The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown (65 page)

Jesus then withdrew with his disciples (9:10). The final miracle in this section is the feeding of the 5,000 (9:10–17), which is followed by several narrative units dealing with the nature of discipleship. Peter's confession of Jesus as the Messiah (9:18–27) marks a significant transition in Jesus' preaching and ministry. Until this point Jesus had sought to reveal himself to his disciples; here his attention turned to preparing his disciples in light of his impending death in Jerusalem.

In the wake of Peter's confession, Jesus explained to his disciples that they must deny themselves and “take up [their] cross daily” as they followed Jesus. In fact, some would see the kingdom of God, which likely anticipated the transfiguration of Jesus narrated in the following pericope (9:28–36). Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus about his upcoming “departure” (9:31 NIV; Gk.
exodos
). This indicates that Jesus' death would provide deliverance for God's people similar to the exodus for Israel.

As Jesus went down the Mount of Transfiguration, he encountered two instances of inadequate discipleship. First, he exorcised a demon from a boy whom his disciples could not help. Jesus castigated them for being part of an “unbelieving and rebellious generation”
(9:41). Second, Jesus confronted a spirit of self-aggrandizement in the disciples as they argued about who was the greatest (9:46–48). Jesus rebuked them for their ungodly attitude. He also told them not to prevent others from casting out demons in his name (9:49–50).

SIDEBAR 6.1: THE LUKAN “TRAVEL NARRATIVE”

One of the most striking features of Luke's Gospel is the extraordinarily long “Journey to Jerusalem” section. It takes up nearly 38 percent of the Gospel.
¹
Much of the material in this section is unique to Luke. The section is dominated by Jesus' discourses and fewer miracles. This is predicated on the fact that Luke had established who Jesus is in his narration of the Galilean ministry, and then he moved on to what it means to follow Jesus as he journeyed inexorably to Jerusalem where crucifixion awaited him.

The journey to Jerusalem covers 9:51 to 19:27 and is followed by Luke's Passion Narrative, which includes Jesus' final ministry in Jerusalem (19:28-22:38) and an account of his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension (22:39–24:53). The strategic significance of 9:51 is impossible to exaggerate. After a little more than a third of his Gospel, Luke wrote, “When the days were coming to a close for Him to be taken up, He determined to journey to Jerusalem.”

It is striking for Luke to speak of Jesus' ascension that early in the narrative, leapfrogging, as it were, over the ensuing events including Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. With its reference to Jesus' ascension, 9:51 introduces the entire remainder of the Gospel and provides a literary inclusion with the ending of Luke's narrative in 24:50–53, which in turn corresponds to the narration of Jesus' ascension in Acts 1:9-l 1.

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¹
Of course, the number varies whether one counts words, verses, or lines. The present calculation is based on the number of words.

III. Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem and His Passion (9:51–24:51)

A. The Journey to Jerusalem (9:51–19:27)

The first portion of the Lukan travel narrative discusses the nature of discipleship. The key thematic thread running through 10:42 is that following Jesus often requires a separation from the familiar and comfortable and a commitment to proclaim the kingdom of God. The journey began when Jesus and his disciples went through a Samaritan village that did not receive Jesus. Jesus rebuked his followers who wanted him to destroy the village supernaturally (9:52–56).

Following Jesus requires would-be disciples to be willing to leave behind their familiar surroundings, occupation, and loved ones (9:57–62). This is followed by the mission of the 70 whom Jesus sent out after giving them specific instructions (10:1–20). Jesus' private instruction to his disciples is followed by a question from a scribe, which Jesus answered in the parable of the Good Samaritan (10:25–37). After this Jesus visited Mary and Martha and commended Mary for making the right choice by sitting at his feet (10:38–42).

Jesus then taught in Judea while still on his journey to Jerusalem (11:1–13:21). As he made clear, following him entails a call to prayer. The unit begins with the Lukan version of the Model Prayer (11:1–4) and continues with an encouragement to be faithful in prayer (11:5–13). At 11:14, the narrative takes a dramatic turn toward the controversies that followed in Jesus' wake. The distinctive thread through 11:54 is the call for a proper response to Jesus. He answered the question regarding the source of his power in the Beelzebul controversy: it is from God (11:14–26).

After commending those who “hear the word of God and keep it” (11:27–28), Jesus berated his generation for seeking signs, pointing them to “the sign of Jonah” (11:29–36). Rather than demanding additional signs, people should recognize that with the Son of Man, “something greater than Jonah is here” (11:32). Jesus also pronounced woes against the Pharisees and experts in the law (11:37–54), castigating the Jewish leaders for rank hypocrisy and for leading people to destruction. The result was that the Pharisees started seeking to trap Jesus in his own words (11:54).

The events Luke selected in the next portion of the journey highlight the necessity of responding to Jesus in faith. In particular, Jesus identified three obstacles to the reception of his message: hypocrisy, greed, and sluggishness. First, he warned against the “leaven” of the Pharisees, that is, hypocrisy (12:1–12). Second, he took the opportunity provided by a request from the crowd to settle a family dispute to speak out against greed (12:13–34), urging his followers to be about the business of the kingdom: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (12:34). Finally, he enjoined watchfulness because he
will return at an unexpected time (12:49–59). This is particularly relevant because he will come to “bring fire on the earth”—judgment is coming (12:49). Consequently, 13:1–9 focuses on the urgent necessity of repentance in light of God's patience.

The next phase of the journey sustains a long thread of teaching concerning the question of who is allowed to enter God's kingdom.
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Another Sabbath controversy ensued in a stern warning against the hypocrisy of the religious leaders (13:10–17). The section focuses on the marked reversal of expectations brought by Jesus' ministry. Contrary to popular expectations, only a few will be saved. What is more, the few who are saved are not the religious leaders but those who “enter through the narrow door” (13:24–30). Ironically, Jerusalem herself is the owner of a desolate house (13:35).

While attending a banquet, Jesus shared his wisdom with the guests. The Pharisees are a foil for Jesus' teaching on the proper attitude of those who inherit the kingdom. He began by noting the pride of jockeying for exalted positions at the banquet and counseled that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (14:11). He proceeded to instruct his listeners to invite those who cannot repay so that their reward will come at the resurrection.

Jesus' teaching regarding ministering to the outcast resulted in controversy: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!” (15:2). The answer is given by way of the famous trio of parables on “lost things”—a sheep, a coin, and a son—highlighting people's joy over finding that which was lost. This series of parables constitutes a defense of Jesus' practices of fraternizing with “sinners” and a response to the sustained criticism of the Pharisees embodied in the older son in the final parable.

Chapter 16 returns to the matter of wealth (the subject of the second warning at 12:13–34). The surprising hero of Jesus' parable is the shrewd manager who conveys the lesson that one's wealth should be used in ways that count for eternity (16:9). The Pharisees are again the foil as they scoff at Jesus because they were “lovers of money” (16:14). The parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man points to the folly and idolatry of serving money.

The disciples were then warned not to cause others to sin or to harbor an attitude of bitterness or self-aggrandizement (17:1–10). The final portion of the journey to Jerusalem focused on several aspects of the kingdom. At 17:11–19, 10 lepers are healed, but only one Samaritan among them is grateful. Jesus noted that his faith saved him. When the Pharisees asked Jesus about the coming of God's kingdom, he declared that the kingdom is both a present and a future reality to which many are oblivious, just as were the contemporaries of Noah and Lot.

Next, Jesus enjoined his hearers to faithful prayer through the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow (18:1–8). The parable is still related to the coming of the Son of Man, for Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find that faith on earth?” (18:8). The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (18:9–14) prohibits self-righteous
prayer, “because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (18:14). Little children are the preeminent example of those who come to the kingdom (18:15–17).

Luke proceeded to cite the negative example of the rich young ruler, who turned away sad because he could not part with his wealth (18:18–23). Jesus then made the point that there is “no one who has left a house, wife or brothers, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come” (18:29–30).

The concluding portion of the journey shows Jesus bringing salvation to Jerusalem. Luke 18:31–34 contains yet another announcement of why Jesus was going to Jerusalem: to be beaten, killed, and raised the third day, in fulfillment of the message of the prophets and thus in keeping with the plan of God. This announcement set the stage for the final segment of the journey. Jesus first healed a blind beggar (18:35–34, Mark's Bartimaeus) as the first aspect of salvation emphasized by Luke, a humble cry for mercy.

The second aspect is highlighted by Zacchaeus (19:1–10): repentance evidenced by works, in his case restoration of defrauded gain and giving the rest to the poor.
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The parable of the pounds addressed the expectation by some that the kingdom would come immediately (19:11–27). The parable demonstrates not only that there will be a delay but also stresses the need for faithfulness in the interim.

B. Final Ministry in Jerusalem (19:28–22:38)

The triumphal entry (19:28–44) marks the end of the journey section and the beginning of the end for Jesus in accomplishing salvation. Jesus first mounted a donkey and rode into Jerusalem in fulfillment of prophecy (Zech 9:9), entering the city not to assume kingship but to announce it (19:38, citing Ps 118:26). The Pharisees objected to this display of royalty, and Jesus promptly rebuked them (19:39–40). Finally, Jesus lamented the impending fate of Jerusalem (19:41–48).
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Fully cognizant of what would soon happen to him, Jesus grieved over the great devastation to come upon Jerusalem because of its part in the crucifixion and rejection of Jesus.

The following sections show the opposition of the Jewish leadership and the ultimate consequences of the nation's rejection of the Messiah (19:45–48; chap. 20). When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, he cleared the temple and made it the center of his teaching. His enemies could not take him into custody because the crowd was “captivated by what they heard” (19:48). This set the stage for the temple controversy (20:1–8), where Jesus reminded the Jewish leaders that John had witnessed to them about him.

This controversy, in turn, led to the parable of the Wicked Tenants (20:9–19). In this parable the tenants of a vineyard mistreat the farmer's servants and kill his heir, which rightly makes them the object of the farmer's wrath. The leaders immediately recognized
that the parable was addressed to them. Jesus then appealed to Ps 118:22–23, “The stone that the builders rejected—has become the cornerstone,” and ominously noted that this stone will crush those who oppose it. The following section chronicles several attempts to trap Jesus, all in vain (20:20–40). The unit ends with another denunciation of the pride and hypocrisy of the scribes (20:41–47).

With his demise imminent Jesus delivered the Olivet Discourse in which he outlined the scenario for the end-times (21:1–36). First, he announced the impending destruction of the temple. The disciples asked a twofold question: When will these things be, and what are the warning signs? Jesus' answers pertained to the temple's destruction and his return. There will be false messiahs, wars, and natural disasters, but first the disciples will be persecuted. Jesus encouraged them to endure (21:19).

When Jerusalem is surrounded by armies, the end will be near. Jerusalem will be trampled until the time of the Gentiles is completed—a reference to the intervening time between the destruction of Jerusalem and Jesus' return (21:20–24). Jesus' return will be preceded by terrifying supernatural environmental disasters that make the world faint from fear, and then the Son of Man will appear with power and great glory. Jesus' concluding call for watchfulness (21:34–36) is prefaced by the parable of the Fig Tree (21:29–33).

In chapter 22, Luke began to relate the events leading up to the crucifixion. His narration essentially has three parts: preparation, confrontation, and Crucifixion. First is the preparation for the event. This includes both the betrayal and the last Passover. Satan entered Judas to betray Jesus (22:1–6). Jesus also prepared the disciples for his Crucifixion and subsequent absence by transforming the Passover meal (22:7–38). He announced Judas's betrayal and squelched a debate about who would be the greatest. He also told the disciples to be prepared for his departure, referring to the ensuing persecution and Peter's denial.

C. Jesus' Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension (22:39–24:51)

The arrest and trials of Jesus mark the beginning of Jesus' demise. Jesus endured agony at Gethsemane (22:39–46), and then he was betrayed and arrested. Jesus did not allow his disciples to resist the arrest, and he considered it appropriate that the chief priests would seize him in the dark because darkness is their domain (22:53). Peter's denials are recorded as the trial phase begins (22:55–62).