Luke: Chapters 1 to 6

Click here for the end of Mark.

CHAPTER 1

OK, time for the third gospel.  The introductory notes helpfully point out that Luke wasn’t too familiar with the landscape of Judah.  This marks a shift from the previous two gospels – where there was an expectation of imminent salvation for all through the coming of the kingdom of God – to a concern of the Christian community in this world. 

Oh, and going back to ancient times, the general belief has been that whoever wrote this also wrote Acts of the Apostles.  I guess there are some clear stylistic similarities in the ancient Greek – or maybe there will be an indication in Acts that he also wrote this.

This one does have a different start.  The gospel writer himself includes a brief preference, where he notes that others have been writing testimonies of the life of Jesus, and though he never met Christ personally, he’s looked at all the evidence as much as he could and has sought to add his own version of it.  So it’s admittedly second-hand.  That isn’t bad, but based on what Luke himself says, this isn’t the first written of the gospels.  Just based on this opening segment, this gospel must be written after the destruction of Jerusalem – possibly decades after; maybe not until around the year 100 or so. (Because those earlier gospels were likely written after the city’s ruin, and they’ve had time to spread and become known.  That takes time in the pre-Gutenberg world). 

The entire first chapter is pre-birth stuff, and it’s very unlike anything in Matthew or Mark. (Well, it must be unlike Mark – where the story begins with an adult Christ).  Well, this is a little like Matthew because there is an angel’s visitation there, but Luke really one-ups him.  This opening chapter has two angelic visitations – to two different people.

First an angel gives the good news that an important child is to be born.  No, not Jesus.  That comes later.  First the angel Gabriel spreads the good news that John the Baptist will be born.  His dad is a big priest and gets the good news in the sanctuary of the Lord itself.  Not a bad place for it.  He is struck mute, but then – despite both he and his wife (Elizabeth) being of advanced age – his wife becomes pregnant.  It’s Abraham-Sarah all over again.

Now the angel visits Mary and gives her the good news – she’ll be the mother of the main event.  Oh, and the angel also says your relative Elizabeth is also with a special child.  Yes, Mary and Elizabeth are related, which means that John the Baptist and Jesus Christ are relatives.  That wasn’t the case in Matthew or Mark, but it explicitly said to be the case here.  I found it doubtful.  Luke begins his gospel acknowledging his second hand nature, the others were written earlier – if there really were blood ties, the others would’ve noted this.  Instead, it just sounds like tall tales increasing in height as the years go on.  “Not only was Jesus close to John the Baptist – they were cousins!”  Sure.

Mary visits her relative (the exact nature of their relation is never said) and gives a canticle of thanks.  Man, Mary is finally getting a decent role.  Matthew and Mark downplayed her some – especially Matthew – but Luke gives her a place of prominence. 

John is born, and it’s a little confusing with how pronouns are used, but I think John starts speaking the word of God upon birth.  Yeah, I don’t buy that.  We’re told that all over the hill country of Judah people marveled about John.  Like I said – tall tales getting taller over time.  Luke may have investigated these events, but it sounds like anything impressive that he heard he assumed was true and put it in.  Thus the most impressive folk tales made it in.

The chapter ends with a canticle from John’s dad, Zechariah. 

CHAPTER 2

Finally, Christ is born.  Like Matthew, Luke wants Jesus born in Bethlehem.  Luke doesn’t mention any prophecies needing to be fulfilled, but it’s clear that’s the case.  That said, Luke’s cover story for explaining how Christ – known to be from Nazareth – was born in Bethlehem.  Luke claims it is due to an imperial census from Augustus.  He orders a census, and wants everyone to go back to their original hometown to be registered properly.

Wait – what?  Huh?  That doesn’t make any sense.  First, we have decent records from the era from Roman officials –and there is zero evidence for this census outside of this gospel, so it’s unlikely.  Second – and much more strangely – who the hell orders everyone to return to their hometown for a census?  Why oh why would that be necessary?  Why would the government care?  What a massive logistical clusterfuck this would be!  Hell, if the Roman Empire really cared where people’s hometown was from – they would just ask people that as part of the survey.  You don’t actually have to move everyone around.  And the reason why Bethlehem is the hometown is weak – Joseph is a descendent of David, who was from there.  Yeah – but that was 1,000 years ago!  C’mon!

Anyhow, Joseph and very pregnant Mary go there.  The inns have no room, so Christ is born in a manger.  OK, that’s where we get that image from – from Luke.

As soon as Jesus is born, he has some visitors who give him gifts.  No, not the Magi.  That’s in Matthew.  Here, it is some shepherds. An angel told them a newborn king was born and they should honor him.  I don’t really know why these nameless shepherds would get the good news, but they do. 

After being born, Jesus is taken to the temple.  Naturally, several people immediately recognize the glory that he’ll become.  (Funny – people notice this at his birth, when there is no real indication of his personality – but no one else figures it out for 30 years.  Man, Luke is really laying it on a bit too thick here).  The parents (Luke inaccurately calls Joseph the father, overlooking the virgin birth of the first chapter), are amazed at this reaction.  That makes some sense – but they should have some idea of this.  I mean, an angel already visited Mary and all. 

Oh, and the chapter ends with another famous story – one not in Matthew or Mark.  At age 12, the clan Christ goes to the temple in Jerusalem (just like they dutifully do every year, we’re told) and Jesus stays behind.  The family looks for him for three days, only to find him in the Temple, asking questions and really impressing anyone with his wisdom.

It’s a nice story, but it would be more believable if Luke hadn’t laid it on so thick here in the early chapters.  The power of this story is lessened when you’ve gone too far with people stumbling over themselves to declare the baby Christ the Messiah upon sight. 

Two chapters – long ones (132 verses in all) and five verses – all on stuff that predates the first line in Mark.

CHAPTER 3

Now we get into the main action.  John the Baptist is a full adult, and of course he’s preaching.  Unlike Matthew and Mark, there is nothing about eating honey and locusts here.  There is one weird difference.  Whereas previous gospels had him call the Pharisees a “brood of vipers” here the Baptist says that to the crowd that comes out to be baptized by him.  Huh?  Why would he say that to his followers?  That makes no sense.  Well, I guess Baptist is trying to using guilt to make people come to him – but that doesn’t sound to effective yet.  The whole Christian guilt ethos hasn’t really developed yet. 

The Baptist gives out some moral calls.  If you have two tunics, give one to someone else.  Tax collectors – take less from the people.  Soldiers – don’t commit fraud.  Everyone – act well to your fellow man.  Then he tells everyone that someone mightier than him is coming, and “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  Hey – that’s just what Matthew said (but Mark left out the fire part).  Christ shows up and then John baptizes him.  Actually, in a weird ordering issue, Luke first tells us that John is arrested by the authorities, and then gives the story of him baptizing Christ.  Luke needed a better editor here.

Rather weirdly, Luke decides to plunk down Christ’s genealogy right here, going all the way back to Adam.  I’ve been told that from Abraham-onward (the part covered in Matthew), that there are differences here and Matthew, but it’s too boring for me to go back and check myself.

Oh, and Luke tells us that Christ was 30 years old when he began to minister.  So that’s where we get that. 

CHAPTER 4

Now that Jesus has been baptized, it’s time for Satan to tempt him.  Like Matthew, we get details in Luke.  It’s the same three temptations – but strangely enough, the order is different.  The second and third ones get flipped.  Here, Satan offers Christ power, and after that tells him to prove he’s God’s son by jumping off a tower.  That last temptation still sounds like a terrible one from Satan. 

Unlike the other gospels, Christ begins his teaching in his hometown. Again, he’s rejected.  It’s a great story, but Luke (being Luke) has to sell it too hard to lose some of its power.  Christ gives some teaching, and the people are amazed.  Then they wonder, “can this really be the carpenter’s kid?” and Christ gives his famous line about a prophet not having honor in his hometown. 

It would be fine if Luke just ended it there; it’s where the other gospels end the story. But no, Christ needs to keep going in Luke.  He blasts them, noting how Elisha and Elijah had better luck preaching to people outside the Children of Israel.  The crowd becomes irate and forces him out of town physically.  The other gospels just have them reject him.  Luke has them throw him out. 

This is part of a theme in Luke.  This is the most anti-Semitic of the gospels, written by someone from outside.  So he lays on hard the Jewish rejection of Christ right here, and not for the last time in this gospel.

In fact, immediately after that, Luke’s Christ cures the servant of a Roman centurion.  It’s the same story as in Matthew, but it’s interesting placement, especially given how Christ praises the Roman’s faith.  And doubly so given what Christ said about Elisha and Elijah in his rant against his hometown crowd. 

One other thing – in the background of Luke, there are constantly people talking.  The great unwashed masses keep talking and murmuring to each other in Luke.  For example, when Christ cures the centurion’s servant, Luke writes: “They were all amazed and said to one another, `What is there about his word?’”  This happens more in Luke than previous gospels, it seems to me.

Next Christ cure’s Simon’s mother-in-law, which is odd because Christ hasn’t met Simon/Peter yet.  Again – editor needed.  He cures other people, and one demon comes out of a person screaming, “You are the Son of God.”  Man, this Son of God talk is a lot more open here.  You get two angel visits before his birth.  You get a few people that recognize him as the Messiah on sight.  Now a demon even recognizes him.  Plus Satan and his temptations.  Luke is really laying it on thick; too thick.

CHAPTER 5

OK, so now Christ forms his posse, getting the fishermen first.  Never mind that he cured Simon’s mother-in-law last time  - here is where they meet.  In fact, Christ does a miracle just to get him on board.  In Matthew and Luke he just told them to come with him to become fishers of men.  Here, Jesus performs a miracle to get them on board.  Simon and the others are having a rough go of it, then Christ tells them to cast down their nets where they are.  They do and they get so many fish, that their weight threatens to sink their boat.  I got to admit, that makes their willingness to follow Christ sound more believable.  A guy walks up to them and tells them to come, and they abandon their lives and families – the story in Matthew and Mark – sounds extremely underwritten.  I guess they don’t like fishing.

The rest is stories we’ve already seen without much new.  He heals a leper, a paralytic, gets support from a tax collector named Levi, and has his first run-ins with the Pharisees. 

CHAPTER 6

Christ and the Pharisees continue to go at it here.  We’ve seen almost all of this before, but there is one interesting difference.  Someone with a withered hand comes up to Christ on the Sabbath to be healed.  We’ve seen this before – Christ heals them, and then the Pharisees denounce him for healing on the Sabbath, and Christ defends himself.  That was Matthew and Mark. 

This time Christ preempts them Pharisees.  The debate comes first – and with Jesus initiating it.  He gets the drop on them in the debate – it’s really more an explanation than a debate, with Christ explaining why it’s right to heel on a Sabbath – and then he heels.  The Pharisees, totally preempted, can just grumble to themselves. 

The rest of the chapter is Christ’s greatest hits.  It’s a greatly abbreviated version of the Sermon on the Mount, except that Luke says it’s on a plain instead of a mountain.  And Luke adds in great moral statements that are scattered throughout Matthew. 

It’s still a great speech, but Matthew’s version is still the great version.  That was three full chapters full of great statements.   This is most of one chapter.  

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