Luke

23:26-31

Culmination of Messiah's mission, 19:45-24:53

3. The Glorification of the Messiah, 23:26-24:53

i] The way of the cross

Synopsis

Jesus' trial is over and Israel's religious leaders now have their way. Luke doesn't record Jesus' scourging by the Roman soldiers, although it would have taken place. Up to this point, Luke has recorded the proceedings in four closed sessions, attended only by officialdom, but now, the action of the religious authorities against Jesus becomes public as he is led away to the place called the Skull. Obviously, the word has got around Jerusalem about the arrest of Jesus, and a large crowd has gathered outside the Praetorium. The response of those witnessing Jesus' humiliation, as he is led away to be crucified, is one of deep mourning - the people of Israel lament the loss of their Shepherd. As the people lament, Jesus proclaims a word of judgment on religious Israel.

 
Teaching

Repent now, for if the righteous suffer, imagine how it will go for the wicked.

 
Issues

i] Context: See 19:45-20:18. The six episodes which make up the teaching unit, The Glorification of the Messiah, 23:26-24:53, serve as the third and final section of the concluding major section The Culmination of Messiah's Mission, 19:45-24:53. These episodes cover the death and resurrection of Jesus. When comparing Luke with the other gospel writers, Luke aligns with John, as if he and John were using a common source of gospel tradition. Ellis says of Luke's handling of this tradition that "Luke, like John, views the death-resurrection-exaltation as one event of redemption. It is a story of the eighth day of creation. God's new creation of the messianic age."

The events are bound together by prophetic texts, or allusions to Old Testament prophecy, or the prophecies of Jesus himself. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus explains to the disciples that his death is a fulfillment of prophecy, and when commissioned, he commands them to proclaim what "is written." Luke reveals that the messianic age finds its fulfillment in the glorification of Jesus.

The passages which make up Luke's six-part sandwich are as follows:

The way of the cross - the people of Israel lament. 23:26-31;

The crucifixion - the Son of Man suffers. 23:32-49;

The burial - from death to life. 23:50-56;

The empty tomb - the angel's message. 24:1-12;

The Emmaus appearance - a message from Jesus. 24:13-35;

Appearances in Jerusalem - the commission. 24:36-53.

 

ii] Structure: The Way of the Cross:

The co-opting of Simon from Cyrene, v26;

The lament of the people, v27 -28;

"don't weep for me, weep for yourselves."

Religious Judaism stands condemned, 29-31;

If this is what happens when the leaves are green

image what happens when they are dry.

 

iii] Interpretation:

Luke does seem to draw a distinction between the actions of Israel's religious leaders, and those of the people, in these the last events of Jesus life. This distinction is not always recognised by commentators, nor translators. During the trial, the NIV's translation of nekragon pemplhqai, "the whole crowd shouted", v18, implies a larger group than the religious authorities, yet this seems unlikely. It is now, as Jesus is led away to the cross, that the laoV, "people", get to participate in the unfolding events. The weeping women serves to represent what this polu plhqoV, "many multitude" = "great crowd", feels about the conviction of Jesus. If we view this "crowd" as those who shouted "crucify, crucify him", then the weeping is nothing more than the customary service of "religious people earning their salvation", Ellis. But if Luke is intentionally separating the people from their religious leaders, then the ekoptonto kai eqrhnoun, "weeping and lamenting", is a genuine expression of grief over the execution of a man who did good and healed the people.

Jesus made little effort addressing Israel's religious leaders, other than reminding them of judgment, of the coming enthronement of the messiah, the Son of Man, cf., 22:69. Jesus knew there was little point arguing with them; they were intent on his murder. With the populous, on the other hand, Jesus speaks in clear terms; "Weep for yourselves." He calls on the people to repent in the face of the coming day of judgment. So, as Jesus stumbles his way to the cross, even then, in the face of suffering and humiliation, he proclaims the gospel.

As is typical of Jesus' eschatological statements, they present in now / not yet terms. Those who say how lucky they are not to be pregnant or have children in arms, or who, hiding in caves, call on the hill above to cover the entrance, are on the one hand, that generation about to face the wrath of the Roman legions in AD 70, but on the other hand, they are the generation of the last day, and of all the last days leading to the end of the age. The generation of the last days faces tribulation, so repent, for if tribulation falls the one righteous man, imagine how it will be for the sinner, v31. For the eschatology of Jesus, see 17:20-37.

 

iv] Synoptics:

See 3:1-20. This narrative / story (although Bultman classifies it as a pronouncement story) only finds a parallel with Mark in the first verse, cf., Mk.15:21, Matt.27:32. Luke's account of the co-opting of Simon is actually very close to Mark, although more compact. The rest of the passage is unique to Luke, usually classified as L source. Some commentators suggest that it is a Lukan composition, although others, like Jeremias, argue that Luke's redaction of his received tradition is minimal.

 
Text - 23:26

The way of the cross, v26-31: i] The co-opting of Simon from Cyrene, v26. If Simon is one of the many Passover pilgrims, he has spent the night outside of Jerusalem and is now coming back from the agroV, "country", into the city. Jesus is obviously weakened by his scouring (some prisoners even die from it) and so the soldiers, as is their right under Roman law, conscript Simon to carry the patibulum, yoke, or cross beam, upon which Jesus will be crucified - the upright post is already in place. Luke adds that Simon carries it opisqen, "after" Jesus, a possible allusion to "whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and daily follow me."

wJV "as" - [and] as [they led away him]. Temporal use of the conjunction; "And when they led him away", RV.

epilabomenoi (epilambanomai) aor. part. "they seized" - having seized [a certain simon, a cyrenian]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to put upon": "They seized one Simon of Cyrene ........ and laid on him the cross", ESV. Possibly adverbial, temporal, "after taking hold of a certain Simon of Cyrene", TH. The subject of the participle "having seized" is obviously the Roman soldiers, as indicated by the context of Matthew and Mark, but Luke purposely leaves the subject undefined, given that Israel's religious leaders are responsible for what is happening.

ercomenon (ercomai) pres. part. "who was on his way" - the one coming. The participle is adjectival, attributive, limiting "Simon", as NIV.

ap (apo) + gen. "from" - from [the country]. Expressing source / origin.

autw/ dat. pro. "[made] him" - [they put upon] him. Dative of direct object after the epi prefix verb "to place upon."

ferein (ferw) pres. inf. "carry" - [the cross] to carry [after jesus]. The infinitive is adverbial, final, expressing purpose, "in order to carry it." The accusative subject of the infinitive is "the cross."

 
v27

ii] The lament of the people, v27-28. Luke describes a crowd of sympathetic observers, making particular mention of the wailing women, given that Jesus directs his prophetic words to them. The Greek sentence structure is somewhat awkward.

tou laou (oV) gen. "of people" - [but/and a great multitude] of the people [and also of women]. The genitive, as for "of women", is adjectival, partitive / wholative.

ai} nom. pro. "who" - who [were mourning and lamenting him]. Nominative subject of the verbs "to mourn" and "to lament", both of which are imperfect, most likely used to indicate durative action. "These women were crying and weeping for him."

 
v28

Luke continues with his record of events, independent of the other gospels. As Fitzmyer notes, these parting words of Jesus are not dismissed by all critical scholars as if a Lukan creation. Luke has most likely drawn v27 and 28 from his received passion tradition. As is typical of a Semitic counterpoint construction, the weight of the words falls on the counterpoint. So, the sense is, feel free to weep, but better you weep for those about to be caught up in the coming tribulation.

strafeiV (strefw) aor. pas. part. "turned" - [but/and jesus] having turned [toward them said]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to say."

Ierousalhm gen. proper "of Jerusalem" - [daughters] of jerusalem. The proper genitive is adjectival, relational, or descriptive, idiomatic / local, "women who live in Jerusalem", Culy, "female inhabitants", TH.

ep (epi) + acc. "for [me]" - [do not cry] upon [me]. Here spatial, with the action of one's feelings "to, up to, toward", so "for me." Possibly reference / respect, "about, concerning me."

plhn "-" - but rather [cry upon = for yourselves and upon = for the children of you]. Adversative standing in a counterpoint construction; "not ....., but ....."

 
v29

iii] Religious Judaism stands condemned, 29-31. Luke now develops the warning Jesus has issued to those witnessing the procession to the cross. The sayings present as a grouping of three independent eschatological sayings of Jesus; "the days are coming ....", cf., 5:35, 17:22, 21:6, ex. Jer.16:14, etc. For their now / not yet implications, see "Interpretation" above.

Saying #1. This saying reflects Isa.54:1, and particularly II Baruch 10:13-15, "For the barren shall above all rejoice, and those who have no sons be glad ........ when this mother (Jerusalem) is desolate and her sons led into captivity." In the tribulation, those without family ties are blessed.

oJti "for" - because / that [pay attention, behold, take note!]. Usually taken to introduce a causal clause explaining why the women need to weep for themselves, as NIV, but possibly recitative, introducing a dependent statement / saying, although for this function we would have expected gar; "Someday people will say, 'Women who never had children are really fortunate", CEV.

en ai|V dat. "when [you will say]" - [days are coming] in which [they will say, blessed the barren and the wombs which did not bear and breasts which did not nurse]. Temporal construction, "days in which" = "a time when.", TH.

 
v30

Saying #2. A possible allusion to Hosea 10:8, of seeking relief from the judgment about to overcome Jerusalem due to its apostasy. This imagery is taken up again in Revelation 6:16-17. It is better to be buried alive than face the horror of the tribulation. The now sense of fulfilment presumably refers to the siege of Jerusalem and the inevitable slow death of the population through starvation and disease before its fall in AD 70. Of course, the not yet fulfilment of the tribulation of the last day involves, not just physical trauma, but the wrath of divine judgment falling on all those who have placed themselves on the wrong side of history - its repent or perish, cf., 13:1-9.

tote "then" - then. Usually understood as temporal; "When that time comes", Barclay, but possibly transitional, serving to introduce a second saying. "So great will be the pain, the loss of loved ones, and the destruction of all that you cherish and hold dear, that you will pray for the mountains to fall on you, and for the hills to cover over you in death", Junkins.

legein (legw) pres. inf. "they will say" - [they will begin] to say. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "to begin." An unnecessary use of the verb and so best translated as NIV.

toiV oresin (oV) dat. "to the mountains" - to the mountains [fall upon us, and to the hills, bury us]. Dative of indirect object; so also "to the hills."

 
v31

Saying #3. The saying / proverb uses a lesser to greater argument serving to reveal "the disastrous proportions of the coming judgment", Green; if tauta, "these things", happen en, "in the case of", green wood (leaves), imagine what happens en, "in the case of", dry wood (leaves). "These things" is probably "these present circumstances", with poiousin best taken as a Semitic passive, "happens", rather than an active "they do", so Nolland. So, it is likely that we have a simple image describing the scale of judgment about to fall on the wicked - the present circumstances are indeed nasty, but "You Ain't Seen Nothin Yet!"

Most commentators take poiousin as an active verb and identify the subject as follows:

•iThe subject "they" is a periphrasis for God; "If God doesn't spare the Son of Man from tribulation, imagine how it will be when he unleashes his righteous wrath in the age to come", so Creed, Easton, Stein, Fitzmyer, Bock, ..... Grundmann suggests that the interpretation is forced. Manson, Sayings, extends the sense to "if such things (as crucifixion) happen to those who do His will, how much more (and worse will happen) to those who offend Him."

•iThe subject may be Jewish authorities / Jews; "If they can do these things to Jesus, imagine what they will do to others in the face of the coming tribulation", Johnson, or "If they treated Jesus in this way, how will they be treated for instigating his execution", Green""

•iThe subject may be the mourners: "If they do this (ie., lament) in the green season (of spring, when they should be rejoicing), what shall they do in the dry season (the proper season for lamentation)?", Evans.

•iThe subject may be the Romans: "if the Romans treat me this way, imagine how they will treat those who revolt against them."

•iLeaney suggests that Jesus is alluding to the beginning and end of the period of the Gentiles - from bad to worse. "The times of the Gentiles are compared to the life of a tree in their duration; in the spring (when the leaves of a tree are green) they do but begin their oppression, in the autumn (when the leaves are dry) they will finish it with total destruction."

oJti "for" - because / that. As for oJti v29.

ei + ind. "if" - if. The lesser to greater argument is established by a 1st. class conditional clause where the proposed condition is assumed to be true; "if, as is the case, X is true, then how much more is Y true?"

poiousin (poiew) pres. "people do [these things]" - they do [these things]. As already noted, the use of an active verb here reflects Semitic idiom and so should be viewed as an indefinite passive, so Thompson, Nolland, ...; "if such things are done", NET.

en + dat. "when" - in [the moist, watery, supple tree, wood]. Translators divide on whether the preposition has a temporal use, "when the wood is green", or expresses context / circumstance, "in the case of", Nolland. Although most opt for temporal, context seems best, so Culy; "if this is what happens with green wood, what will happen to the dry?", Nolland. The image may not be alluding to the wood of a tree, but the leaves of a deciduous tree - moist in Spring, dry in Autumn.

genhtai (ginomai) aor. subj. "[what] will happen" - [what] may become = happen [in the dry wood / leaves]. Deliberative subjunctive used with the interrogative pronoun tiv, "What?"

 

Luke Introduction

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Exegetical Commentaries

 

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