THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE
Lesson 6: Chapters 6-7
Jesus' Ministry in the Galilee Continued: Mission and Controversy
Compassionate Lord,
In this week's lesson we seek to grasp the true meaning of
Jesus' ministry as He called all men and women to turn away from the world and
what the world values and instead to turn to You, Lord, submitting themselves by
becoming vessels through which Your good works flow. Many human lessons are to
be learned from Jesus' teachings but the central theme is always to live a righteous
life that demonstrates faith and repentance of sin through acts of love and mercy
to others and to have trust and faith in our Divine Father who never abandons the
children who seek His forgiveness and acknowledge His sovereignty over their lives.
Please send Your Holy Spirit to guide us in our study. We pray in the name of God
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ + +
But our Lord and
Savior, not very long after the beginning of his preaching, called the twelve
apostles and to them alone of all his disciples he gave the name of apostles as
a special honor. Later, he proclaimed seventy others, and them also he sent
out two by two in advance of himself into every place and city where he himself
was to come.
Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea (c. 260/63-340), Ecclesiastical History, 1.10
This is why I
speak in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen
or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall
indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is
the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have
closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and
understand with their heart and be converted and I heal them.'
Jesus in Matthew 13:35 quoting Isaiah 6:9-10 LXX
The episodes Luke has been presenting concerning Jesus' ministry seem to be unrelated, but St. Luke is carefully presenting Jesus' authority in interpreting Scripture and the Law together with demonstrations of the unique power and authority of His ministry. Luke is also drawing our attention to the growing opposition of the religious leaders through a series of encounters on the Old Covenant Sabbath. Notice that in the episode in 4:31-37 Jesus' heals on the Sabbath without opposition but after news of His actions begin to spread (4:37) the result is that some scribes and Pharisees arrive from as far away as Jerusalem to observe His teaching, the miracles He has reportedly performed and question Him (5:17-30). This sequence of events is repeated in 6:6-11 where Jesus heals on the Sabbath, but this time the opposition of the Pharisees is intensified "they accuse Him of blasphemy. In the third Sabbath encounter, the Pharisees accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath prohibition against labor on the Sabbath (6:1-5) and in the fourth Sabbath episode (the third Sabbath healing) in 6:6-11 the opposition of the Pharisees and scribes has reached the point at which they are actively conspiring to present a formal indictment against Jesus (6:7, 11).
Chapter 6: The Sabbath Controversy, the Sermon on the Plain and Jesus Begins Teaching in Parables
Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and
cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy
and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.
Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
Jesus condemnation of
the scribes and Pharisees (Mt 23:232-24)
Luke 6:1-5 ~ The Sabbath Controversy begins
1 While he was going
through a field of grain on a Sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of
grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. 2 Some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing
what is unlawful on the Sabbath?" 3 Jesus
said to them in reply, "Have you not read what David did when he and those [who
were] with him were hungry? 4 [How]
he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the
priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions." 5 Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord
of the Sabbath."
In verses 1-5 in response to the Pharisees and scribes' criticism of His disciples, Jesus asserts His claim to authority over the Sabbath. This is the Pharisees fourth criticism of Jesus:
Rubbing the grain in their hands describes the disciples separating the edible grain from the inedible chaff.
Question: Were Jesus' disciples stealing the farmer's
grain? See Dt 23:26.
Answer: No, according to the Law if one was hungry in
passing through a grain field one might pluck some of the ears with the hand to
eat, but it was not allowed to use a sickle. Jesus and His disciples were
acting within the regulations of the Law.
Question: The Pharisees were strict interpreters of
the Law of Moses. Why do the Pharisees consider the actions of Jesus'
disciples to be a Sabbath violation? See Ex 20:9-11; 23:12; 31:12-17; 34:21;
35:1-3; Lev 19:3; 23:3; Dt 5:12-17.
Answer: It was commanded that the Sabbath be set
aside from the normal week as a day of rest for the covenant people " their households,
their animals, and any aliens living in the land were prohibited from doing any
labor. Even during the time of harvest (Ex 34:12). The Pharisees have so
strictly interpreted the Sabbath prohibition that they consider plucking a few
stalks of grain as a "labor" similar to harvesting.
Question: How does Jesus answer their challenge? See
1 Sam 21:2-7.
Answer: He directed their attention to the story of
David and his men being given permission to eat the holy bread of the Sanctuary
when they were hungry.
Jesus' challenge "Have you not read" calls into question their understanding of the Scriptures. In the Holy Place of the Sanctuary there was a golden table with 12 golden plates that held 12 loaves of holy bread, called "the Bread of the Presence (literally "of the face of God"). According to God's instructions in Exodus 24:23-30 and Lev 24:5-9, the bread was placed upon the golden table every Sabbath as an offering to God and was to be eaten only by the chief priests one week later when the fresh bread replace the week old bread (Lev 24:8). The table also held cups for incense that was sprinkled over the bread. A libation of wine was poured from golden pitchers into chalices which were also kept on the table. Only the chief priests, the descendants of Aaron, had access to the Holy Place of the Sanctuary.
After the destruction of the proto-Temple at Shiloh (1 Sam 1:9; Jer 7:12, 14; 26:6, 9), the desert tent of the Tabernacle was established at Nob. Isaiah 10:32 suggests that Nob was the nearest town to Jerusalem on the north and lay within sight of Jerusalem. In the story, the priest Ahimelech was the great-grandson of the high priest Eli and the son of the high priest Ahijah (1 Sam 14:3; 1 Sam 22:8, 11-12, 20). It is likely that at this time Ahimelech had succeeded his father as the anointed High Priest.
Question: What day of the week did David seek the
help of the priests of God's Sanctuary at Nob? Lev 24:5-9; Num 28:9-10; 2 Sam 21:7.
Answer: Since Ahimelech mentions that the bread is
being changed out for the new 12 loaves, it has to be the Sabbath that David
and his men ate the holy bread of the Sanctuary.
Question: In the story of David and his men, what did
the high priest ask David before he gave permission for David and his men to
eat the holy bread and why? See Lev 15:18; Dt 23:10.
Answer: He essentially asked David were he and his
men in a state of ritual purity "in other words, were they in a state of grace
that would allow them to eat what belonged to God.
Question: What was David's answer?
Answer: David told the priest that they were ritually
clean and therefore able to partake of the holy bread under the conditions of
the Law for soldiers.
Question: What is Jesus' point in referring the
Pharisees and scribes to this Old Testament story?
Answer: The point is that the Law was not meant to be
so rigid as to be without mercy and compassion. It was the chief priests'
decision that the prohibition that only the chief priests must eat the week old
Bread of the Presence could be set aside in a time of need such as feeding the
hungry warriors of the people of God.
Luke 6:5 Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
In this statement Jesus is making a startling claim concerning His authority.
Question: What declaration is Jesus making to the
Pharisees and teachers of the Law in this statement? See Mt 12:3-7.
Answer: As "Lord of the Sabbath," Jesus is claiming
divine authority to determine what is and isn't a Sabbath violation of the
Law. This interpretation is made clear in the same episode recorded by
Matthew's Gospel and Jesus' declaration that "something greater than the Temple
is here (Mt 12:6), referring to Himself and His mission. Jesus also points out
in that passage that the work the priests do in God's holy Temple on the
Sabbath is not a violation (12:5). In other words, God determined that the
priests are innocent of a violation in the Sabbath service just as Jesus
determined that His disciples are innocent of a violation in picking a few
grains to eat in their hunger on the Sabbath. The point being that if Temple
duties outweigh the Sabbath laws, how much more does the presence of God the
Son and His proclamation of the Kingdom (the something greater than the Temple)
justify the conduct of Jesus and His disciples.
There may also be a veiled foreshadowing of the eating of the Eucharist in both the story of David and his men and Jesus and His disciples. Under the Old Covenant only the chief priests were allowed to eat the holy bread of the Lord. The community of the faithful could not eat the holy bread, but in the Kingdom that Jesus has come to establish all the faithful "men and women who are in a state of grace like David and his men and Jesus and His disciples will eat the holy bread of the Lord.
Question: In this episode, is Jesus doing away with
the Sabbath prohibitions in the Law?
Answer: No. He is properly re-defining those
prohibitions.
Using the title "Son of Man" in verse 5 refers to Jesus' earthly ministry. His response to the Pharisees implies the misuse or misunderstanding of the Sabbath prohibitions in the Law of Moses and the superiority of Jesus, the divine "Son of Man," in interpreting the Scriptures. Jesus is the "Lord of the Sabbath" because of His mission as the Messiah who is sent to preach the coming of the Kingdom. If a human being like David can in certain circumstances be allowed liberty with certain prohibitions set down in Scripture, then so can Jesus the Messiah, in an act of mercy for hungry disciples, subordinate a prohibition in His mission without formally abolishing the Sabbath regulations. The Law is not meant to be so rigid as to ignore mercy and compassion. In addition, God does not cease his "work" on the Sabbath, nor do His priests, and therefore nor does God the Son.
Luke 6:6-11 ~ Another Sabbath Controversy
6 On another Sabbath
he went into the Synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right
hand was withered. 7 The scribes
and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the Sabbath so
that they might discover a reason to accuse him. 8 But he realized their intentions and said to
the man with the withered hand, "Come up and stand before us." And he rose and
stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to
them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do
evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" 10 Looking around at them all, he then said to him, "Stretch out
your hand." He did so and his hand was restored. 11 But they became enraged and discussed
together what they might do to Jesus.
With the words "On another Sabbath," St. Luke connects the events recorded in 6:1-5 chronologically and topically with the previous episodes in chapters 4-5. In these episodes, Luke's focus is on Jesus' authority in interpreting Scripture and the Law (see 4:21) and the power and authority of His ministry. Notice that the episode in 4:31-37 is very like that in 6:6-11 "Jesus heals on the Sabbath without opposition, but as news of His actions begin to spread, so does opposition to His mission. This time the opposition of the scribes and Pharisees is heightened to the point that they are considering a formal indictment against Jesus (6:7) and publically reject His claim to divine authority (6:5, 11).
The controversy surrounding Sabbath healings increases in this episode, and Jesus will intensify the controversy by challenging the Pharisees on the real issue concerning what is lawful or unlawful concerning the Sabbath. Notice that the man does not ask to be healed. It is Jesus who offers the invitation. That the man's right hand was withered is significant. In the Middle East in ancient times (as it is today), one can only eat from the communal bowl of food with the right hand. The left hand is reserved for sanitary functions and is never placed in a communal bowl.
Luke 6:9 Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" With this statement, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes. He is teaching an ethical understanding of the Sabbath Law and not the rigid application of the Law applied by the Pharisees and scribes.
Question: How has Jesus placed the Pharisees and the
scribes in a dilemma with this question?
Answer: They cannot say it is right to do evil on the
Sabbath or it is right to destroy life, but if they answer that it is lawful to
do good and save life on the Sabbath they will be giving Jesus permission to
heal on the Sabbath.
When His adversaries do not answer, Jesus heals the man. The anger and frustration of the Pharisees and scribes may be more from being bested by Jesus than because they believe He is violating the Sabbath law. They must have been embarrassed by the lack of a response to His challenge. Now they actively begin to conspire against Jesus.
Question: In these passages Jesus, as the
authoritative teacher who is "Lord of the Sabbath," answers the question
concerning "work" on the Sabbath through what two principles? See Lk 6:9-11;
Lev 19:18 and Dt 6:5.
Answer:
Jesus' point is that the Sabbath is a time for acting with goodness, compassion and healing in remembrance of the "good work" of God in Creation (see Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 19, 21, 25, and 31) "the end of which God sanctified the seventh day as the Sabbath as a day of rest (Gen 2:1-3). The celebration of the Sabbath is also the anticipation of the promised "rest" in the Kingdom of God.
Luke 6:12-16 ~ The Selection of the Twelve Apostles
12 In those days he
departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 When day came, he called his disciples to
himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother
Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was also called a
Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of
James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Luke 6:12 In those days he departed to the mountain to pray...
The introductory statement "In those days" is a shift in topic from the Sabbath controversies. Jesus departed to the mountain to pray... There are no mountains in the Galilee, only rolling hills. Luke mentions a mountain for symbolic reasons. The "mountain of God" is a theological significant symbol in the Bible. Most revelations of God in the Bible take place in association with mountains. That Eden was the original "holy mountain" (Ez 28:13-14) explains the significance of the other mountains that will become important in the history of God's covenant people as sites for God's redemptive acts and revelations, calling mankind back to the relationship man enjoyed with God in Eden (Gen 22:2; Ex 19:16-19; 2 Chr 3:1; Mt 28:16-20). God's holy prophets promised the restoration of "the mountain" of God to the earth in the eschatological age to come (see for example Is 2:2-4; Dan 2:44-45; Mic 4:1-7).
The prophets taught that the "holy mountain" signified the fulfillment and consummation of man's restoration to God through the Messiah's atonement when the Kingdom of God's universal peace would fill the earth: There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the LORD, as water covers the sea (Is 11:9 NJB). That Jesus called His disciples up "the mountain" in Matthew 5:1 and Luke 6:12 is theologically significant to God's covenant people; it signals another revelation of God among His people and takes them a step closer to the fulfillment of the Kingdom.
Question: In addition to Eden, how many such "holy
mountain" sites can you think of where revelations of God occurred that had a
significant impact on salvation history?
Answer:
| Mountain | Scripture Passage |
| 1. The Garden of Eden: Located on a mountain from which 4 rivers flowed. |
Gen 2:10; Ez 28:12-14 |
2. Mt. Moriah:
|
Gen 22:2; 1Chr 21:15-17; 2Chr 3:1; Mt 27:33, 59; 28:1-7; Mk 15:22, 46; 16:1-6; Lk 23:33, 53; 24:1-6; Jn 19:17, 38-42; 20:4-9 |
3. Mt. Sinai/Horeb:
|
Ex 19:12-40:38; 1 Kng 19:11-18 |
| 4. Mt. Carmel: Site of Elijah's defeat of the prophets of Baal. | 1 Kng 18 |
| 5. Mt. of Temptation: The site where Jesus, the "new Adam," resisted Satan. |
Mt 4:8-11; Lk 4:1-13 |
| 6. Mt. of Beatitudes: Where Jesus commissioned the 12 Apostles and gave them the New Covenant law. |
Mt 5:1-2; Mk 3:13-19; Lk 6:12-16 |
| 7. Mt. at Caesarea Philippi: Jesus' official commissioning of Peter as Vicar of the New Covenant Church. |
Mt 16:13-19; Mk 8:27-30; Lk 9:18-21 |
| 8. Mt. of Transfiguration: Jesus appeared in His glory. |
Mt 17:1-8; Mk 9:2-8; Lk 9:28-36 (Peter refers to this place as "the holy mountain" in 2 Pt 1:16-18) |
9. Mt. of Olives:
|
Mt 26:47ff; Mk 14:43ff; Lk 22:47ff; Jn 18:3ff; Acts 1:1-12; Zech 14:3-5 |
10. Golgotha:
|
Mt 27:33; Mk 15:22; Jn 19:17 |
| Michal E. Hunt copyright 1998; revised 2007, 2011 | |
Note: Mt. Ararat is not included (see Gen 8:4) because, although God did place the redeemed family of Noah on that mountain, there was no visible manifestation of His presence or any single act signifying His presence.
From among His disciples (numbered as 70/72 in Luke 10:1), Jesus chose 12 men, forming a hierarchy of the Kingdom with Himself as the head.(3) The 12 Apostles are to be the spiritual "Fathers" of the New Covenant Church in the same way that the 12 sons of Jacob/Israel were the 12 physical fathers of the Old Covenant Church. This arrangement recalls the hierarchy of the Church of the newly formed Sinai Covenant with Moses as covenant mediator, Aaron and his two eldest sons as the next level of authority (that will be repeated in the singling out of Peter, James and John Zebedee at the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane), the princes/elders of the 12 tribes of Israel and the governing body of the 70 elders of Israel (Ex 24:1). In Acts 1:2 Luke will write that Jesus chose the Apostles "through the Holy Spirit.
The Greek word "Apostles" is derived from the verb apostellein, meaning "to send." The noun apostelos means "emissaries." It is a word used in earlier Greek literature for someone sent, for example, as an envoy or naval expedition (see Herodotus, Histories, 1.21). Josephus uses the word for "sending" a delegation of Jews to Rome (Antiquities of the Jews, 17.11.1 [300]). It was a term that designated the Twelve during Jesus' ministry but will be more widely applied in the early years of the Church for a missionary sent out to preach the Gospel message of salvation: He appointed twelve whom he also named apostles that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons (Mk 3:14-15). In Acts the title (perhaps to be considered with a small "a") is applied to both Sts. Paul and Barnabas (see Acts 4:4, 14; Rom 16:7; 1 Cor 1:1; 9:1; 15:5-7; Gal 1:19; also see Acts 1:2, 8; 1 Cor 15:7; Gal 1:17).
There are four lists of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament (Mt 10:2-4; Mk 3:16-19; Lk 6:14-16; Acts 1:13). All the lists vary in the order of the names; however, all the lists in the Gospels begin with Peter and end with the traitor Judas Iscariot. The list in Acts also begins with Peter but ends with Judas son of James since Judas Iscariot is already dead. That Peter was Jesus' designated leader of the Apostles is clear from his primacy in the lists. Notice that he is already named "Peter" in verse 14: Simon, whom he named Peter and also in 5:8. Jesus first gave Simon the name/title "rock" = Kepha in Aramaic or Petros in Greek before the beginning of the Galilean ministry in John 1:42. St. John the Apostle and St. Paul uses Cephas for Peter, the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic "Kepha" (see Jn 1:42; 1 Cor 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:5; Gal 2:9).
Luke 6:16b ... and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
In Scripture Judas Iscariot is always described negatively.
In John 6:70 Jesus said: "Did I not choose you twelve? Yet is not one of
you a devil?" He was referring to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot; it was he
who would betray him, one of the Twelve.
Luke 6:17-19 ~ The Sermon on the Plain
17 And he came down
with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his
disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the
coastal region of Tyre and Sidon 18 came
to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were
tormented by unclean spirits were cured. 19
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from
him and healed them all.
Jesus and His disciples went up the "mountain" in 6:12, but now they have come down from the "mountain" to stand on level ground before He begins to teach not only the disciples but the crowds of people who have gathered.
Question: Who are these people and where have they
come from to hear Jesus teach in the Galilee? See verse 7.
Answer: They are Jews who have come from the region
of the Galilee in the north, from Judea and God's holy city of Jerusalem in the
south, and they have come from the eastern Gentile coastal region of the great
trading centers of Tyre and Sidon.
Luke 6:19 Everyone
in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed
them all.
The power of the Spirit of God flowed from Jesus to whoever
He touched or who touched Him. In 8:43-48 Luke tells the story of a woman who
was healed simply by grasping the tassel on Jesus' cloak.
In Matthew's Gospel Jesus gives a homily on the mountain (Mt chapters 5-7), but in Luke's Gospel He teaches on the plain below the mountain (Lk 6:17-49). A Beatitude teaching is found in both accounts, but St. Luke's Gospel records a different beatitude teaching than is found in Matthew's Gospel. A beatitude (makarios in Greek) is a blessing bestowed by God. Please read Matthew 4:25-5:12 and compare the first part of Jesus' teaching with the teaching in Luke 6:12-26. There are three major theories that Bible scholars have developed to account for the differences between Matthew's Sermon on the Mount and Luke's Sermon on the Plain:
Question: What differences do you notice between the
events concerning Jesus' teaching in Matthew and His teaching in Luke? Hint:
Notice location, audience, and content of the teaching.
Answer:
It may be an important distinction that the Beatitude teaching in St. Matthew's Gospel was presented to Jesus' disciples "to believers who had already come to acknowledge His authority (Mt 5:1). They were ready to receive a "spiritual" teaching on how Jesus had come to transform the Old Covenant by intensifying, internalizing, and fulfilling the Law of the Old Covenant. The multitude (Mt 5:1; Lk 6:17-18), the poor people and the crowds who came from near and far, could not have understood or accepted such a teaching. They were far more concerned with the temporal blessings and the justice that was promised to them through obedience to the Old Covenant Law (Lev 26:3-13; Dt 28:1-14).
Jesus' Sermon on the Plain can be divided into 5 parts: (4)
Part I: Beatitudes and curses/judgments (6:20-26)
Part II: The love of enemies (6:27-36)
Part III: Judging others and the parable of the blind guide (6:37-42)
Part IV: The parable of the tree and its fruit 6:43-45)
Part V: The parable of the two foundations (6:46-49)
The slope of the land from the site of the Mount of Beatitudes to the Sea of Galilee presents a spectacular natural amphitheater. If Jesus stood on the level plain below the top of the hill where He taught the Sermon on the Mount, He could speak and be easily heard by a multitude of people standing or sitting along the hillside as it slopes down to the lake.
Luke 6:20-26 ~ Part I: Blessings and Curse Judgments
20 And raising his
eyes toward his disciples he said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is
yours.
21 Blessed are you
who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you
who are now weeping, for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you
when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your
name as evil on account of the Son of Man. 23
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great
in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
24 But woe to you
who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25 But woe to you
who are filled now, for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for your will grieve and weep.
26 Woe to you when
all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this
way.
Question: In the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6:20-26,
Jesus gave His teaching in the style of the Sinai covenant treaty sanctions
found in Leviticus 26:3-46 and Deuteronomy 28:1-46. What pattern do you see
Jesus repeating from those passages?
Answer: Jesus was giving a series of blessings and
curses just like the blessings for obedience and the curses/judgments for
disobedience that God told Moses to give the Israelites. Jesus gave 4
blessings followed by 4 curses.
Question: How are Jesus' new Kingdom blessings and
curse/judgments different from the blessings and curse/judgments of the Sinai
Covenant?
Answer: The Old Covenant sanctions of blessings and
curses/judgments were all temporal. Jesus' promised blessings and
curses/judgments are eternal.
Question: What issues of social justice did Jesus
address to the crowds in St. Luke's Gospel? What are the "blessings" He
promised to those who have suffered in this life?
Answer:
Question: What were the four curses/judgments that He
pronounced? What are the ultimate consequences of the curses?
Answer: He pronounced curses on the rich who allow poverty to
increase without using the blessings of their material wealth to comfort the
poor and suffering. The rich who do not share their wealth will only receive
temporal blessings in this life but will remain spiritually impoverished, and
they will have no share in the eternal blessings promised in the heavenly
kingdom:
Question: What is the contrast between the economic
and social conditions of those mentioned in the blessings and curse/judgments?
There are 4 groups who receive blessings and curses, but there is also a 5th
category.
Answer:
Jesus' judgments against the affluent who without conscience oppress or ignore the poor and suffering is similar to Isaiah's prophecy of judgment in 65:11-16: ... therefore, thus says the Lord GOD: Lo, my servants shall eat, but you shall go hungry; my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be put to shame ...(Is 65:13).
Question: A true prophet speaks the word of God (Dt 18:17-20). The Pharisees' opposition to God the Son has placed them in what
category?
Answer: The have become false prophets.
Question: Are these blessings and curses relevant to
us today? When should we review this teaching on a regular basis? See Mt 25:31-46 and Lk 12:15-20, 48.
Answer: Absolutely. In one's participation in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation/Penance, these concerns should be a part of one's
examination of conscience.
Luke 6:27-36 ~ Part II: Love of enemies
27 But to you who
hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who
mistreat you. 29 To the person who
strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who
takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and from
the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to
you. 32 For if you love those who
love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to
you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend money to those from whom you
expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount. 35 But
rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for
he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is
merciful.
This is a radically new teaching. Jesus is asking the people not to respond to others as their human nature tells them to respond, but rather to respond in mercy and love as God responds to human frailty (verse 36).
Question: What is the triad of righteousness that
Jesus calls the people to demonstrate? See verses 27 and 32-35.
Answer: He calls for a triad of works that
demonstrates love, good deeds, and giving/lending to those in need.
Luke 6:31 Do to
others as you would have them do to you.
This maxim is well attested in antiquity in Hellenistic and
Jewish literature, but stated in the negative and not in the positive as it is
here.
Question: What two kinds of rewards is Jesus
contrasting in verses 32-35?
Answer: Earthly rewards when good works are
recognized by others, which is a temporal reward as opposed to an eternal
reward from God.
Luke 6:36 Be
merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful.
This teaching is repeated several times in Jesus' homilies:
"You must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect"; "Be merciful just as
your Father is merciful"; "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one
another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (see Mt 5:48; Lk 6:36; Jn 13:34). As the children of our Divine Father through the
rebirth of Christian baptism, we are asked to be like our Father in the way we
behave and to pattern our lives after the life of the merciful, just, and loving
Jesus Christ. A righteous and merciful God deserved righteous and merciful
children.
Question: How does Jesus say the triad of goodness
must be exercised in verses 35-36?
Answer: It must be exercised without calculating a
reward. Those who act without expectation of return even toward their enemies
will be rewarded by God. One who receives an earthly reward has already been
"paid."
Luke 6:37-46 ~ Part III: Judging others and the parable
of the blind guide
37 Stop judging and
you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven. 38 Give
and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down,
and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you
measure will in return be measured out to you." 39 And he told them a parable, "Can a blind person guide a blind
person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40
No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every
disciple will be like his teacher. 41 Why
do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the
wooden beam in your own? 42 How
can you say to your brother, Brother, let me remove that splinter in your
eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You
hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see
clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye.
Luke 6:37a Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Question: In this teaching is Jesus saying that one
must not judge the sin in others? See the end of verse 42, Jesus gives instructions on
dealing with a brother who sins in Matthew 18:15-17 and Proverbs 4:14-15: Do not follow
the path of the wicked, do not walk the way that the evil go. Avoid it, do not
take it, turn your back on it, pass it by (NJB). See what St. Paul
wrote on the subject in Rom 2:1-11 and 1 Cor 5:12-13.
Answer: We must judge sin in order to avoid it, and
we must be able to correct a fellow Christian who has fallen into sin in order
to protect the Church and the quality of the Church's Christian witness, but we
judge the sin and not the sinner. We do not judge the heart of the individual
because we do not have that authority. Only God can judge hearts and souls.
As for those who sin outside the covenant, they are a "law unto themselves" and
it is for the civil authorities and God to judge their sins. It is only our
obligation to share the Gospel of truth with them and pray for their
conversion.
Luke 6:37b Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Jesus' teaching is that in fighting sin we must begin with
fighting sin in ourselves. We are being hypocrites when we quickly judge a
fault in someone else when we are guilty of the same fault in our own life. When
we recognize and condemn what is a failure in our own life in someone else
without confessing our own sin, our sins will doubly count against us at our
judgment. We will also have no credibility if we try to help someone else
whose life is being torn apart by sin if our life is just as tainted. The
answer to living a life of righteousness is seeking God's forgiveness in the
Sacrament of Reconciliation. When we experience the grace of God's forgiveness
we must offer that same forgiveness to others in the human family. To forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us is a petition
in the Lord's Prayer (Mt 6:12). We must be committed to forgiving one another
as God has forgiven you in Christ (Eph 4:32). St. Augustine wrote "Whoever
confesses his sins ...is already working with God" (In evangelium Johannis,
12).
Question: What is the implied warning in verse 37b?
Answer: Our lack of forgiveness to a brother or
sister in the human family may become a sin that hinders our gift of God's
forgiveness for sins in our lives.
Question: If we are generous and merciful in
forgiving those who wrong us, just as God had been merciful in forgiving our sins,
what is the promise Jesus makes to us?
Answer: The answer is in verse 38: Give and gifts will be given to you; a good
measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into
your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured
out to you." The result is God's gift of abundant grace.
In verse 39 Jesus tells a short parable to make His point. Someone already immersed in sin cannot lead someone else out of sin. He is a "blind guide" and a hypocrite because of his sinful condition. The "pit" is probably a reference to the fiery pit of the hell of the damned. Notice that Jesus uses the Greek word "hypocrite" in this passage. There is no Hebrew or Aramaic equivalent. It is a Greek word that referred to the Greek theater and means "playing a role or part." Jesus' point is that someone who is guilty of unconfessed sins for which he has not shown repentance is only a hypocrite playing the part of a righteous person when he tries to bring to light the sins of another.
Luke 6:43-45 ~ Part IV: The parable of a tree and its
fruit
43 A good tree does
not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. 44 For people do not pick figs from thorn bushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles. 45
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness
of the heart the mouth speaks.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus used this parable to discern between the true and false prophet (Mt 7:15-20). Someone who claims to speak in the name of God is a prophet. In the Old Testament there were both true and false prophets just as in Jesus' time there will be true and false disciples. In relating this teaching to the one on the blind guide, one can recognize the true child of God who is a guide to others by the quality of his deeds "the "fruits" of good works that his life produces like compassion, mercy, charity to the poor and a forgiving heart.
Luke 6:45 A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
The heart was seen as the true essence of a person "for good and for evil. It was the seat of one's moral personality. The struggle against sin and evil entails purifying the interior self by confessing sin and surrendering oneself to the interior anointing of God the Holy Spirit. Only then can someone truly do what is good.
Question: What is Jesus' point in this parable? What
group of people has thus far identified themselves as those of are yielding
"bad fruit."
Answer: Good fruit (good works) come from good trees
(good people) and bad fruit (evil works) come from bad trees (people with evil
intentions). The malicious accusations of the scribes and Pharisees reveal the
malice and evil in their hearts "it is their rotten "fruit" that identifies them
as evil. They are looking for sin in Jesus when there is much sin evident in
their lives.
St. Luke records more of Jesus' parables than any other Gospel writer.
Question: Why is Jesus teaching in parables? What
happened before He began teaching in parables in 5:36-39?
Answer: Jesus began teaching in parables when He encountered
the opposition of His audience, including the religious leaders as in 5:36-39.
In the Old Testament God's prophets resorted to teaching in parables when they encountered opposition from the civil or religious leadership; see for example the Old Testament parables of "The Ewe Lamb" (2 Sam 12:1-14); "The Two Brothers and the Avenger" (2 Sam 14:1-11); "The Escaped Captive (2 Kings 20:35-40) "The Vineyard (Is 5:1-7); "The Eagle and the Vine" (Ez 17:3-10); "The Lion Whelps (Ez 10:2-9), "The Vine (Ez 19:10-14), "The Forest Fire" (Ez 21:1-5) and "The Boiling Pot (Ez 24:3-5) . Jesus is following the same course as God's other prophets.(1)
A parable is a story that conveys a certain truth or imparts a teaching. Parables in the Gospels are numbered by scholars as between 35 - 75.(2) The wide variation in number comes from the difficulty in classifying what is a more narrowly defined parable or what is a saying or maxim, what is a simile or a metaphor, or what is an allegory. There are eight major themes which occur regularly in Jesus' parables:
In the "tree known by its fruit" parable Jesus uses one of the covenant images of the Old Testament prophets. The four reoccurring symbolic images of the prophets representing the people's covenant relationship with God are (1) marriage, (2) the fruitful vine and tree, (3) domesticated animals, and (4) drinking wine (See the chart "The Symbolic Images of the Prophets"). Look for the symbolic images of the Old Testament prophets that Jesus will use repeatedly in His parables.
Question: When has Jesus used other symbolic images
of the prophets in His teaching in Luke?
Answer: He used the marriage imagery in 5:34-35 when
He spoke of Himself as the Bridegroom and the imagery of drinking old wine
versus new wine in 5:37-39.
Luke 6:46-49 ~ Part V: The parable of the two foundations
46 Why do you call
me, Lord, Lord,' but not do what I command? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens
to my words, and acts on them. 48 That
one is like a person building a house who dug deeply and laid the foundation on
rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not
shake it because it had been well built. 49
But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a
house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it
collapsed at once and was completely destroyed."
Verse 46 makes the contrast between saying and doing while verse 47 makes the contrast between hearing and doing.
Question: What is the symbolism of the parable? Who
is the one who hears and does as opposed to the one who hears and does not
act? What is the river?
Answer: The person who both hears what Jesus teaches
and then acts on what he has heard is the disciple who is building his
understanding of Jesus' message on a firm foundation of faith. But a person
who only hears and does not act has nothing to strengthen his faith. Adversity
(the raging river) will cause his faith to collapse and fail.
Then too, the one who hears and builds upon the rock is the one who will be guided by St. Peter, the Rock upon which Christ will build His "house," the Church.
While only those in the crowd whose hearts were opened to receive Jesus' teaching could understand, His parables were in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah (Is 6:9-10), the others had to be aware of three significant points:
Jesus will give His reason for teaching in parables in Luke 8:10 by referring to the quote from Isaiah 6:9-10.
Chapter 7: More Healings and the Disciples of John the Baptist
Luke 7:1-10 ~ The healing of the Centurion's servant/son
1 When he had
finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 A centurion there had a slave who was
ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of
the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. 4 They approached Jesus and strongly urged him
to come, saying, "He deserves to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation and he built the
synagogue for us." 6 And Jesus
went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the
centurion sent friends to tell him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am
not worthy to have you enter under my roof. 7 Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but
say the word and let my servant be healed. 8
For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to
me. And I say to one, Go,' and he goes; and to another, Come here,' and he
comes; and to my slave, Do this and he does it." 9 When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him, "I tell you, not even in Israel
have I found such faith." 10 When
the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
A centurion is a Roman officer who was the commander of a hundred men. Roman soldiers were stationed throughout Judea, Samaria and the Galilee to maintain order. This centurion was probably in the service of Herod Antipas, the ruler of the Galilee and Perea. He was a "God fearer" "a Gentile who recognized the One True God of Israel and worshipped Him but had not gone so far as to submit to circumcision and full conversion to the covenant (see the same title in Acts 10:2, 22). Such a person could not be admitted beyond the Court of the Gentiles in the Temple, but he could attend Sabbath services in a local Synagogue. This Gentile Roman officer had even financed the building of the Synagogue in Capernaum (verse 5).
Luke 7:2 A centurion there had a slave [doulos can refer to a slave/servant or minor child] who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him [entimos can mean "valuable/precious" or "dear" in affection].
Question: What words of the Roman centurion are
spoken in the sacrifice of the Mass?
Answer: The congregation repeats the centurions
words ""Lord .... I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof" " then
adding "but only say the word and my soul shall be healed," prior to the
Eucharistic procession.
Question: Why did the centurion discourage Jesus from
entering his house? See Jn 18:28 and Acts 10:28.
Answer: Israelites/Jews became ritually defiled by
entering the residence of a pagan Gentile.
Question: The faith of this Roman officer prefigures
the faith of what other Roman centurion that Luke describes as a "God fearer"
in the book of Acts? See Acts 10:1-49.
Answer: St. Peter will baptize the Roman centurion
Cornelius, his entire family and his close friends who formed a community of Gentile
believes at Caesarea into the Church of Jesus Christ.
Luke 7:11-17~ Raising to life the widow's son
11 Soon afterward he
journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd
accompanied him. 12 As he drew
near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the
only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was
with her. 13 When the Lord saw
her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep." 14 He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at
this the bearers halted, and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and
Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear
seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, "A great prophet has arisen
in our midst," and "God has visited his people." 17 This report about him spread through the
whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.
In Jesus' travels throughout the territory of the Galilee, he came to the walled city of Nain (that the town had a gate suggests that it was a walled city).
Question: Consult a map of New Testament times in the
back of a Bible or a map on our website "Maps" section. Where is the city of
Nain located?
Answer: Nain is located in southern Galilee almost on
the border with Samaria.
The site of the ancient city has been identified as the Muslim town of Nein in the Plain of Jezreel about 6 miles southeast from Nazareth. The town and the church built over the site of the widow's house are mentioned in the writings and journals of 4th and 5th century Christian clergy and pilgrims to the Holy Land. The house of the widow probably became an early Christian church-home before the large church was built (The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Doubleday, 1992, vol. 4, "Nain," pages 1000-1001; The Illustrated Dictionary and Concordance of the Bible, The Jerusalem Publishing House, Ltd., 1986, "Nain").
John the Baptist came in the spirit of the prophet Elijah who also called Israel to repentance. But John was succeeded by Jesus, an even greater prophet. In the same way Elijah was succeeded by a greater prophet, his disciple Elisha.
Question: Jesus' miracle in restoring to life the only
son of the widow recalls what miracle of the 8th century BC prophets
Elijah and Elisha? 1 Kng 17:17-24 and 2 Kng 4:31-17.
Answer: The miracle recalls Elijah raising to life
the only son of the widow of Zarephath and Elisha restoring to life the only
son of the Shunammite woman.
Question: How many times during His three year
ministry did Jesus raise the dead? See Mt 5:22-24, 35-44; Lk 7:11-17; Jn 11:11-44.
Answer: Jesus raised the dead three times:
Each of Jesus's resurrection miracles prefigures the promise of our bodily resurrection from death when Jesus returns in the Second Coming. As St. Paul wrote, "We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that in the same way God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. We can tell you this from the Lord's own teaching, that we who are still alive for the Lord's coming will not have any advantage over those who have fallen asleep. At the signal given by the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, the Lord himself will come down from heaven; those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and only after that shall we who remain alive be taken up in the clouds, together with them to meet the Lord in the air. This is the way we shall be with the Lord forever. With such thoughts as these, then, you should encourage one another" (1 Thes 4:14-18 NJB).
Luke 7:18-23 ~ The disciples of John the Baptist
18 The disciples of
John told him about all these things. John summoned two of his disciples 19 and sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you
the one who is to come, or should we look for another?" 20 When the men came to him, they said, "John
the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, Are you the one who is to come, or
should we look for another?' 21 At
that time he cured many of their diseases, sufferings, and evil spirits; he
also granted sight to many who were blind. 22
And he said to them in reply, "Go and tell John what you have seen and
heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the
deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news proclaimed to
them. 23 And blessed is the one
who takes no offense at me."
The next three teachings (verses 18-23, 24-30 and 31-35) explain the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist. In his lonely prison cell, John may have begun to doubt himself (Lk 3:19-20). He was having not a crisis of faith but a crisis of expectation. He believed he had recognized the sign of the dove descending upon Jesus at His baptism "the sign by which God told him he would recognize the Messiah (Jn 1:32-33). But Jesus was not preaching fiery judgment as prophesied by the prophet Malachi (3:2-5) and as expected by John who told the Jewish crowd that the coming of the Messiah was to be the fulfillment of that passage (Mt 3:11-12; Lk 3:9). Jesus reminds John's disciples that Malachi isn't the only prophet who tells of the mission of the Messiah. Jesus is fulfilling the prophecies of Isaiah: raising the dead (Is 26:19); giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, healing the lame and dumb (Is 35:5-6 and 42:6-7) and glad tidings to the poor and broken hearted (Is 61:1-2). Jesus will come in fiery judgment, but in His Second Advent (1 Thes 4:16 and 2 Thes 1:7-10)! The coming for which we must prepare.
Luke 7:23 And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.
Question: To whom does Jesus direct this blessing?
Answer: To those who do not let their preconceived
ideas prevent them from hearing and accepting Jesus' message. Those who do not
take offense at Jesus for what they think He should be, but who recognize
Jesus' true identity and accept His miracles as signs of His authority and
believe in in His mission to announce the Kingdom.
Luke 7:24-30 ~ Jesus' Testimony of John
24 When the
messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John. "What did you go out to the desert to see "a
reed swayed by the wind? 25 Then
what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress
luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces. 26 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet?
Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27
This is the one about whom scripture says: Behold, I am sending my messenger
ahead of you, he will prepare your way before you.' 28 I tell you, among those born of women, no one
is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
29 All the people who listened,
including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John,
acknowledged the righteousness of God; 30 but
the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the
plan of God for themselves.
Jesus asks the crowds a series of six rhetorical questions:
Jesus' reference to "someone dressed in fine clothing" living "in royal palaces" may be an allusion to Herod Antipas, the ruler of the Galilee and Perea who had arrested and imprisoned John the Baptist. John wore course camel's hair for his garment and he was firm in his message of repentance; he was not a "reed swayed by the wind" of secular society.
Question: How does Jesus identify St. John in verses
26-27? See Mal 3:1-3
Answer: He identifies St. John as a prophet of God
and a successor of the prophet Malachi.
Malachi was the last Old Covenant prophets before the coming of St. John. He lived in the post-exile period (5th century BC). Jesus quotes the prophecy of God's "messenger" from Malachi 3:1 in verse 27. The passage in Malachi 3:1 repeats the promise of the precursor of Yahweh that was already promised in the "prophetic voice" prophecy of Isaiah (Is 40:3-5 quoted in Lk 3:4-6) and who Malachi will identify with the 9th century BC prophet Elijah in Malachi 3:23.
Luke 7:28 Jesus said: "I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
Question: What is Jesus saying in these two
statements concerning St. John the Baptist?
Answer: John is the greatest of the Old Testament/Old
Covenant prophets because he was chosen by God to prepare the way for the
Messiah and to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom. However, since the coming
of the Kingdom has not yet been fulfilled, he is still in the epoch of those not
yet glorified by the Passion and Resurrection of the Christ. The saints whose
mission it will be to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to all mankind will have
a greater mission than St. John.
There is no personal slight to St. John in Jesus' statement. Jesus' statement concerns epochs of man rather than persons "John is part of the Old Covenant and will not live to see the inauguration of the New Covenant. However, St. John will also receive the Infinite Merit of the grace of salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and will also be admitted into the gates of heaven with all the other righteous souls in Sheol who will be liberated by the Messiah's perfect sacrifice on the altar of the Cross (CCC 633-34).
Luke 7:29 All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God; 30 but the Pharisees and scholars of the law, who were not baptized by him, rejected the plan of God for themselves.
Verse 30 identifies the blessed who did not take offense see (7:23). The Pharisees and scribes are in the opposite camp and stand in opposition to God divine plan.
Luke 7:31-35 ~ Jesus rebukes His generation
31 "Then to what
shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children who sit in the marketplace
and call to one another, We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.' 33
For John the Baptist came neither eating nor drinking wine, and you
said, He is possessed by a demon.' 34 The
Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, Look, he is a glutton and a
drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' 35 But wisdom is vindicated by all her
children."
Question: To what does Jesus compare "this
generation" in this proverb?
Answer: He compares His generation to two groups of
children playing make-believe games. One group complains that the other group
refuses to play either the "wedding game" ("we played the flute" as in joyful
music for a bridal procession) or the "funeral game" ("we sang a dirge but you
did not mourn" as in a funeral procession).
Question: How is John identified in the parable; how
is Jesus identified? What is Jesus' teaching in this proverb? See Lk 3:3-9;
Mt 3:4; Mk 1:6; Lk 5:21; 6:2.
Answer: John ascetic lifestyle, living frugally and
fasting in the desert, identifies him as the "funeral" game, while Jesus came
eating and drinking and identifying Himself as the Bridegroom (Lk 5:34) like
the "wedding game." Those in opposition in "this generation" are not satisfied
with either John or Jesus, rejecting both John's aesthetic lifestyle and
rejecting Jesus' lifestyle, accusing Him of blasphemy and breaking the Law. It
is clear that nothing can please the generation of John and Jesus.
In this passage, Jesus uses the word "generation" in the negative to describe those who stand in opposition to both John the Baptist and Jesus and therefore in opposition to God's plan for man's salvation (also see Mt 23:33-36 and Lk 11:49-51).
Question: When was another generation of Israel
referred to in the same negative way for similar opposition to God's plan for
His covenant people? See Num 14:26;
Dt 32:5
Ps 95:8-11.
Answer: The Exodus generation.
Jesus concludes His proverb with the statement: "But wisdom is vindicated by all her children." God's wisdom in the Old Testament is personified like a mother who guides her child (see Wis 7:25-30; 8:3-4).
Question: Who are the "children of Wisdom" that Jesus
is referring to in this saying? What is the relationship between the "children
of Wisdom" and the present generation? See Wis 7:31-32.
Answer: John the Baptist and Jesus are the "children
of Wisdom" as are all the people who willingly received their messages of
repentance and salvation. The Wisdom of God sends out her messengers, prophets
like St. John and Jesus (the supreme prophet) who are rejected by those who
lack the wisdom of God (Wis 7:27). The works of Jesus are directed by divine
Wisdom, which He embodies "the works of which will also be carried on by the
"children" of His Kingdom. In refusing to accept the example of either John or
Jesus, the Jews of the present generation are turning away from both the wisdom
of the Messiah and His forerunner whose missions are vindicated in their works.
The present generation of the Jews who oppose Jesus are not children of the
Wisdom of God; instead they are like the contentious children Jesus spoke of in
7:31-32.
Luke 7:36-50 ~ The sinful woman and the parable of the
two debtors
36 A Pharisee
invited him to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined
at table. 37 Now there was a
sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the
Pharisee. 38 Bringing an alabaster
flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe
his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and
anointed them with the ointment. 39 When
the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man were
a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,
that she is a sinner." 40 Jesus
said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Tell me,
teacher," he said. 41 "Two people
were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the
other owed fifty. 42 Since they
were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love
him more?" 43 Simon said in reply,
"The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He said to him, "You
have judged rightly." 44 Then he
turned to the woman and said to Simon, "do you see this woman? When I entered
your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with
her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45
You did not give me a kiss, but she had not ceased kissing my feet since
the time I entered. 46 You did not
anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. 47 So I tell you, her many sins have been
forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is
forgiven, loves little." 48 He
said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49
The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives
sins?" 50 But he said to the
woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
This story is a powerful lesson that illustrates the relationship between forgiveness and love. A Pharisee has invited Jesus, the controversial local Rabbi, to a banquet at this house as the honored guest. All the guests are reclining at the meal. It was a Hellenistic custom that was observed for a formal dinner (also see Mt 26:7, 20; Mk 14:3; 18). It was also the custom to greet each guest with a kiss, to offer a basin for the guests to wash their feet, and, especially in the case of an honored guest, to anoint his head and/or feet with ointment. A woman who is filled with the desire to repent her sins takes this opportunity to approach Jesus and express her sorrow and repentance in an act of humility. Jesus read the negative and judgmental thoughts of His host when He allowed the sinful woman to touch Him "to be touched by someone who was impure imparted that person's state of "uncleanness" to the one touched. Jesus answered Simon's thoughts by telling him a parable.
Question: In telling the parable, what comparison is
Jesus making between the Pharisee Simon and the sinful woman?
Answer: Admittedly the woman is the greater sinner,
but she is also the most repentant and has shown Jesus the greater love, a
demonstration of her repentance. Her tears and attention to Jesus is a
demonstration of love and is the consequence of her forgiveness. On the other
hand, the self-righteous Simon didn't even show Jesus the common courtesies of
a host.
Question: What is the result of the woman's actions
as opposed to Simon's lack of action?
Answer: Jesus forgives the woman's sins. Her faith
in Jesus (verse 50) expressed by her loving action has saved her, but the
implication can be made that perhaps Simon's self-righteousness and lack of
faith will condemn him.
Luke 7:49 The
others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
This question is similar to the question of the scribes and
Pharisees in 5:21 when they asked "Who but God alone can forgive sins?" Luke
is building the tension and inviting his audience to respond in faith to answer
the question for themselves.
Luke 7:50 But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."
Question: What is the "peace" with which Jesus
blesses the woman?
Answer: The peace He gives her is the restoration of
peace and fellowship with God.
The sinful woman has manifested to God greater gratitude in her love than the self-righteous Pharisee. Her repentance for the sins of her life has made her more open to God's mercy than the Pharisee who withholds the customary courtesies a host owes toward his guest. The woman's tears, kisses and humble anointing of Jesus' feet reveals her openness to God in her faith that brings her salvation.
Questions for reflection or group discussion:
Question: What statement can you make concerning love
and God's forgiveness from Jesus' teaching in this episode and what impact does
this have on your journey of faith?
Answer: The relationship between forgiveness of sins
and human love for God is found in unselfishly giving oneself to God with faith
and humility in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, we humbly bow before Him, like the woman, and offer up our
sinful lives together with our love and faith. In response, He mercifully
grants us His forgiveness and restores our "peace" with Him.
Question: During His the years of His ministry, how many times was Jesus anointed by women? See Lk 7:36-38; Jn 12:1-3; Mt 26:6-7 and Mk 14:3. How is each anointing different? What might be the significance of three anointings? See 2 Sam 7:16; Ez 34:23-24; CCC 783
The servants of God who received a special anointing for service were prophets, priests and kings. Jesus the Messiah has come to fulfill all three divinely called offices: He is God's supreme prophet promised in Deuteronomy 18:19; He will become the High Priest of the New Covenant order (Heb 9:11-12), and He is the promised Davadic Messiah who has come to redeem His people and secure David's throne forever (2 Sam 7:16; Ez 34:23-24; CCC 783).
Question: Some commentators suggest that the first anointing in Lk 7:36-50 and third anointing (Mt 26:1-2, 6-13; Mk 14:1, 3-8) are the same event or that all three are the same. Why is this unlikely? Also see Mt 26:14-16 and the same event in Mk 14:10-11 compared with Lk 22:3-6.
Answer: There are 3 similarities in the accounts in Luke 7:36-50 and the dinner in Matthew 26:6-7 and Mark 14:3 (which record the same event): a woman who anoints Jesus at a dinner party, a host named Simon, and Jesus' defense of the woman. However, there are significant differences:
As for the two dinners at Bethany, the one in Matthew 26:6-7 and Mark 14:3 and the other recorded in John 12:1-11: The two dinners at Bethany are on different days. In John 12:1 the dinner is at the home of Jesus' friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus 6 days before the Passover sacrifice and prior to Jesus' triumphal ride into Jerusalem the next day. The second dinner in Bethany is 2 days before the Passover sacrifice, after Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.
Endnotes:
1. The Old Testament "parables" were also told as allegories, wise sayings, and proverbs by God's prophets to teach the people or warn them of impending judgment. God's prophets reverted to teaching in this way when the people and the religious and civil authority rejected the message of God's prophet. The word masal (or parabole in the Greek Septuagint) is explicitly used for these parabolic or allegorical stories in the book of Ezekiel: Ez 12:22-23 (a proverb about the land of Israel); 16:43-45 (the allegory of Jerusalem as an unfaithful bride); 17:3-10 (parable-allegory of the two eagles); 20:45-49 (fire and trees). In other parables the word masal is not used and the stories are called "prophetic lamentations (for example see Ez 19:1-9 and 10-14). Some other examples of Old Testament parables are found in the Parable of the Rich man and the Ewe-lamb when the prophet Nathan confronted King David and his sin concerning Bathsheba (2 Sam 12:1-4); the Two Brothers and the Avenger (2 Sam 14:1-11); the Escaped Captive (2 Kng 20:35-40); the Vineyard (Is 5:1-7); the Lion Whelps (Ez 19:2-9); the Vine (Ez 19:10-14), the Forest Fire (Ez 21:1-5); and the Boiling Pot (Ez 24:3-5).
2. Bible scholars do not agree on the number of parables Jesus' teaches in the Gospels. The difficulty arises from a disagreement as to how the classify Jesus' stories as all parables or as sayings or as allegories. For example, some scholars designate "the Good Shepherd" discourse in Jn 10:1-18 and the "Vine and the Branches" discourse in Jn 15:1-7 as parables while others classify them as allegories. Some scholars estimate the number of Jesus' parables as low as 35 while others list them as high as 72.
3. Important codices of the Alexandrian and Caesarean texts of Luke read "70" while other Alexandrian and Western New Testament codices read "72".
4. For the five part division of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount see the Gospel of Matthew study, lesson 5.
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2013 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
Catechism references for this lesson (*indicated Scripture is quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
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CCC 581* |
CCC 994* |
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CCC 1577* |
Lk 7:16 |
CCC 1503 |
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Lk 6:12 |
CCC 2600* |
CCC 547* |
|
|
Lk 6:19 |
CCC 695*, 1116*, 1504 |
Lk 7:19 |
CCC 453 |
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CCC 2444* |
Lk 7 :22 |
CCC 544* |
|
|
Lk 6:20 |
CCC 2564* |
Lk 7:26 |
CCC 523*, 719 |
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Lk 6:24 |
CCC 2547 |
CCC 2712* |
|
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Lk 6:28 |
CCC 1669* |
Lk 7:36 |
CCC 575*, 588* |
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Lk 6:31 |
CCC 1789*, 1970* |
CCC 2616* |
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Lk 6:36 |
CCC 1458*, 2842 |
Lk 7: 48 |
CCC 1441 |