Transcript Luke & Septuagint and Vulgate

Written for a Greco-Roman Audience
Luke emphasizes that Jesus and his disciples,
working under the Holy Spirit, are innocent of any
crime against Rome and that their religion is a
universal faith intended for all people
 Enlarged nativity account (Luke 1-2)
 Enlarged journey to Jerusalem (9:51-18:14)
 Enlarged post resurrection (ch 24)
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Author of Luke-Acts brings the larges historical vision to the NT.
Like other Hellenist historians, Luke preserved facts and interpreted their
significance.
 Traces the religious origins in Bethlehem, to its ongoing status at the end of Acts
and a legitimate faith in the Roman world.
 Luke views John the Baptist as both the last of Israel’s prophets and the
forerunner of the Messiah. He intertwines John’s birth with Jesus.
 Luke Makes Jesus’ life the center of a three-part drama
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Israel
--- Jesus --- Christian Church
No apocalyptic end (no talking about the end of the world as imminent)
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Instead, Luke shows a new beginning.
Jesus’ ministry represents a new beginning that establishes a heightened
awareness of God’s intentions for humanity.
 Thus, Jesus’ resurrection is tied to the disciples’ job of evangelizing the worlds
(24:44-53, Acts 1:1-8)
 Shows the world entering a new historical epoch, the age of the church.
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Possibly a physician that accompanied Paul (Col 4:14,
Philemon 24, 2 Tim 4:11)
Luke did not know Jesus
He is very interested in the mission to the Gentiles
His Greek is very fluent. He has the largest vocabulary and
most polished style. Possible a Gentile, which would make
him the only non-Jewish writer in the Bible.
Composes between 73-95
Possibly in Ephesus
Written to a Greek-speaking Gentile audience.
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Preface: Luke begins with a formal statement of
purpose
Luke is very aware of other gospels written before
his, but he apparently wasn’t satisfied.
He uses about 50% of Mark
He edits Mark more than Matthew
His arrangements emphasize particular themes
 In Mark, Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth comes halfway
through Jesus’ time in Galilee,
 But Luke puts it at the beginning and adds that the
residents of Nazareth attempted to kill Jesus
(foreshadowing Jesus’ later death).
Parables
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Prodigal Son (15:11-32)
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Good Samaritan
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Lost Coin (15:8-10)
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The persistent widow (10:29-32)
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Lazarus and the Rich man (16:19-31)
Jesus as the Good Shepherd from the early Christian catacomb
Teachings
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These and other parables typically stress life’s unexpected
of Domitilla (Crypt of Lucina - 200 CE).
reversals and/or God’s gracious forgiveness of wrongdoers.
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Includes some of Jesus’ hard sayings about the cost of
discipleship.
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The Good shepherd: Luke has been accused of
“sentimentalizing” Jesus’ message, but the author's concern for
oppressed people—the poor, the socially outcast, and women—
genuinely gives his gospel a distinctively humane and gracious
ambience.
Typical Themes in Luke
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Emphasis on prayer, forgiveness, compassion, interest in the
poor, concern for women, the active role of the Holy Spirit,
God’s direction of human history, the universality of Jesus’
messiahship and the new religion’s positive relationship with
the Greco-Roman world.
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Two major insertions of material into Mark’s account
(besides different birth and Postresurrection accounts)
1. (6:20-8:3)
▪ Luke’s Sermon on the plain (6:20-49)
▪ Unlike Matthew, Luke scatters Jesus’ Q saying throughout his
account
2. (9:51-18:14) Jesus teaching on the road to Jerusalem. This is all
Q source and L source material.
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Many of Jesus’ miracles echo those of the prophets Elijah
and Elisha (1 Kings 17-19, 2 Kings 1-6)
Luke introduces the Elijah-Elisha theme earlier (4:23-28)
indicating that for him these ancient men of God were
prototypes of the Messiah.
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all
the surrounding country. 15He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
The Rejection of Jesus 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, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah 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,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
20And 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. 21Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not
this Joseph’s son?’ 23He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And
you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.” ’ 24And he
said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. 25But the truth is, there were many
widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there
was a severe famine over all the land; 26yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in
Sidon. 27There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was
cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ 28When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29They
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. 30But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
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Two of Jesus most well-known parables are
found only in Luke
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)
What do these stories tell us about what the
author believes Jesus wants to tell or how
people should act or think?
Luke 10:25-28 introduces the parable
A Torah expert defines the essence of the Mosaic
Law in the twin commandments to Love God (Deut
6:5) and Love neighbor (Lev 19:18)
 In Mark, this dialogue is in the Temple, In Luke, it is
on the road to Jerusalem.
 Luke uses this dialogue to introduce this parable by
having the Torah expert ask Jesus about the
question of “who is my neighbor?”
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A Samaritan is a moral hero
 Listeners are asked to find nobility in a group of people they despise.
 Both the priest and the Levite who did not help the victim, did so in
observance of Torah rules. (If the victim was dead, they would have
become unclean and would be unable to perform their duties.
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This story is typically Lukan because of the reversal.
 The person regarded as an unclean foreigner and heretic becomes the
model to emulate.
 The Samaritan ignores religious and racial barriers, recognizing the
Jew as his neighbor, thereby fulfilling the Torah commands that the
legal expert had cited.
See the robbers
escaping.
Notice the two
men walking away
in the distance.
The Samaritan
barely touches the
man. And the man
doesn’t look too
bad. Maybe he’s
just napping?
The Good Samaritan ;
Julius Schnorr von
CAROLSFELD ; 1851-60;
engraving from « Bibel in
Bildern »
This Samaritan puts
his whole body into
helping the man get
to his feet.
The lighting makes
the scene ominous.
The victim looks
quite helpless.
What do you think of
the red shirt?
The Good Samaritan ; Julius
Schnorr von
CAROLSFELD ; 1851-60;
engraving from « Bibel in
Bildern »
Van Gogh creates his own version of DeLaCroix famous painting.
The victim is like a child.
The Good Samaritan; Eugène DELACROIX;
1849; oil on canvas; private collection.
The Good Samaritan; Vincent van GOGH after Eugène
DELACROIX; 1890; oil on canvas; Kröller-Müller
Museum, Otterlo, Holland
This wounded
man does not
look too good.
Is it too late?
The
Samaritan
takes time
tending to his
wounds
before loading
him on his
horse.
The Good Samaritan;
Lucas GIORDANO;
1685; oil on canvas;
Musée des BeauxArts, Rouen, France
An African design. Was the wounded
man attacked, or is he starving?
An emergency medical worker.
The familiar story is used ironically to criticize some Americans’ views
toward Latin Americans and foreigners in general.
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The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most
famous in the Gospels and now the term “good Samaritan”
corresponds to a person who spontaneously comes to help
another person in difficulty; yet the word sometimes takes a
slightly pejorative value as if a person overdid it.
You will “love your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27).
Whereas the adjective indicates only proximity, the noun is
restricted to the moral domain. The neighbour is the one
who is regarded as so close that he is like a fellow being.
 Does this mean to love people, simply because they are physically
near to you?
The forgiving father is, perhaps, the real focus.
The younger son violates the most basic laws of Judaism,
squandering his inheritance and finally living with pigs, the
lowest animal. (consider pig keepers in folk stories)
 This kid is as undeserving as possible. Even his desire to
return home is for eating better food
 The father is the real focus because of his unlimited love for
both sons.
 Older son is acknowledged but asked to understand that the
father loves the deserving and undeserving equally.
 The conclusion is unresolved. Will the older son overcome his
natural resentment and join the celebration?
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• A young, ill-clad man kneels down before an old man, his father.
• the father's face and gesture indicate the he receives him with joy, without
any reproach.
• The father is very old and his clothes show his wealth. Filled with
happiness by the return of his son, the father has a banquet prepared.
One can sometimes see the preparations of the feast, in particular a fatted
calf ready to be killed.
• The son is generally in rags or a poor man’s shirt.
• Servants are often seen bringing clean clothes
• The elder son is often seen, jealous of the welcome given his brother. He
can bring to mind Esau’s return after Isaac blesses Jacob.
• The parable is rich in images and other moments can also be depicted:
the happy son spending his money in the company of prostitutes; the
unhappy son repenting while keeping pigs; the father waiting for his son
coming back in the distance
Note the meal walking
in on the left.
The older son is
talking with a servant.
What is his attitude?
What is he saying or
asking?
White clad figure in
the back is vaguely
angelic.
The Return of the Prodigal Son; Bartolomeo MURILLO; 1670; oil on
canvas; National Gallery of Art, Washington
Notice how much the
father looks like many
traditional images of
God.
We can also see that
heaven is blessing this
reunion.
How is the older brother
reacting?
The Prodigal Son; Julius Schnorr van CAROLSFELD;
1851-60; engraving from « Bibel in Bildern ».
Rebrandt makes the father blind which
gives more depth to the meeting.
The Return of the Prodigal Son; REMBRANDT; 1662;
oil on canvas; The Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
The focus here is on the joy which servants and
dogs also share. The father is thanking God.
The Return of the Prodigal Son; Gustave DORÉ;
1865; engraving from the “Holy Bible”.
The setting
fits 19th
century
England.
Background
elements
represent
different
parts of the
story and
show the
who cycle.
The Return; Jacques TISSOT; 1882 oil on canvas;
National Gallery of Art, Washington
An interesting
combination of the
old and new. Again,
heaven is blessing
the reunion.
Ron DiCianni 1982
Do you think the theme of this song fits more with Matthew’s or Luke’s ideas
of Jesus? Why? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCsLtsn_Z70
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All the streets are filled with laughter and light
And the music of the season
And the merchants' windows are all bright
With the faces of the children
And the families hurrying to their homes
While the sky darkens and freezes
Will be gathering around the hearths and tables
Giving thanks for God's graces
And the birth of the rebel Jesus
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Well they call him by 'the Prince of Peace'
And they call him by 'the Savior'
And they pray to him upon the seas
And in every bold endeavor
And they fill his churches with their pride and gold
As their faith in him increases
But they've turned the nature that I worship in
From a temple to a robber's den
In the words of the rebel Jesus
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Well we guard our world with locks and guns
And we guard our fine possessions
And once a year when Christmas comes
We give to our relations
And perhaps we give a little to the poor
If the generosity should seize us
But if any one of us should interfere
In the business of why there are poor
They get the same as the rebel Jesus
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Now pardon me if I have seemed
To take the tone of judgement
For I've no wish to come between
This day and your enjoyment
In a life of hardship and of earthly toil
There's a need for anything that frees us
So I bid you pleasure
And I bid you cheer
From a heathen and a pagan
On the side of the rebel Jesus
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Yo, We at war
We at war with terrorism, racism, and most of all we at war with ourselves
(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me) with me, with me, with me [fades]
You know what the Midwest is?
Young & Restless
Where restless (Niggas) might snatch your necklace
And next these (Niggas) might jack your Lexus
Somebody tell these (Niggas) who Kanye West is
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death is
Top floor the view alone will leave you breathless Uhhhh!
Try to catch it Uhhhh! It's kinda hard hard
Getting choked by the detectives yeah yeah now check the method
They be asking us questions, harass and arrest us
Saying "we eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast"
Huh? Yall eat pieces of shit? What's the basis?
We ain't going nowhere but got suits and cases
A trunk full of coke rental car from Avis
My momma used to say only Jesus can save us
Well momma I know I act a fool
But I'll be gone 'til November I got packs to move I Hope
How does this
rap artist
interpret
Jesus? Why
does he say
that he needs
Jesus? What
does he think
Jesus can do
for him?
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[Hook x2]
(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way
because the Devil trying
to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me)
The only thing that that I
pray is that my feet don't
fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don't think there is
nothing I can do now to
right my wrongs
(Jesus Walks with me)
I want to talk to God but
I'm afraid because we
ain't spoke in so long
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To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers
(Jesus walks with them)
To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah
(Jesus walks with them)
Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly
I know he hear me when my feet get weary
Cause we're the almost nearly extinct
We rappers are role models we rap we don't think
I ain't here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that's the way I need Jesus
So here go my single dog radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes
But if I talk about God my record won't get played Huh?
Well let this take away from my spins
Which will probably take away from my ends
Then I hope this take away from my sins
And bring the day that I'm dreaming about
Next time I'm in the club everybody screaming out
(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks)
The only thing that that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don't thing there's nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
(Jesus walks with me... fades)
I want to talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofzCZiQ9vjA&feature=related
This song is sometimes said to be talking about
a “hippie Jesus”
Certainly, it emphasizes Jesus’ radical way of life
while it doesn’t focus on his words or specific
teachings.
Part of Jesus’ messiahship or meant allowing
people to look down on him and mock him.
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Jesus was a Capricorn, he ate organic foods.
He believed in love and peace and never wore no shoes.
Long hair, beard and sandals and a funky bunch of friends.
Reckon they'd just nail him up if He come down again.
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'Cos everybody's got to have somebody to look down on.
Who they can feel better than at anytime they please.
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me.
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Get back, John!
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Egg Head's cousin Red Neck's cussin' hippies for their hair.
Others laugh at straights who laugh at freaks who laugh at squares.
Some folks hate the whites who hate the blacks who hate the clan.
Most of us hate anything that we don't understand.
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'Cos everybody's got to have somebody to look down on.
Who they can feel better than at anytime they please.
Someone doin' somethin' dirty, decent folks can frown on.
If you can't find nobody else, then help yourself to me.
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Help yourself, brother.
Help yourself, Gentlemen.
Help yourself Reverend.