kingdom of God beyond just Nazareth, even beyond Israel, to include the Gentiles. His models are Elijah, who was sent to a Gentile widow of Zarephath, in Sidon, during a famine in Israel (1 Kgs. 17:81-16) and Elisha, who cleansed Naaman, a Gentile leper, but not the many lepers in Israel (2 Kgs. 5). In both cases the implication is the unworthiness of Israel by virtue of their idolatry. Jesus sees the same unworthiness among the townspeople of Nazareth. As vss. 29-30 indicate, they understand his reference to Elijah and Elisha is directed toward them and they make an attempt to "hurl him off a cliff," thereby proving Jesus' point that no Prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown.

Luke Chapter 4: 32-41 The Unclean Spirit; Peter's Mother-in-Law  [see MK 1:21-34]

Luke has copied Mark almost word for word here and in the passage about the healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law. Notice that the exorcism (vs. 35) which takes place on the Sabbath and in a Synagogue draws no criticism from the religious authorities. This is the first such exorcism in Luke (and Mark). It is representative of Jesus' power and authority over evil spirits as first demonstrated in the Temptation story where the Devil was incapable of turning Jesus away from God. Jesus speaks with the authority God has given him and has no need for any other.

In this passage the demon not only knows Jesus' name but also his status as the Holy One of God. In the Temptation story Jesus has been face to face with the Devil. In almost every passage relating to demons, Jesus' identity is known. It would seem that what the Devil knows his demons know.

Luke Chapter 4:42-44 Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues  [see MK 1:35-39]

There are three interesting points of difference between Mark and Luke's editing of Mark. First, when the crowds (not Simon and his friends as in Mark) find Jesus alone and praying in a deserted place they urge him to stay in Capernaum, very much as the people of Nazareth hoped he would stay there. Second, Jesus responds by telling them that he must (divine imperative) go to other cities to proclaim the Kingdom of God (not the "message" as in Mark), thus giving the content of what he is to preach everywhere. Third, Jesus leaves Galilee for Judea (his fist venture South) where he will proclaim his message in the Synagogues (in Mark Jesus stays in Galilee).

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Notes

1) There has been much debate about Jesus' level of literacy. The Scripture offers sketchy evidence but does indicate that he could read, as noted in Luke 4:16-17. We know very little of the first century education of children in Palestine. Since so much of the population were poor peasants, some studies of ancient literacy levels report that as much as 98% of the population would have been illiterate, could neither read nor write. The inference drawn from such studies is that Jesus was illiterate. However, there are also ancient Jewish writings that indicate the establishment of education systems to teach basic letters and Torah texts for children, age six. The Talmud may indicate that classes for boys age 15 to 17 were established by Simeon ben Shatah well before Jesus' birth and that the High Priest Joshua ben Gamala may have formed schools for boys at age six. The unknown factor in this is determining to what degree such education would be offered in small villages of peasant farmers and crafts people away from large cities.

2) When we read the word "Synagogue" we should not think of a special building unless the location is in a large city. The word simply means "gathering" or "meeting." Nazareth would not have had a separate building, at least nothing like that has been found in the excavations of the first century layers. It would be more appropriate to think of a courtyard gathering or even in the open. The same is true of the word "church." All early gatherings of the community would be in someone's home, perhaps that of a wealthy Christian patron.