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The Unitary Character of Luke 22.24–30
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2009
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Scholarship has commonly treated the sayings in the Lukan Last Supper discourse (22.14–38) more or less as pearls on a string; it is their poignancy as separate elements rather than any significant unifying features to which attention has typically been drawn. This is especially apparent when one surveys research on Luke 22.24–30. Until recently it has been usual for scholarly work on this text to be heavily influenced (sometimes unconsciously) by tradition-historical concerns, with the result that 22.24–7 and 22.28–30 are analyzed as independent sayings. Consequently, the lack of a parallel in Luke 22.24–7 to the ransom saying in Mark 10.41–5 is a common point of scholarly interest, as are possible developments from a ‘Q’ form behind Luke 22.28–30 and Matt 19.28. This type of approach, with its primary focus on layers of tradition, however, has often prevented scholarship from exploring or even observing the unifying features of Luke's finished work in 22.24–30.
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1 The development of a case for the unitary character of 22.24–30 was a key element in my doctoral thesis (‘Leadership and Discipleship: A Study of Luke 22:24–30’ [PhD dissertation, Trinity College, Bristol, 1991Google Scholar, forthcoming in 1994 under the same title in the SBL Dissertation Series]; see especially §§ 1.1, 4.1, 7.3.1 and 8.2). The present essay depends significantly upon that work. That Luke is quite capable of imposing a unity upon disparate materials has been observed by many (e.g., in 12.13–21 [Thériault, J., ‘Les dimensions sociales, économiques, et politiques dans l'oeuvre de Luc’, ScEs 26 (1974) 205–31Google Scholar, esp. 222], in 13.22–30 [Maddox, R., The Purpose of Luke-Acts (Edinburgh: Clark, 1982) 124]Google Scholarand in 22.14–38 [Kremer, J., Lukasevangelium (Die Neue Echter Bibel 3; Wurzburg: Echter, 1988) 215Google Scholar; Kurz, W. S., Farewell Addresses in the New Testament (Zacchaeus Studies: NT; Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1990) 69]Google Scholar; cf. also 12.35–46 [Fitzmyer, J. A., The Gospel according to Luke (AB 28, 28A; Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1981,1985)Google Scholar2.984]).
2 Although there are unifying features extending throughout the Lukan Jesus' farewell discourse in 22.14–38 (e.g., a loose adherence to the testamentary genre and allusions to Jesus' impending death), factors supporting a unitary conception for 22.24–30 are much more numerous and significant, thus warranting an in-depth examination of 22.24–30 as a unit in itself.
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17 Fitzmyer, Luke, 2.1412.
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19 Ὁ νακεμενος here connotes ideas of social superiority by its antithetical relation to διακονν.
20 Children and youth were low in the ancient family hierarchy.
21 Many recognize an authority or leadership motif in 22.24–30 (e.g., Kurz, , Farewell, 64Google Scholar; Sellew, P., ‘The Last Supper Discourse in Luke 22:21–38’, Forum 3 [1987] 70–95Google Scholar, esp. 77; Tiede, D. L., ‘The Kings of the Gentiles and the Leader Who Serves’, Word and World 12 [1992] 23–8Google Scholar, esp. 27; Luke [Augsburg Commentary on the NT; Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1988] 385Google ScholarPubMed; cf. Meynet, R., Initiation á la rhétorique biblique. Qui done est le plus grand? [Initiations; 2 vols.; Paris: Cerf, 1982]Google Scholar1.166).
22 There are references to ‘kingdom’ in vv. 16 and 18, and military imagery stands behind ‘sword’ in vv. 36, 38, but these observations do not overshadow the comparatively extensive interest in authority in vv. 24–30.
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28 Although μεῖς appears to be traditional (cf. Matt 19.28), Luke's placement of the term together with his retention or addition of στε allows for an emphatic use (contrast v. 26 where ellipsis makes the pronoun necessary).
29 Fitzmyer, Luke 2.1411, emphasis added.
30 The close connection of πειρασμν with ταπεινοφροσνης and δακρων supports the idea that for Luke the endurance of trials is a lowly experience. This, in turn, favours a link between service and trials in Luke 22.27–8.
31 Baumbach, G. (Das Verständnis der Bösen in den synoptischen Euangelien [Berlin: Evangelische, 1963] 193)Google Scholarsees the ‘trials’ of v. 28 as involving the temptation to defect from ‘service’ (cf. Lull, , ‘Servant-Benefactor’, 300Google Scholar; LaVerdiere, E., Luke [New Testament Message 5; Dublin: Veritas, 1980] 260–1)Google Scholar.
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33 Cf. the many configurations of elements in the farewell addresses tabulated by Kurz, (‘Luke 22.14–38’, 262–3)Google Scholar.
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35 Matera, F., Passion Narratives and Gospel Theologies (Theological Inquiries; New York: Paulist, 1986) 162Google Scholar(Jesus acted like a servant [vv. 24–7]; the apostles remained with him [vv. 28–30]).
36 The service of Jesus climaxes in his impending death, and the perfect διαμεμενηκτες encompasses the apostles' past action of remaining with Jesus in his trials together with a present state resulting from that action.
37 Contrast Luke's 180 degree' reversals in 12.13–21; 13.28; 16.15; 20.45–7.
38 Against those for whom vv. 29–30 are fulfilled in the church age (e.g., Brown, S., Apostasy and Perseverance in the Theology of Luke [AnBib 36; Rome: Biblical Institute, 1969] 64Google Scholar; Johnson, L. T., The Literary Function of Possessions in Luke-Acts [SBLDS 39; Missoula, MT: Scholars, 1977] 120Google Scholar; Neyrey, , Passion, 27–8)Google Scholar. See my article, ‘Luke 22:29–30 and the Time Frame for Dining and Ruling’, TynBul 44 (1993) 351–61Google Scholar, for a defence of a reference to the eschatological age in vv. 29–30.
39 Cf. Grundmann, W. (Das Evangelium nach Lukas [THKNT 3; 2nd ed.; Berlin: Evangelische, 1961] 402)Google Scholar, who claims regarding 22.28–30, ‘Lukas fügt diese Wortfolge ohne Unterbrechung an die vorhergehenden Worte Jesu an und macht damit deutlich: Der Dienende wird von Gott erhöht’ (similarly Rienecker, , Lukas, 504Google Scholar; Wiefel, W., Das Evangelium nach Lukas [THKNT 3; 3rd ed.; Berlin: Evangelische, 1988] 371–2)Google Scholar.
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42 L'Eplattenier, C., Lecture de l'évangile de Luc (Paris: Desctee, 1982) 252Google Scholar; cf. Plummer, A., The Gospel according to S. Luke (ICC; 4th ed.; Edinburgh: Clark, 1901) 502Google Scholar.
43 Cf. the pervasive language of authority in 22.24–30 (see sec. 2).
44 Dupont, , ‘Trōnes’, 380Google Scholar(cf. Fitzmyer, Luke, 2.1415; Godet, F., A Commentary on the Gospel of St Luke [2 vols; 4th ed.; Edinburgh: Clark, 1889]Google Scholar2.297; Schlatter, A., Das Evangelium des Lukas [3rd ed.; Stuttgart: Calwer, 1975] 424)Google Scholar.
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46 Cf. Tiede, , ‘The Kings’, 23–8Google Scholar; Luke, 385. Also see Leaney, A. R. C. (The Gospel according to St Luke [BNTC; London: Black, 1958] 269)Google Scholar, though his analysis may be oversubtle.
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48 22.15,19–20, 22, 27, 33; see my dissertation (cf. n. 1), §§ 5.3 and 6.5.3.
49 Is there a correlation between this Lukan symbolism and the Pauline motif of dying and rising with Christ (e.g., Rom 6.3–11; Phil 2.5–11; Col 2.12)?
50 Note Luke's unparalleled ‘daily’ cross bearing (9.23); cf. Acts 14.22.