The Gospel of Luke
Chapter 9: Overview
Reading through the chapter you will have found in verse 51 Jesus "resolutely" beginning his journey to Jerusalem. This verse (9,51) is a major turning point in the story of this Gospel because the journey will last for ten chapters. During the journey to Jerusalem a great deal of Jesus' teaching in this Gospel will be presented.
Thus the final part of the chapter is 9,51-62. We can leave further consideration of this part until we come to read it.
The climax of Jesus' ministry in Galilee: 9,1-50
Looking at 9,1-50, it begins in 9,1 with Jesus calling the Twelve together. The change of emphasis from the previous chapter is now a special focus on the 12 (or some of them) and the theme of discipleship comes to the fore.
The three parts in these verses are:
9,1-17: The mission of the apostles and the feeding of the crowd.
The continuity of these verses will be clear when we read them. We can note in particular that the return of the apostles in 9,10 leads straight on to the feeding of the crowd.
9,18-36: these verses are parallel to the central scene of Mark's Gospel, Mk 8,27-9,8.
9,37-50: conclusion to the ministry in Galilee.
Luke and Mark
We can now make the comparison with Mark's Gospel:
| Lk 9,1-6 | The mission of the Twelve | Mk 6,7-13 |
| Lk,9,7-9 | Herod's reaction | Mk 6,14-16 |
| Omitted by Luke | Execution of John the Baptist | Mk 6,17-29 |
| Lk 9,10-17 | Return of the Twelve and feeding of the crowd | Mk 6,30-44 |
| Omitted by Luke | Jesus goes to Tyre and Sidon | Mk 6,45-8,26 |
| Lk 9,18-36 | Confession of Jesus, his fate and the Transfiguration | Mk 8,27-9,8 |
| Omitted by Luke | The question of Elijah | Mk 9,11-13 |
| Lk 9,37-50 | Epileptic child, 2nd Prediction, Who is greatest? | Mk 9,14-40 |
This comparison with Mark shows how Luke has omitted much of Mark chapters 6, 7 and 8. This includes the beheading of John the Baptist, the walking on the water and the healings of a deaf and then a blind man. (These two healings with their implications of hearing and seeing are important in the unfolding of Mark's story). Not only, as many commentators note, has Luke kept Jesus in Galilee, he has also made possible by these omissions the focus on the Twelve which we have just noted.
Looking at the second part (9,18-36), all three Synoptic Gospels give us the sequence from Peter's confession through the prediction on the passion and the teaching about discipleship as carrying the cross to the transfiguration (Mk 8,27-9,8). However, for Mark these verses form the hinge of his Gospel as Jesus turns from Galilee towards Jerusalem. Luke has moved this turning point and shifted the emphasis by postponing the departure to Jerusalem until a few verses later, to 9,51 as we have seen.
The discussion about Elijah after the Transfiguration (Mk 9,11-13) is omitted by Luke. This is not surprising because Luke places much emphasis on the links between Jesus and Elijah (4,25).
Reading Plan
Thus the chapter unfolds and gives us our reading plan as follows:
- 9,1-17: The mission of the twelve and the feeding of the crowd
- 9,18-36: The identity of Jesus
- 9,37-50: Who is the greatest?
- 9,51-62: The Journey begins
This overview has given us our background for our reading of this chapter. We return to the main page in order to begin our reading.