Luke 7-9

Book: Luke

Jul 26

The structure of Luke 7 actually follows a pattern that Luke has begun earlier. He lists miracles of healing, etc., but the final emphasis is on the forgiveness of sins as the ultimate miracle. So there are two miracles in the early part of the chapter (healing of a slave and raising of a widow’s son), but the climax of the chapter designates no physical miracle, but the forgiveness of sins of a sinner woman. Luke’s point in this trilogy is to show that forgiveness is the great miracle of the Lord of the Sabbath.

It is also noteworthy that the question of John the Baptist forms the middle part of the chapter, interrupting the two physical miracles from the miracle scene of forgiveness. His question regards the merciful miracles as opposed to the judgment that the Lord possessed (the Anointed of God had the right of judgment). Jesus response flows into the final event to show it is a time of forgiveness before the judgment comes.

Then in chapter 7 He shows that He is the great mercy-giver from God as a necessary part of this first coming to earth. He heals a centurion's slave (a gentile's slave), raises a widow's only son (a woman without husband or son) and finally forgives the sin of an outcast sinner woman (covenant rejected).

The training of the disciples to be teachers of the mercy of God through Christ (8:1-11:13). Jesus now shifts to the His disciples, who are to be the mercy givers as He is and begins to train them for that function as well as to proclaim it. Having shown them the great mercy of God in Jesus as the fullness of His sermon, He now moves to their job, that of testifying to that mercy. That will be the essence of their lives to spread that mercy through Jesus Christ. Should they choose not to do that they will become useless to God.

Chapter 9 - Jesus now empowers the disciples to minister, and they first now testify to Who He is.49 There is an 'inclusio' as Herod asks who He is, then the feeding of 5000, where Jesus performs a greater feeding that Moses or Elisha, and then Peter recognizes Him as the Christ of God. There is another ‘inclusio as they are empowered to cast out demons yet fail to cast them prior to verse 50.