Jesus in Jerusalem, part 3

Read the previous section

The Teachings in Jerusalem

Jesus does not spread his message merely by taking part in a series of challenge-riposte situations, however. He also articulates teachings on his own that contradict the ideas and demean the honor of the powerful. In his public and private comments, Christ takes the initiative in decrying the political status quo. Whether condemning the abuse of the poor by the powerful, ridiculing the pride of the religious leaders, or predicting the destruction of the errant city and temple, Jesus makes it his business to criticize the leadership of Israel. He attacks the leaders for serving themselves rather than God. They are self-righteous and unfit to rule.¹⁷

An example of this self-righteousness is found in the social circumstances of the scribes relative to the poor. Beginning in 20:45, Jesus shames the scribes in a public address; he condemns them for grasping at honor and privilege while allowing widows to starve. "They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers," he says of them (20:47). He then looks up to watch a widow, following some of the rich, deposit a pittance into the temple treasury. He draws attention to this sacrifice, "for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on" (21:4). Jesus makes a public example of this leadership failure. The religious rulers are receiving the support of the destitute instead of providing it.

After being challenged by the leaders in chapter 20 to identify his source of authority, Jesus turns to the people to deliver a parable. He tells the story of a landowner who was betrayed by his tenants. These ungrateful clients abused every messenger sent to them and finally killed the patron's heir.¹⁸ "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?" Jesus asks. Answering himself, he continues, "He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others" (20:15-16). The religious authorities, correctly perceiving this story as a judgment against their stewardship over Israel, are infuriated.

This allegorical warning to the national leadership is accompanied by an apocalyptic warning to the lead city. To those who admire the beautiful buildings of Jerusalem, Jesus predicts a grim turn of events. "As for these things that you see," he warns, "the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down" (21:6). Commentators note that Jesus has already predicted the downfall of the city by this time. Luke 13:33-35 has indicated that "Jerusalem’s inhabitants were in a perilous situation" from which only Jesus, not their "false mother," would provide protection. Furthermore, 19:41-44 has predicted that "since Jerusalem has rejected God’s ultimate representative, Jesus, she herself will be rejected by God."¹⁹ The destruction of Jerusalem’s great architecture represents the disgrace of the city; Rohrbaugh writes that an ancient city seems to have been defined by the glory of its public buildings as much as its size or wealth.²⁰ In this case, the ruling city of the nation will be debased.

The conflict will not be limited to this reversal of fortunes, however. Jesus predicts that political hostility to his message will be intense. Before the conflict ends, all manner of earthly authorities will persecute his followers. Jesus' disciples will be arraigned before "kings and governors" on his account (21:12). Far from ignoring politics in order to concentrate on a purely separate religious mission, then, Jesus is describing a highly political confrontation. The challenge he brings will upset the highest levels of societal authority. It is difficult even for modern readers to ignore the socio-political imagery that Jesus uses here.

Conclusion and Application

Jesus set out for Jerusalem in order to challenge the leadership of his people. Upon reaching Jerusalem, he entered the temple in order to face the highest Jewish authorities in the land. When questioned, he affirmed the status of God as a patron despite the grandiose claims of imperial Rome. Privately, he predicted that his message would cause political trouble for his followers; publicly, he rebuked the rulers of the nation on the behalf of the people.

The Messiah portrayed in Luke's gospel had a more complex mission than anything expected by the people of his day. He did not arrive merely to achieve political liberation for Israel. However, the spiritual liberation he provided was not entirely apolitical either. His message of fidelity to God and love of people had far-reaching implications for the power structures of his society. He preached against oppression and offered the authority of God as an alternative to corrupt human patronage. He was willing to call any authority to task for violating an obligation to God.

Readers might be tempted to interpret the socio-political aspects of Jesus' ministry as a divine endorsement of particular political ideas. It would be inappropriate, however, to conclude from this analysis that Jesus wished to establish any specific form of government in Judea. Aside from a few implications regarding equity, the passages examined in this paper do not explain what a godly political economy should look like. Luke presents God, the supreme Patron, as the key to a good society, implying that no level of authority is exempt from his dominion. Yet Luke does not elaborate here on institutional forms. The arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem is not a guide for the development of human political power; it is a call to submission to divine authority. Jesus castigated even authorities acting on God’s behalf for their individual and corporate arrogance.

Modern believers in Christ would do well to avoid any "compartmentalization" of their faith. The authority of God applies to all areas of life, including those that other authorities attempt to claim. No other loyalty should cause a person to compromise justice; no other power should induce one to ignore the sovereignty of God. Those who recognize God's sovereignty should expect this authority to be relevant to interpersonal bonds of all kinds, including the bonds of a society at large. While human socio-political power must never be confused with divine activity—indeed, that was a mistake of some of Jesus' religious opponents—a person who submits to God should expect this submission to transform his leadership in society.

~~~~~~~~~~

17. Mark Allen Powell, taking a literary approach, identifies self-righteousness as the main quality that puts the religious leaders at odds with Christ in Luke's gospel. They desire "exaltation among humans" and are unable to recognize Christ's genuine authority (97, 100-102).

18. Note what Jesus has already said in 13:33-34 concerning Jerusalem's habit of killing prophets.

19. Walker 71, 75.

20. Rohrbaugh 109.

~~~~~~~~~~

Works Cited

Bock, Darrell L. Luke: Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. 2 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.

– – –. Luke: NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.

Freyne, Sean. "Herodian Economics in Galilee: Searching for a Suitable Model." Modelling Early Christianity: Social-Scientific Studies of the New Testament in Its Context. Ed. Philip F. Esler. New York: Routledge, 1995. 23-46.

Kingsbury, Jack Dean. Conflict in Luke: Jesus, Authorities, Disciples. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991.

Malina, Bruce J., and Richard L. Rohrbaugh. Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels. 2nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.

Moxnes, Halvor. The Economy of the Kingdom: Social Conflict and Economic Relations in Luke’s Gospel. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1988.

The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Anglicized Edition. Oxford University Press, 1995.

Powell, Mark Allen. "The Religious Leaders in Luke: A Literary-Critical Study." Journal of Biblical Literature 109.1 (1990): 93-110.

Rohrbaugh, Richard L. "The Preindustrial City." The Social Sciences and New Testament Interpretation. Ed. Richard L. Rohrbaugh. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. 107-125.

Walker, Peter W. L. Jesus and the Holy City: New Testament Perspectives on Jerusalem. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.

| Posted by Wilson at 16:25 Central | TrackBack
| Report submitted to the Education Desk , Humanities Desk