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Luke - a man with a heart for individuals
In the quotation from Isaiah, Jesus gives the reasons for his coming (4:18-19), which is also what the disciples were to tell John was happening (9:22):
1. To bring good news to the poor
2. To proclaim release to the captives
3. The recovery of sight to the blind
4. To let the oppressed go free.
5. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.
Luke shows that Jesus had a high regard for people and took special interest in the poor, the outcasts and women. He placed people before the letter of the law, particularly healing in synagogues on the Sabbath (4:31-37, 6:6-11, 13:10-17), he honoured and respected women, and reached out to the rejects and outcasts of society, like lepers,
Luke's gospel introduces Jesus as the universal saviour, for all people in all the world. He brought salvation both spiritually and physically, for now and eternity. This work of salvation was performed by Jesus through personal experiences of friendship with individuals. Jesus was not just the Great Physician, but the self-sacrificing Friend. A friend of both the poor and the rich, of both the honoured and the despised, including tax-collectors, sinners and fallen women.
The Gospel shows an intimate and homely atmosphere. Jesus is mostly shown in people's homes: speaking to tax-collectors over a meal, as a guest with Mary and Martha, with the men on the road to Emmaus while they were eating together.
1. The individual
Luke's parables are mostly concerned with individuals: including the good Samaritan, the friend at midnight, the lost coin and the prodigal son. Many people are named individually throughout the gospel, including Zechariah, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, Martha and Mary, Simon, Levi, the Centurion, the Widow of Nain, the woman who anointed Jesus' feet, Anna, Chusa, Joanna, Susanna, Mary Magdalene and others.
2. Women
In first century Jewish culture, women were regarded as second class citizens. The Rabbis asserted the privileged position of the man in the religious sphere with the greatest emphasis. A woman was regarded as the moral inferior of man. She was not allowed to bear witness in court, except in the rarest instances. Her place was with the slaves and children, not with her husband. A father, but not a mother, could promise his young daughter in marriage. If men ate together they were obliged to say grace. For women it did not matter, as with slaves and children. Women did not need to recite the Schema (Deut 6). The study of the law (Torah) was the privilege of men. The father instructed his sons in the law but not his daughters. One rabbi regarded it as positively disreputable to speak to a woman in public, it could earn him hell. Rabbi Eliezer said, "Rather should the words of the Torah be burned than entrusted to a woman". The Mishna declared, "two men to be worth a hundred women".
Into this cultural and religious setting Jesus broke the traditions, not only to speak to women in public but to have women following him (Luke 8:1-3, 10:38-42). However he did not appoint any women to be one of the twelve disciples. Also it is into this background that Luke places his emphasis on women. The birth narratives are told from Mary's viewpoint. Luke also mentions Elizabeth, Anna, the widow of Nain, the woman who anointed Jesus' feet, Martha and Mary, Mary Magdalene. In chapter 24, women are the first witnesses of the risen Jesus.
Luke uses a significant literary technique that almost whenever a woman is mentioned it is one part of a couplet containing a corresponding incident with a man. He either includes it in his narrative account or in the teaching of Jesus. The angel appears to Zechariah (1:8) and to Mary (1:26). Luke includes a prophetic song by Mary (1:46), and by Zechariah (1:67). There was recognition of the newly born Jesus in the Temple, first from Simeon (2:29), then from Anna (2:36). Jesus causes controversy by healing on the Sabbath, first a woman with infirmity (13:10), then a man with dropsy (14:1).
Luke also shows that Jesus related his teaching both to men and women. In his opening sermon, Jesus gave two examples, the widow who fed Elijah (4:25), and that Naaman was healed through Elisha (4:27). In his teaching on persistent prayer, he describes the friend at midnight (11:5), and the widow and the unrighteous judge (18:3). In his judgment on 'this evil generation', he states that the Queen of South will rise in judgment (11:31), as well as the men of Nineveh (11:32). When warning against anxiety, we are called to consider the ravens, who do not sow or reap (12:24), the traditional task of men, as well as the lilies, who do not toil or spin (12:27), the traditional task of women. The Gospel causes division between a father and his son (12:53), as well as between a mother and her daughter (12:53). In his parables about the Kingdom of God, a man plants a grain of mustard seed (13:19), and a woman leavens meal (13:21). There are two parables when something is lost, the man with a lost sheep (15:3), and a woman with a lost coin (15:8). On the day of the son of man, there will be two men, one will be taken, and the other left (17:34), as well as two women, one taken, and the other left (17:35). There are two healings, the centurion's servant (7:1), and the widow's son (7:11).
3. Poverty and wealth
Luke is particularly interested in the poor. His heart goes out to everyone for whom life is a struggle. Luke teaches that poverty is not a spiritual handicap, whereas wealth can be. Luke includes much teaching and parables against riches. The poor are mentioned eleven times, as many as Matthew and Mark combined.
Unique to Luke are: the lowly being lifted up, the hungry being filled and the rich being sent away empty (1:52-53), and the good news being preached to the poor (4:18). In Luke it is the poor who are blessed (6:20), compared with Matthew’s, "Blessed are the poor in spirit", but the rich are not (6:24). The poor have good news brought to them (7:22), which forms the climax to description of Jesus' answers to John the Baptist. His disciples are to sell and give, and receive treasure in heaven (12:33), and the poor, lame and blind are invited to the banquet (14:13).
The angel Gabriel came to a lowly maiden and humble shepherds (ch 1). Mary brought the poor persons offering for her purification (2:24). Jesus told several parable against riches, the parable of the rich fool (12:13-21), the rich ruler (18:18-30), and the rich man and Lazarus (16:19-31).
4. Jesus ministering to the outcasts and sinners
Luke shows Jesus reaching out to other people who would be outcasts from society for various reasons. Unique to Luke is the account of sinful woman washing his feet (7:36-50), the parable of the 'good' Samaritan (10:25-37), and of the prodigal son (15:11-32), the cleansing of the ten lepers (17:11-19), and only the Samaritan returning to thank Jesus, the meeting with Zacchaeus the tax collector (19:1-10), and the repentant criminal on the cross (23:39-43). In addition to these, Luke also includes the accounts of Jesus cleansing a leper (5:12-16), calling and eating with Levi the tax-collector (5:27-32), Legion the demoniac (8:36-50), and the blind beggar at Jericho (18:35-43)
5. Children
Luke also shows an interest in children, with the unique accounts of the birth, infancy and childhood of John the Baptist (1:57-80), as well as Jesus as a baby (2:16), a little child (2:27) and as a boy (2:40), and the widow of Nain's only son (7:11-15). He also includes that the epileptic boy was an only child (9:37-43), the account of the child that Jesus put in front of his disciples (9:47-48), and parents bringing their children to Jesus (18:15).
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