The Gospel of Luke
Page 51
2. Pitre, Last Supper, 396–98. See Josephus, Jewish War 6.423–24; m. Pesahim 5:5–7.
3. The title “teacher” is typically used in Luke by those who are not close disciples (7:40; 8:49; 9:38; 10:25; 11:45; 12:13; 18:18; 19:39; 20:21, 28, 39).
4. m. Pesahim 10:1.
5. William S. Kurz, “Luke 22:14–38 and Greco-Roman and Biblical Farewell Addresses,” JBL 104 (1985): 257–58, 262. Paul’s farewell address in Acts 20:17–38 has many of the same elements (e.g., final instructions, warnings).
6. m. Pesahim 10:5.
7. Matthew, Mark, and Luke present the Last Supper as a Passover meal, but John seems to present Jesus’ death as occurring at the time the Passover lambs are being slain—hence, before the meal. For a discussion of the various proposals for explaining this difference, see Pitre, Last Supper, 251–373.
8. The Greek verb eucharisteō appears in both Luke 22:17 and v. 19. The NABRE translates “gave thanks” in v. 17 but said the blessing in v. 19 (see Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22, which use a different verb). Paul also uses eucharisteō: “after he had given thanks” (1 Cor 11:24). From this usage comes the name of the new rite that Jesus institutes: the Eucharist (Catechism 1328).
9. These words and the rest of Luke 22:19, as well as v. 20, are missing in one fifth-century Greek manuscript and some Latin manuscripts; some thus consider them a later addition based on 1 Cor 11:24–25. However, since all other Greek manuscripts, including those from the third and fourth centuries, include them, most scholars consider them to be original.
10. For the ideas in this paragraph, see Pitre, Last Supper, 405–11.
11. m. Pesahim 10:1, 7. See Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel according to Luke, 2 vols., AB (New York: Doubleday, 1981–85), 2:1390; Pitre, Last Supper, 483–84n124.
12. Using the same verb, Jesus had earlier spoken of “new wine” that “will be spilled” (Luke 5:37).
13. Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week; From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, trans. Philip J. Whitmore (San Francisco: Ignatius, 2011), 130.
14. m. Pesahim 5:6. See Pitre, Last Supper, 413–14.
15. Some interpret Jesus’ words to mean that he abstains from the Passover meal, but the context suggests otherwise (Luke 22:8, 11, 15).
16. The blessing for wine—said at Passover (m. Pesahim 10:2)—uses the expression the fruit of the vine (m. Berakhot 6:1).
17. John Paul Heil, The Meal Scenes in Luke-Acts: An Audience-Oriented Approach (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 1999), 226.
18. Pitre, Last Supper, 94–95.
19. Hebrews quotes this verse (Heb 8:8, 13) and also discusses other elements found in Luke’s institution narrative (Luke 22:19–20): Jesus’ body given in sacrifice (Heb 10:10), ritual memorial (anamnēsis, Heb 10:3), “new covenant” (Heb 9:15; 12:24), references to Exod 24:8 (Heb 9:20), and blood poured out (Heb 9:22; see Heb 12:24).
20. Pitre, Last Supper, 126–36.
21. Luke does not narrate Judas’s departure from the supper (see John 13:30). It is nevertheless implied, since Judas next appears leading those who will arrest Jesus (Luke 22:47).
22. Jesus refers to his trials, as does Paul in his farewell address (Acts 20:19).
23. Hence, the necessity of replacing Judas with Matthias before the day of Pentecost so as to have twelve apostles (Acts 1:20–26).
24. For the ideas in this paragraph, see Scott W. Hahn, Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God’s Saving Promises (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), 227–29.
25. The Greek word for “overseer” is episkopos, from which the English word “bishop” derives.
26. At the Last Supper, Jesus deals with Judas Iscariot first and Simon last, but in the list of apostles (Luke 6:14–16), Simon ends up first but Judas last (see 13:30).
27. Jesus prays before choosing Peter and the rest of the Twelve (Luke 6:12–16), before Peter’s confession (9:18–20), and now before Peter’s temptation. See Catechism 2600.
28. See, e.g., the “Ravenna Document” of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, October 13, 2007; and the document “Gift of Authority” of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), September 3, 1998.
29. Markus Bockmuehl, Simon Peter in Scripture and Memory: The New Testament Apostle in the Early Church (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), 183 (emphasis in the original).
30. m. Menahot 11:2.
31. The traditional site is marked today by the Church of All Nations, built over the remains of an earlier fourth-century church. See Jerome Murphy-O’Connor, Keys to Jerusalem: Collected Essays (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), 104.
32. Dialogue with Trypho 103.8.
33. See François Bovon, Luke, trans. Christine M. Thomas, Donald S. Deer, and James Crouch, 3 vols., Hermeneia (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002–13), 3:196–99; and Raymond E. Brown, The Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave; A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels, 2 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1994), 1:180–85.
34. An angel similarly appears to Paul (Acts 27:23–24). The parallelism between Jesus and Paul in Luke-Acts thus also suggests that the disputed verses here are original. See Christopher M. Tuckett, “Luke 22:43–44: The ‘Agony’ in the Garden and Luke’s Gospel,” in New Testament Textual Criticism and Exegesis, ed. A. Denaux (Leuven: Peeters, 2002), 143–44.
35. Jean-Noël Aletti, Quand Luc raconte: Le récit comme théologie (Paris: Cerf, 1998), 28–30.
36. Bovon, Luke, 3:203.
37. Jerome Neyrey, The Passion according to Luke: A Redaction Study of Luke’s Soteriology (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1985), 65, 177–79. Already making this connection is the fourth-century Church Father Ephrem, Commentary on the Diatessaron 20.11.
38. John’s Gospel identifies the individuals as Peter and Malchus (John 18:10).
39. The twentieth-century Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu (meaning “cock crow”) commemorates the event, but the actual location of the high priest’s house is disputed. Most scholars favor other sites.
40. In Acts 4:13, Peter will similarly be recognized (along with John) as among those who were with Jesus. There he no longer denies him but rather confesses him with boldness.
41. Later, the disciples will receive similar treatment (Acts 5:40; 13:45; 16:22–23; 18:6).
42. Details of the hearing that are found in Matthew and Mark—e.g., false witnesses and the charge that Jesus would destroy the temple (Matt 26:60–61; Mark 14:56–58)—are absent here in Luke but reappear in the account of Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 6:13–14).
Trial, Crucifixion, and Death
Luke 23:1–56
“We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. Because by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.” With these words, the faithful introduce each of the Stations of the Cross, which are prayed in churches throughout the world, especially on Good Friday. Pilgrims to Jerusalem pray these Stations on the Via Dolorosa through the city’s crowded streets.
The biblical events commemorated in the Stations are now unfolding in Luke’s Gospel—for example, the verdict of Pilate, the journey of Jesus to the site of crucifixion, the assistance of Simon of Cyrene, the encounter with the women of Jerusalem, the crucifixion, the death on the cross, the taking down from the cross, and the burial in the tomb. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,” who through these events has “brought redemption to his people” (1:68; see 2:38; 24:21).
Trial, Part 1: Jesus before Pilate and Herod (23:1–12)
1Then the whole assembly of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2They brought charges against him, saying, “We found this man misleading our people; he opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar and maintains that he is the Messiah, a king.” 3Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He said to him in reply, “You say so.” 4Pilate then addressed the chief priests and the crowds, “I find this man not guilty.” 5B
ut they were adamant and said, “He is inciting the people with his teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to here.”
6On hearing this Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean; 7and upon learning that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod who was in Jerusalem at that time. 8Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting to see him for a long time, for he had heard about him and had been hoping to see him perform some sign. 9He questioned him at length, but he gave him no answer. 10The chief priests and scribes, meanwhile, stood by accusing him harshly. 11[Even] Herod and his soldiers treated him contemptuously and mocked him, and after clothing him in resplendent garb, he sent him back to Pilate. 12Herod and Pilate became friends that very day, even though they had been enemies formerly.
NT: Luke 9:9; 20:22–25; Acts 4:27. // Matt 27:1–2, 11–14; Mark 15:1–5; John 18:28–38
Catechism: Trial before Pilate, 596, 600
[23:1]
Following the early morning hearing, the whole assembly of Jewish leaders now brought him before Pilate, thus fulfilling Jesus’ prediction that he would be handed over to the Gentiles (18:32). Jesus’ trial before Pilate is well remembered in the early Church: besides the four Gospels, there are references to it in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 3:13; 4:27; 13:28) and one of the epistles (1 Tim 6:13), and it even finds its way into the creeds.
The Roman governors normally lived in Caesarea Maritima (see Acts 23:33),1 where an inscription with Pilate’s name was found in 1961. However, they would go up to Jerusalem for feasts such as Passover to secure public order. According to the other Gospels, Jesus’ trial before Pilate took place in the “praetorium,” which Mark also describes as a “palace” (Matt 27:27; Mark 15:16; John 18:28).2
[23:2]
The †Sanhedrin’s religious concerns about Jesus are now translated into political charges. First, this man is misleading or “perverting” (RSV) their nation. Ironically, the leaders are the ones perverting the truth. Their second charge—that Jesus opposes the payment of taxes to Caesar—twists his earlier response (Luke 20:25), as if Jesus were “inciting the people to revolt” (23:14; see Acts 5:37). Their third accusation is even more dangerous: he maintains that he is the Messiah (see Luke 20:41; 22:67). Jesus is a suffering Messiah (9:20–22; 24:26), but nonetheless the title means that he is a king, which they interpret as one who “opposes Caesar” (John 19:12). The acclamation—“king” (Luke 19:38)—has become an accusation.
Figure 21. Pilate inscription at Caesarea Maritima. [© Baker Publishing Group and Dr. James C. Martin]
[23:3–4]
The actual interrogation of Jesus by Pilate is presented in summary form (see John 18:33–38). Pilate, taking up the last charge, asks Jesus (in all four Gospels): Are you the king of the Jews? This title will be used to mock him (Luke 23:37) and will appear as the inscription on the cross (23:38). Jesus answers the question indirectly, as he did when asked by the †Sanhedrin if he is the Son of God (22:70): You say so. As before, the reply is affirmative, but there is an ambiguity in the indirect response because it emphasizes the questioner’s understanding of the question. The Sanhedrin understood Jesus’ indirect response as proof of blasphemy (22:71), but Pilate—who has a different understanding of kingship than Jesus—judges that Jesus is not claiming to be a political, military king.3 He thus finds him not guilty. This is the first of three such statements by Pilate (see 23:14, 22).
[23:5]
With the verdict pronounced, the trial should now be over, if it were a just process. However, “the issue throughout the trial is not one of justice but one of power.”4 The Jewish leaders are adamant, again taking up their first charge (v. 2) by insisting that Jesus is inciting the people with his teaching wherever he goes in all Judea (see 4:44; 7:17), beginning from his own region of Galilee.
[23:6–8]
The issue of proper jurisdiction gives Pilate a possible way out. Since Jesus is a Galilean, he sent him to Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee (3:1), who had also come to Jerusalem for the Passover.
The emphasis in their encounter is on seeing: Herod is glad to see Jesus and had been wanting to see him and had been hoping to see him. Previously, he had “kept trying to see him” (9:9), but without success. His interest in Jesus, however, does not spring from a good motive. He merely seeks a sign, and Jesus characterized such people as “an evil generation” (11:29).
[23:9–10]
Despite being questioned by Herod at length as the chief priests and scribes are accusing him harshly, Jesus does not answer.5 Apparently, he said enough in his earlier message for Herod, given through the Pharisees who told him that Herod wanted to kill him: “Today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose” (13:32). Strikingly, Jesus now meets Herod “today” on the day of his death, and after “tomorrow,” on “the third day” (24:7, 46) he will accomplish his purpose with his resurrection.
[23:11–12]
Answering nothing, Jesus is treated literally as counting for nothing—that is, contemptuously. He is again mocked (see 18:32; 22:63), with Herod even clothing him like a king, in resplendent garb (see 7:25; 16:19; Acts 12:21). However, rather than pronounce on the case, the tetrarch sent him back to Pilate. As a result of the exchange, the two rulers overcome their enmity (see Luke 13:1) and become friends. Their collaboration in Jesus’ death fulfills Scripture: “The princes gathered together . . . against his anointed” (Acts 4:26, quoting Ps 2:2). “Indeed they gathered in this city against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed, Herod and Pontius Pilate” (Acts 4:27).
Trial, Part 2: Pilate Hands Jesus Over to Be Crucified (23:13–25)
13Pilate then summoned the chief priests, the rulers, and the people 14and said to them, “You brought this man to me and accused him of inciting the people to revolt. I have conducted my investigation in your presence and have not found this man guilty of the charges you have brought against him, 15nor did Herod, for he sent him back to us. So no capital crime has been committed by him. 16Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.” [17]
18But all together they shouted out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” 19(Now Barabbas had been imprisoned for a rebellion that had taken place in the city and for murder.) 20Again Pilate addressed them, still wishing to release Jesus, 21but they continued their shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22Pilate addressed them a third time, “What evil has this man done? I found him guilty of no capital crime. Therefore I shall have him flogged and then release him.” 23With loud shouts, however, they persisted in calling for his crucifixion, and their voices prevailed. 24The verdict of Pilate was that their demand should be granted. 25So he released the man who had been imprisoned for rebellion and murder, for whom they asked, and he handed Jesus over to them to deal with as they wished.
NT: Acts 3:13; 13:28. // Matt 27:15–16, 21–26; Mark 15:6–7, 12–15; John 18:39–40; 19:4–16
Catechism: Responsibility for Jesus’ death, 597
[23:13]
Addressing Jesus’ case once again, Pilate calls together the chief priests (who appear, often first, in virtually every list of Jesus’ opponents in Jerusalem)6 as well as the rulers (23:35; 24:20; see 19:47)—for example, other members of the †Sanhedrin (see Acts 4:5–6). Also summoned are the people. When Jesus taught in the temple, “all the people” listened (Luke 19:48; 20:6, 45; 21:38), and thus the leaders feared arresting him (20:19; 22:2). Now, however, at least some of “the people” have joined with Jesus’ opponents (see 23:18, 23; Acts 3:12–13). Nevertheless, “a large crowd of people” will follow Jesus on his way to the cross, mourning and lamenting him (Luke 23:27). “The people” will then watch as he is crucified (23:35), before returning home as a repentant crowd (23:48).
[23:14–16]
Summarizing the process in legal terms, Pilate for the second time declares that he has not found Jesus guilty of the charges (23:4). Moreover, this second judgment has the backing of Herod, who likewise did not condemn Jesus.
Thus Jesus has committed nothing meriting death—in other words, no capital crime. With these words, Pilate expresses his awareness that, beneath the accusations, the Jewish leaders have their own reasons for wanting to put Jesus to death (19:47; 22:2; see Matt 27:18; Mark 15:10) and have turned to him to carry out such a punishment (see John 18:31). However, based on his findings, he plans to release Jesus. He will just have him flogged first, in order to give him a warning and in an attempt to appease the insistent Jewish leaders.
[23:18–19]
However, Pilate’s decision is soundly rejected, as all together the Jewish leaders and even the people shouted: Away with this man! In Acts, when Paul is arrested in Jerusalem, those who want to kill him will similarly shout, “Away with him!” (Acts 21:36).
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND
Parallels between Luke and Acts
Many events of Jesus’ life in Luke correspond to events in the life of the Church in the Acts of the Apostles. For example, as the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus at his baptism (Luke 3:22), so too does the Spirit descend on the early Church (Acts 2:1–4). By highlighting such historical similarities, Luke shows that Jesus’ life is the model for the Church’s life and the lives of individual Christians (Catechism 520). Christians thus imitate Jesus, but in addition, their lives are lived in him and his life is lived in them (Catechism 521). Thus when Saul is persecuting Christians, Jesus appears to him and asks, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4 [emphasis added]). He reiterates: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:5).