Luke: third lecture – the passion

“Father, into your hands . . .

Luke’s passion• In general Luke (like Matthew) follows

Mark’s narrative and chronology in passion narrative.

• But with additions that make it some sense a different narrative, or a least a narrative with a new focus.

• Some of these indicate Luke’s theme of reconciliation, forgiveness.

• But others want to mitigate the responsibility of Rome over Jesus’ death.

• And – above all -- different words of Jesus at his death.

Some details added by Luke to the passion narrative

• Jesus’ prayer for Peter, just before the prediction of his betrayal: 22: 31-34.

• The disciples sleeping “because of grief” during Jesus’ agony in the garden of Gethsemane: 22: 45.

• Jesus to Judas: “would you betray the son of man with a kiss?”: 22:48.

• Jesus heals the man whose ear is cut off: 22: 51. “No more of this!”

• Jesus turns and looks at Peter after Peter’s thrice-repeated denial.

More Lucan details: Pilate and Jesus

• Specifically political charges laid against Jesus: “perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, calling himself messiah, a king”: 23: 2.

• Pilate’s judgment of innocence: 23: 4. • And more political charges: 23: 5. • Pilate tries to avoid jurisdiction: Jesus sent to Herod:

23:6-12. • Pilate’s formal judgment of Jesus’ innocence: 23: 13-16. • Repeated at 23: 22. “no ground for the sentence of

death.”• No mockery by the Roman soldiers (purple robe, crown

of thorns, reed for scepter, taunting). • Pilate finally allows Jesus’ execution – but against his

judgment of innocence.

Luke’s report of Jesus’ words on cross:

• Forgiveness of the Roman soldiers: 23: 34. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

• The good thief and the bad thief: 23: 39-43. “Truly, I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

• Above all: No despair on cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” not spoken in Luke.

• Instead, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”• Luke shocked by the words of despair?• And the centurion swears to Jesus’ innocence -- not to

his being Son of God. • Why innocence instead of Son of God?

Luke’s version of the resurrection• Entering the tomb, the women find two

men in dazzling apparel. • And unlike Mark’s narrative, the women do

tell the disciples. • Apparently a larger number of women,

Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James “and the other women with them.”

• Peter goes to the tomb and also finds it empty.

Disciples on the way to Emmaus• Only Luke tells this resurrection-appearance

story.• One of the two is named: Cleopas. • “Intertextuality” is one of the points of the story –

the interpretation of the events just narrated in terms of Hebrew Scriptures.

• Recognition in the blessing and breaking of bread.

• Eyes opened in response to this, and hearts “burning” in response to interpretive work of relating events to Scriptural texts.

• And they return to Jerusalem “that same hour.” • And tell how “he had been made known to them

in the breaking of the bread.”

Carravaggio: the supper at Emmaus

Luke’s emphasis on the physicality of risen Jesus:

• 24: 39: “Touch me and see . . .” He’s flesh and blood. • And he’s hungry! Grilled fish.• Only Luke emphasizes the physical bodiliness of the

risen Jesus. • And opens their minds to understand the scriptures – as

in Emmaus episode. 24:46• And the necessity of staying in Jerusalem• Return to Jerusalem – “beginning from Jerusalem”:

24:47, • Disciples “continually in the temple blessing God.”

Two final questions on Luke

• Why does this gentile writer, as it is generally assumed, insist on Jerusalem, the Temple, the background in the Hebrew Scriptures, and the essential Jewishness of Jesus?

• What in the late first century prompts this textual need for a deep historical sense of the connectedness of Jesus to Israel?