Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Wednesday, February 13, 2013 Read – Luke 9:51-62 As we return to Luke’s gospel we discover that Luke is now striking out mostly on his own. Mark is set aside to be picked up later. And, although we will discover that Luke will tell some episodes that he shares with Matthew, he is basically into new territory. Many readers of Luke have come to the conclusion that, just as Jesus’ question to his disciples about who they think Jesus is and Peter’s answer that Jesus is the Messiah are the hinge upon which Mark’s gospel turns, Luke’s statement that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51) is the hinge upon which Luke’s gospel turns. The passage is reminiscent of Isaiah 50:7 where Isaiah is said to “set his face like flint” knowing that he will be vindicated by God in his mission. Even more striking is the connection to the call of God to Ezekiel, “set your face toward Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries; prophesy against the land of Israel” (Ezekiel 21:1-2). Luke has informed his readers through the words of Simeon that Jesus will cause the rising and falling of many in Israel (Luke 2:34). The destiny of Jesus at Jerusalem will bring this to fulfillment. Beginning at this point Luke is embarking on a long “travel narrative” of a journey that Jesus is making to Jerusalem. While it might seem here at the beginning that Jesus is anxious to arrive, the journey will be slow and steady. Mark had also told the story of Jesus as a journey from Ceasarea Philippi to Jerusalem. Luke expands that concept. As have noted Luke takes three times as many chapters to describe the same journey. The journey does not appear to begin well. From Galilee to Jerusalem one would need to pass through Samaria unless one took a journey east across the Jordan River. The problem is that the Samaritans do not welcome Jesus and his entourage because they are destined for Jerusalem. Only Luke tells us of this encounter of Jesus with the Samaritans and of the suggestion of James and John that Jesus call down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans. Perhaps this is where Mark got his title for these two brothers – the “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). No fire falls and Jesus proceeds on his way. Luke now dips into his “Q” source briefly to share a story of those who would be followers of Jesus by their own volition. Matthew had told the same story but he inserted it much earlier into Mark’s itinerary on the very first day of Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum (Matthew 8:18-22). Likely the story is related here by Luke because of its connection to the call of Elisha. We will read the Elisha story tomorrow and notice the similarities then. Like the story of the rejection of by the Samaritans, this story does not lead one to think that Jesus’ journey is off to a good start. The story is reminiscent of the rejection of Jesus by the people of his hometown of Nazareth. Luke does not tell us whether or not the inquirers actually follow through on their desire to follow Jesus – but he does lift up the great cost of doing so. Luke has marked the destiny of Jesus to be one of struggle. We will need to follow him along the way.