Luke

History (and myth?) in the Epiphany in Matthew 2

by

Whilst everyone is recovering from Christmas, and bracing for the coming of the New Year, I have not merely leftovers but a feast of resources for preaching this coming Sunday!

The gospel reading is from John 1, either the first 18 verses, or verses 10 to 18. The written commentary is here, and the video discussion is here.

The epistle for the day is the longest sentence in the New Testament, at 202 words, Ephesians 1.3–14 (though it is worth starting reading from verse 1). Video discussion can be found here.

Epiphany comes on Tuesday January 6th, but I suspect that many will celebrate it this coming Sunday. So I am reposting here my annual collection of resources on the Epiphany, the visit of the magi to the young Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 2. The article is in three sections, plus a link to our video discussion.

First, a general exploration of the role it plays in the nativity story in Matthew, and the question of the relation of Matthew with Luke. Secondly, a more detailed engagement with a sceptical view about the narrative and its features. Within this I consider the importance of the various elements of the story. Finally, there is a historical appendix supplied by John Hudghton which he wrote in response to reading previous versions of this article, which offers a convincing context in which to read it. You might even like to start there! (John has written on the historical context of Jesus birth here.)

At the end, I have included the link to the weekly video discussion of this text. I hope you find them enlightening and useful!

Was Jesus raised in a ‘poor’ family?

by

It is fascinating to see the way that traditions have grown up around the celebration of Christmas, and how many of those traditions are not merely absent from the Bible, but in fact contradict not only the content of the Bible, but the heart of its message. Somehow, where the birth narratives in Scripture are all about something amazing that God has done, these Christmas traditions become moralistic tales about what we need to do.

As a result, the central message of the incarnation (and therefore of the Christmas season), that God has come to us, and this demands a response on our part to him (of repentance and faith) ends up becoming a morality tale. Instead of responding urgently to the coming of his kingdom into our lives, we just need to try harder and make some new New Year’s resolutions. It is, in effect, a secularising of the message.

And these traditions are very hard to dislodge! Traditional understanding has a deep grip on us—and this means we are deeply resistant to hearing the real challenge of God ‘tabernacling amongst us’ in the person of Jesus.

I therefore continue to seek to debunk these mythical traditions. One of the most deeply engrained is that Jesus was, unlike us, born as a poor boy into a poor family, so that we should feel sorry both for him and for the poor people around us. (Note that this message is addressed only to the comparatively wealthy!). This is a long read, but I hope you find it worthwhile, since it seeks to debunk not just this tradition about Christmas, but also a series of unrealistic and inattentive readings of the life of Jesus in the gospels.

Enjoy! (And if you enjoy, share it…!)

Is Luke a gospel of symbolism?

by

Twelve years ago I presented a paper at the international Society of Biblical Literature comparing the symbolism of Luke with that of John. There has been a widespread view that John is a ‘spiritual’ or symbolic gospel, and that is true at one level, though John often includes more historical and eye-witness detail than the … Continue Reading

Zacchaeus meets Jesus in Luke 19

by

The lectionary reading for the Fourth Sunday before Advent in Year C is the story of Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus in Luke 19.1–10, a story found only in this gospel. Video discussion of the passage can be found here, and is posted at the end. The epistle for this week is the challenging passage of … Continue Reading

The radical demands of grace in Luke 14

by

In the gospel reading for Trinity 12 in Year C, Luke 14.25–33, we complete our navigation through this section of Jesus’ intermingled teaching and action until we hit the landfall of the ‘parables of the lost’ next week in Luke 15. The double focus on the crowds and discipleship, the drawing together of teaching found … Continue Reading