TEACHING IN THE YEAR OF LUKE1: The God of the Gospel of Luke

Sean Winter

‘A very good place to start’: Luke 1:1–4

Luke 1.1   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 Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

Luke’s Purpose: General• Theophilus: one person and every person – ‘friends of

God’

• A gospel aimed at deepening the knowledge/understanding/discernment of all who read or hear it

• Reliability/security/confidence (asphaleia) based on instruction and teaching

This suggests a basically catechetical purpose for Luke

Luke’s Purpose: Specific

1. Historical: story and history

2. Theological: not just history, but salvation history

3. Transformational: transformed society, church and disciples

Preaching from Luke will consistently explore the relationship between these three aspects

Transformational PreachingLuke and Social Transformation

Rich and Poor

Rhetoric of Reversal

Jubilee

Empire 

Luke and Ecclesial Transformation 

Community

Resources

Hospitality

Forgiveness

 

Luke and Personal TransformationDiscipleship

Spirituality

Prayer

Forgiveness

The Limitations of Transformational Preaching

Luke’s Story

Transformed Society

Transformed Churches

Transformed Lives

God’s Plan of Salvation

God and the Gospel of Luke

“[T]he Third Gospel encourages its audience to recognize, and having recognized, to embrace and

serve the salvific aim of God.”

Joel B. Green, The Theology of the Gospel of Luke (New Testament Theology; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995), 24.

Luke’s Theology: A Way In

Looking at Luke 4 (Epiphany 3, 4, Lent 1)

4.1–13: The Temptation of Jesus

4.14–21: The Nazareth Synagogue

4.22–30: Rejection at Nazareth

4.31–37: The Capernaum Synagogue

4.38–41: Further Healing

4.42–44: Summary Statement

Luke’s Theology: An Initial Summary

God’s plan for the salvation of humankind (cf the genealogy in 3.23–38)

Now begins in the public ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, the obedient Son of God

Who is endowed with God’s Spirit for the work of proclamation and deliverance

And meets with initial rejection, but eventual commitment (cf. the call of the disciples in chapter 5)

Or, to put it another way

God (theology)

Jesus (Christology)

Salvation (soteriology)

Church (ecclesiology)

Break for Questions / Discussion

Take a look at the following 3 stories from Luke 7

Luke 7.1–10 (Pentecost 2)

Luke 7.11–17 (Pentecost 3)

Luke 7.36–8.3 (Pentecost 4)

Where and how does Luke direct the reader’s attention to the salvific plan of God?

God’s Plan in Luke-ActsLuke 24.44   Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

Necessity: Luke emphasizes that the events he describes are are part of a larger story of God’s purposes

Fulfillment: Luke emphasizes that the events he describes are connected to earlier stages of God’s saving work in history

Scripture: Luke emphasizes that the Scripture points to the plan of God.

Salvation History in Luke

Period of IsraelProphetsPriestsKingsJerusalem/Temple

Period of Jesus

Period of Church

John the Baptist

Period of Israel

The Twelve

Salvation in Luke

The importance of salvation language in Luke. Looking at the Canticles.

The Magnificat: Luke 1.46–55 (Advent 4)

The Benedictus: Luke 1.68–79

The Nunc Dimittis: Luke 2.29–32

• Salvation in Luke is associated with: lifting the lowly, feeding the hungry, judgement against the rich, demomstration of mercy, forgiveness of sins, light in darkness, guidance in the ways of peace, and revelation to all peoples.

Salvation as God’s Work

An important motif: ‘the dawn from on high has broken / will break in upon us’ (Luke 1.78)

Salvation in Luke is not primarily a theory of atonement or a vision of social transformation, it is a narrative of God’s visitation.

The Shape of God’s Visitation

Chapters 1–3: Jesus and John

beginning in Jerusalem; connections back into Israel’s story; parallels between Jesus and John; John’s message of judgement and preparation; baptism and conflict

Chapters 4.1-9.50: Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee

Proclamation of the good news; call of disciples; narratives of healing; conflict with demonic powers and religious authorities; instruction about the kingdom

The Shape of God’s Visitation• Chapter 9.51–19.27: Luke’s Travel Narrative• Returning to Jerusalem; discipleship ‘on the way’; place

for Luke’s special material; responding to God’s visitation (positively and negatively)

• Chapter 19.28–24.43: Passion, Resurrection, Ascension• The centrality of Jerusalem; teaching about the future;

Jesus as innocent sufferer; resurrection appearances; the presence and absence of Jesus

The Scope of God’s Visitation4.18 6.20 7.22 14.13 14.21 16.20, 22

Poor Poor Blind Poor Poor Poor

Captive Hungry Lame Maimed Maimed Ulcerated

Blind Mournful Leper Lame Blind Hungry

Oppressed Persecuted Deaf Blind Lame

Dead

Poor

Plus: inclusion of Gentiles (2.14, 32; 7.2–10; 13.28–30; 14:23)Plus: inclusion of woman (7:37–50; 8:1–3; 10:38–42; 21:1–4; 23:27–31; 24:1–12)

In Contrast• Levicitus 21:18–20

• 18 For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, one who is blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, 19 or one who has a broken foot or a broken hand, 20 or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a blemish in his eyes or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles.

Or at Qumran

1 QSa 2.57

No man with a physical handicap— crippled in both legs or 6 hands, lame, blind, deaf, dumb, or possessed of a visible blemish in his flesh— 7 or a doddering old man unable to do his share in the congregation— 8 may en[ter] to take a place in the congregation of the m[e]n of reputation.

CD 14.15–17

But no one who is a fool or insane may enter; and no simpleton or ignoramus 16 or one with eyes too weak to see or lame or crippled or deaf or minor child, 17 none of these shall enter the congregation, for the holy angels are in your midst.

Responding to God’s Visitation

The question that lies behind the whole Gospel, and that comes to the fore at key moments within it is:

Do we recognize this story as the story of God’s visitation?

The question that follows on from this is

What difference does this story make to us?

Time for Questions and Discussion• Do you have questions about the perspectives on Luke’s

Gospel that have been offered in the session?

• Do you have other questions about Luke’s Gospel that it would be helpful to have some information about?

• In the light of what you have heard, what priorities might you set yourself for your preaching in the Year of Luke?