Lectionary Year C
August 12, 2001
Luke 12:32-40
Composition
Step III - Composition
A. Immediate Context
(JFC) Pre - The first 31 verses of Luke 12 include last week's Gospel reading, which told the parable of the rich farmer/fool. The other paragraphs there tell of Jesus' warning against the Pharisees' false teachings, against fearing all but God and against worrying what to say when challenged. Then, some further subsections record Jesus' conversations with the disciples, advising them against worrying since God takes care of them and all else and others, too.
Post - Following our text at hand, the remainder of Luke 12 has Jesus almost repeating the lessons he has been teaching in this week's pericope, re: faithful and responsible servants' callings. Verse 41 begins with a question from Peter, re: for whom Jesus intends these teachings afore gone. Thereafter, he claims to have come to earth to bring challenges more than only peace, that families will divide members against one another and then he criticizes the disciples for reading only surface signs of the times.
B. Organization of the Compositional Whole
(JFC) As previously stated, the Gospel of Luke might be divided into four parts: 1) John the Baptist's and Jesus' births and early lives, 1:1-3:38; 2) Jesus' ministry (in Galilee) of teaching, preaching, healing, working miracles and associating with people, mostly people in need, 4:14-9:50; 3) Jesus' journeying toward Jerusalem, still teaching, preaching, healing, etc., 9:51-19:27; and 4) Jesus in Jerusalem for his trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection, 19:28-24:53. In The Good News According to Luke, Eduard Schweizer singles out 3:1-9:50 and names it, "The Growth of the Community". Obviously, Luke writes more of Jesus' going toward and suffering in Jerusalem than other stages of his life and ministry. Some commentaries divide Jesus' passion, his death and his resurrection appearances, but I combine them together, as does Schweizer. And a few others divide out the preparations for Jesus' ministry, 3:1-4:14. As Joseph A. Fitzmyer contends, in The Anchor Bible Commentary, Luke intended to further the historical developments of Israel in the Old Testament. Such ages were full of challenges and preparations to face them. Frederick W. Danker, in Jesus and the New Age, According to St. Luke, A Commentary on the Third Gospel, acknowledges how 1:1-4 might lead us to conclude Luke writes for one or only a few in authority. Thereupon, Danker at once expands his opinion of Luke's purpose by stating that Luke apparently writes for "a broader circle of readers, who are to receive further instruction and resources for evaluating especially theological issues." Luke throughout his Gospel seems to want to inform the people of the faith how their God intends for them to live.
C. Issues of Authorship
(JFC) As in previous weeks' exegeses, we note that the Gospel of Luke is written, admittedly, not by eyewitnesses, but it depends on reports of those who were on the scenes when events happened (1:2). Plummer in ICC says it was written by a Gentile for Gentiles. This week's lection comes from Special Lukan source(s). Recently published commentaries tend to doubt the author of the Third Gospel is the companion of Paul (Philemon 24), and/or the physician (Colossians 4:14), though, many still do consider that he was the author of the Book of Acts, too. Most scholars date this Gospel's origin after the Romans destroyed Jerusalem (21:20-24) and after Mark's Gospel was written (c. 65-70). And, William Baird, The Interpreter's One Volume Commentary on the Bible, writes, "Since the situation of the Church reflected in the Gospel fits well the political situation of the reign of the emperor Domitian (81-96) a date from about 85 to 95 is most likely." What's more, Luke seems to be, "the work of a consummate literary artist. Jerome recognizes this fact quite clearly, referring to Luke as the most skilled writer among the Evangelists," as Fred Craddock says in "Luke, Introduction," Harper's Bible Commentary. Also, the Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels in the Jerusalem Bible states, "Luke is at once a most gifted writer and a man of marked sensibility (could they have said, "sensitivity"? I think I could.) . . . Luke, in Dante's phrase, is 'the faithful recorder of Christ's lovingkindness'. . . . Luke's (Greek) is mixed: when writing independently it is excellent but out of respect for his sources he incorporates their imperfections - after polishing them a little. . ."
| Return to gospel text listings | Return to Epistle text listings |
| Return to Old Testament listings | Return to Psalms listings |
| User response form |