GOSPEL READING
THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
Earthly events: Lk 21,5-24
Opening Dialogue: 21,5-9
For the opening verses, 21,5-6 see Mk 13,1-2. How has Luke given a unity to 21,5-9 compared with Mark 13,1-8?
Who opens the dialogue? How has Luke edited Mark and to what purpose? Above all, to whom is Jesus speaking in these verses? Verse 7 will give a clue.
See Jeremiah, Jer 7,1-4, for some background.
What two questions are then asked in verse 7? See Mk 13,3-4. Consider the signifcance of the way Jesus is addressed.
How does Jesus respond in verses 8-9? What verb case is prominent? Again, note how Luke has edited Mk 13,5-7. What phrase has he added to verse 8? See Daniel 7,22; Apoc 1,3. What has Luke added in verse 9 to Mk 13,7?
The state of the world: 21,10-11
Note that Luke has added a marker in verse 10, changing Mk 13,8.
Consider verses 10 and 11 as illustrating the state of our world. See Apoc 6,1-8. Then note the extra line in verse 11, see Mk 13,8.
Take a look now at my response.
Handed over: 21,12-19
The events of these verses can be followed in detail in the Acts of the Apostles to which I'll give just a few references. Note just how much in these verses is unique to Luke.
Who are the dominant subjects of these verses?
In verse 12, there is a familiar word already used of Jesus: 9,44; 18,32.
For this verse and verse 13, see, as an example, Acts 3,13-15.
Verse 14 is paraphrased by most translations. There is something similar in 1,44 and 9,47.
Verse 15 recalls 12,11-12. Note the change from Mk 13,11. See also Acts 6,10.
How is verse 16 more specific than verse 12?
Verse 17 recalls 6,22.
Verse 18 recalls 12,7. See also Acts 27,34.
Verse 19 is a theme found, for example, in Apoc 2,2.19; 3,10.
Jerusalem: 21,20-24
We have seen that Jerusalem is named in verses 20 and 24, putting a bracket around these verses. See how Luke has rewritten the equivalent verses in Mark's Gospel: Mk 13,14-20. What is the effect of this re-writing? Consider for example verses 20 and 24.
How then do we read verses 21-23? Compare them with Mk 13,14-20.
For verse 22, see Dt 32,35. For verse 24, Gen 34,26; Jer 21,7.
Now go again to my response
The Sunday Gospel
As I noted in the overview, 21,5-19 forms the Sunday Gospel for the 33rd Sunday of the Year. You might like to reflect on why verses 20-24 were left out.
The accompanying Old Testament reading comes from the prophet Malachi, Mal 3,19-20.. Read this passage in your Bibles - where does it come in a Catholic Bible? Consider why it may not be a good accompaniment to the Gospel
Go now to my response
We can now continue our reading of the chapter looking to the future in the second part of the discourse, Lk 21,25-38.