Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, February 24, 2013 Read - Luke 13:1-35 In our reading for today Luke is mostly striking out on his own – most of Luke 13 is material unique to Luke. Only Luke tells us the stories about the Galileans slaughtered by Pilate and of the tragic death of those upon whom the tower of Siloam fell. Of course, we have no “outside” sources to verify either story though it is likely that both reflect actual events. The picture of Pilate portrayed here matches the picture that Josephus, a Jewish writer of about the same time as Luke and Matthew, paints of him. Josephus does not tell this story but there are plenty of others that describe Pilate and a cruel brute – he did slaughter many Jewish people, often on a whim. He was offensive toward those he ruled – so offensive that the Roman Emperor finally removed him from power. So a story of Galileans being slaughtered, mixing their blood with the blood of their sacrifices, fits what we know about Pilate from the writings of Josephus. This has caused readers of the gospels to wonder about the deference given to Pilate in the crucifixion story – especially the way Matthew and John tell the story. In both of those stories, in fact in all of the gospels, it appears that Pilate is attempting to save Jesus from crucifixion and even fearful of the power he perceives in Jesus. Pilate is pictured in a charitable light. That picture does not fit well, either with the picture painted here by Luke and especially that painted by Josephus. We’ll need to think about that again when we get to the ending of Luke’s story. If the first event, the slaughter of the Galileans, is a human action; the second event is what might genuinely be called an accident. We are not told why the tower fell but the implication is that it was accidental. Perhaps the point of both stories is that the victims did not deserve what happened to them. Yet in both stories Luke calls upon his readers to respond with repentance lest a similar thing happen to them. This is puzzling. Isn’t it only the responsibility of the offenders to repent? Luke is telling all of his readers that the only proper response to the “visitation of God” is to repent. In this way Luke is much like Paul who wrote to the Romans – “None is righteous, no not one – all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” – (Romans 3). Luke is seeking to create a people prepared. Only Luke tells us the parable about the gardener who seeks to rescue his fig tree from destruction. Perhaps the fig tree in this story has some vague connection with the fig tree that will figure later in Mark’s gospel – the fig tree Jesus curses (Mark 11:12-14 & 20-21). Luke simply drops that part out of Mark’s story when he is telling about the cleansing of the Temple by Jesus. If there is a connection here it is extremely vague. The point of the parable is again about being prepared – and here about the mercy of God who gives time for repentance. Only Luke tells the story of the bent woman who is healed by Jesus. This story sounds a lot like two other stories about healings on the Sabbath that Luke tells. The first one we have already encountered (Luke 6:6-11). Luke shares that story with Mark. The other story about a man with dropsy who is cured by Jesus on the Sabbath is unique to Luke and we will hear that story soon when we get to Luke 14 (Luke 14:1-6). All three of these stories fit a pattern. In each the person healed is healed on a Sabbath and the religious leaders object to what Jesus is doing – accusing Jesus of violating the Sabbath. In this story Luke is playing with the word “untie” to make his point. So, Luke adds to the story some words he found in the source he shares with Matthew (Matthew 12:11-12=Luke 14:5). From that source Luke draws words of Jesus which defend healing on the Sabbath. Jesus counters the accusations of his accusers by pointing out that it is lawful to rescue an animal from a pit on the Sabbath. Here Luke’s Jesus points out that it is lawful to “untie” and animal and give it a drink on the Sabbath. Luke will use the material from his source more closely when he tells the story of the man healed from dropsy. And here is where the connection between “untying” and animal and “untying” this bent woman comes into play. Just as it is lawful to “untie” and animal to give it a drink on the Sabbath, should it not be lawful to “untie” this woman who has been bound for eighteen years by Satan? The logic shames the adversaries of Jesus. Earlier when Luke was telling the parable of the sower which he shares with Mark (Mark 4:1ff=Luke 8:3ff) we noticed that Luke dropped out some of Mark’s parables. We noticed that Luke uses parables in a different way than Mark. Here Luke picks up one of those parables he dropped out of Mark at that time – the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30-33 = Luke 13:18-19). Luke has shortened Mark’s parable but the connection is clear. Luke adds another parable about how leaven mixed in meal will eventually leaven the whole. Luke found the parable of the leaven in the source he shares with Matthew (Luke 13:20-21 = Matthew 13:33). Putting the parable of the mustard seed together with the parable of the leaven reinforces the point. Though the Kingdom of God may appear to be small at its beginning it is destined to grow and eventually to encompass everything. Incidentally, Matthew also has attached the parable of the leaven to the parable of the mustard seed. Perhaps these two parables had already been attached in the source Matthew and Luke share apart from Mark. If so, this is another of those rare times when the same material is found in both Mark and “Q”. Luke now reminds his readers of the destiny of Jesus – he is on his way to Jerusalem. We are tempted to forget that Luke is writing a “travel narrative” and need to be reminded of it. Along the way Luke has been sharing ominous words, challenging words about the destiny of those who follow Jesus on the way. Following Jesus on his destiny toward the “exodus” that he is to accomplish in Jerusalem is not easy – nor will following Jesus in the time following his crucifixion and resurrection! In Luke’s story, someone from the crowd appears to be aware of the challenge and asks a question in such a way that it implies an affirmative answer – “Lord, will those who are saved by few?” (Luke 13:23). Luke finds answers to that question in the source he shares with Matthew. Luke builds an answer by joining sayings of Jesus that revolve around the word, “door.” The first saying is a call from Jesus to enter by the narrow “door” a “door” that Jesus says many will seek to enter but not be able. Luke shares this saying with Matthew who, in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 7:13-14), has a longer and more developed saying about striving to enter by the narrow “gate” because there is an easy “gate” that leads to destruction. Matthew uses a different word but the concept is the same. The answer to the question in indeed “Yes” as the questioner implied. To the saying about entering by the narrow “door” Luke adds another saying of Jesus about a householder who has shut the “door” of his house and will not open it again for those who come knocking. Matthew has a similar story which he shares in a completely different context – Matthew’s version is placed near the end of the story in that section of Matthew’s gospel regarding the coming of the end (Matthew 25:10-12). However, Matthew has also placed a part of this second saying back in the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 7:22-23). The point in both Matthew and Luke is that the time will come when it is too late to enter. Next Luke adds a saying of Jesus that people will come from east and west and sit at God’s table in the Kingdom of God while those who were invited but failed to respond are left on the “outside” weeping and gnashing their teeth. Matthew knows this story too – both Matthew and Luke found it in the source they share. Matthew’s context is the middle of the story he shares with Mark about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum (Matthew 8:11-12). Finally, Luke sums up the discussion with some words he likely found in Mark – “the last will be first and the first will be last” (Luke 13:30 = Mark 10:31). Luke’s words are ominous and even frightening. Following Jesus is serious business! It was not easy in the days when Jesus lived out his destiny – it was not easy in the time when Luke wrote his gospel – and it is not easy now! We struggle to be a faithful follower – finally we find ourselves falling back into God’s arms of grace. This is not “cheap grace” – the goodwill of God and humanity – but the costly grace of crucifixion. Luke has told us as much – the call is to take up our cross and follow. Luke is very aware of the ominous tone he has set and the next two stories seem to reflect that awareness. The first story is one that only Luke tells us. Once again it is “friendly Pharisees” who speak. We have noticed that before – not all Pharisees are the enemy in Luke’s gospel. Luke and Mark differ markedly at this point. Luke has been telling a story of the “visitation of God” to his people – and some are faithful, waiting and welcoming and among them are religious leaders of Israel. Others will not welcome the “visitation of God”. It is important that we hear Luke at this point – Israel did receive the Messiah! The faith we share is deeply connected to the OT and to people faithful to the OT. The Christian faith is not a “new religion” but the faithful living of the old. We are in great danger when we simply abandon the people of Israel in favor of some new people of God – we belong together and Luke, better than most, cements that connection. Friendly Pharisees come to warn Jesus regarding Herod. Earlier Luke has told us that Herod knows he has beheaded John and that Herod is seeking to see Jesus (Luke 9:9). At that point Herod’s desire to see Jesus is ambiguous –we don’t know if his desire is positive or negative. Here the desire of Herod becomes very clear – his desire is to kill Jesus just as he had killed John the Baptist. We can be sure this is not the last we will hear from Herod. The occasion gives Luke one more chance to remind his readers of the destiny of Jesus. Yes, Herod will be a threat but Herod does not control the destiny of Jesus – God does. And the destiny is Jerusalem. And the outcome will mean death for Jesus – that is what Jerusalem in known for – killing the prophets. Many readers of Luke’s gospel have wondered if there is significance in the statement “today and tomorrow and the third day” when Jesus will finish his course. On the third day Jesus will rise from the dead – finishing his course. We have met a similar allusion earlier when Luke tells us of Jesus in the Temple as a twelve year old boy and his mother and father find him “on the third day” about the business of his Father (Luke 2:41-51). Of course there is no way to be sure that Luke has these thoughts in his mind – but they are instructive for us even if we are the ones who have made the connections for Luke. The point of this episode for Luke is to provide assurance that Jesus will accomplish his destiny in Jerusalem. We can place our trust in that! And now some of the most passionate words in Luke’s gospel are shared with Luke’s readers. Jesus laments over Jerusalem – the destiny of his journey. These are words that Luke shares only with Matthew – they are from “Q”. Matthew likely has them in the right place chronologically. In Matthew, Jesus laments using these words as he comes over the top of the mountain leading to Jerusalem from Jericho and sees Jerusalem for the first and only time in the synoptic tradition – Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known together as the “synoptic” gospels because the “see things together” while John’s storyline is significantly different with Jesus visiting Jerusalem on a number of occasions. If it is true that Matthew has the chronology right then Luke has pulled these words of Jesus forward in his story. In Luke, Jesus is still far from Jerusalem as he laments the rejection he knows will come when he arrives. Regardless of whether Jesus said these words while far from Jerusalem and still on the way (Luke’s version) or just as Jesus was about the enter Jerusalem for the first and only time (Matthew’s version) the same passion comes through them. These are words of one who deeply laments the obstinacy of God’s people who will not let God save them! The picture is clear and easy for us to visualize which makes it all the more powerful. And behind the picture is a powerful image from the OT, especially from the Psalms. In the OT the “wings of God” are hovering over the Ark of the Covenant. Safety is to be found in the shelter of those wings. Psalm 91 says it as well as any other. As readers of Luke’s gospel we are grasped by the passion of these words. God is still seeking to gather his people under his wings. The lament of Jesus draws us to find ourselves under those wings of God. Luke, the evangelist, is preaching now. Luke is calling us to find our place beneath the wings of God. By faith that is where we are!