This passage occurs during the Easter season in year B of the Revised Common Lectionary, most recently on April 14, 2024.
For a sermon though, I would focus on the sending of the disciples (likely a group of men and women at this point). We find here the core of the Christian missionary proclamation:
The What: Resurrection of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins
The Where: Planet earth, beginning with Jerusalem
The Who: The disciples
What I find most moving is that the what, where and who all involve very earthly things. In fact, this commissioning is very grounded in this reality.
The What: Resurrection of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins
The Where: Planet earth, beginning with Jerusalem
The Who: The disciples
What I find most moving is that the what, where and who all involve very earthly things. In fact, this commissioning is very grounded in this reality.
Lastly, I might add (in 2024), a reflection on forgiveness and repentance.
Key Words:
λεγει (36, "speak") What is worth noting here is that this word is in the present tense. Luke suggests that Jesus was repeatedly saying "Peace be with you." A good sermon is a reflection on the passing of the peace that we offer in worship; it is the peace of Christ that comes about after hell, sin and the death have been defeated, not a wimpy excuse for a "shake another hand time" during church.
ειρηνη υμιν (36, "peace unto you") As I note in my passage on John 20, English has trouble capturing the force and meaning of what Jesus says. First, there is no verb. It simply reads "Peace among or unto you." Perhaps Jesus is simply declaring the fact that because he is in their midst, peace is with them. Or perhaps it is an expression of blessing and wish: Peace be with you! The other tricky part is the word υμιν, which is a plural dative. First, the peace is not just for one person, but is for the whole group. Second, the dative can have a variety of meanings, for example, it could be a distributive dative, meaning that there is a slice of peace for all the people.
After all of this grammatic analysis, a theological point: Jesus might simply be offering a middle eastern blessing: "Peace be with you." But I wonder if Jesus is stating a fact. Peace is among you.
διαλογισμοι (literally dialogues, "thoughts", 21:38) The NET Bible suggests this is an idiom (based on BDAG). The point here is that the literal translation is not entirely helpful: "Why do dialogues arise in your hearts" seems to suggest that Jesus isn't interested in conversations about faith with us; rather this particular phrase means "doubts."
χαρα ("joy", 41) The name Kara in English comes from this Greek word, meaning joy. Joy is an important word in Luke (and the New Testament!)
1:14 Prophecy of John the Baptist's birth
2:10 Angles announcing Jesus' birth
10:17 Disciples discover they can do miracles in Jesus name
15:7 and 10: Parables of lost sheep and coins
24:41 Jesus disciple cannot believe from joy
24:52 The last sentence of Luke's Gospel
It serves as book ends! The story begins with joy and ends with joy...as the heavens come to earth.
hendiadys; hendiatris (21:44) Jesus says the "law, prophets and psalms." By using these three words Jesus means "the whole of the Old Testament"; indeed, the Hebrew Bible refers to its three sections: The Torah, The Prophets and the Writings. In this way Jesus uses three words to mean one thing. The fancy term for this is: hendiatris. (One through three!)
διηνοιξεν (from διανοιγω, meaning "open", 24:45)There are two points in the Old Testament when things are opened using this verb:
Genesis 3:5 and 7 (eyes of Adam and Eve opened as they sin)
Exodus 13 (first born opens the womb)
In other words, this is a dramatic opening. It is also fitting that just as our eyes were first opened to the painful realities of life, now are our eyes are opened to God's love in this world!
του συνειναι ("to understand", 24:45) Jesus actually intends us to understand some things. In this passage, Jesus is concerned about both "head" and "heart." They mean different things in Greek, but that Jesus is concerned with both "doubts in the heart" and "opening their minds" affirms that God is into the whole person!! (Yes, learning is an act of worship!).
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Key Words:
λεγει (36, "speak") What is worth noting here is that this word is in the present tense. Luke suggests that Jesus was repeatedly saying "Peace be with you." A good sermon is a reflection on the passing of the peace that we offer in worship; it is the peace of Christ that comes about after hell, sin and the death have been defeated, not a wimpy excuse for a "shake another hand time" during church.
ειρηνη υμιν (36, "peace unto you") As I note in my passage on John 20, English has trouble capturing the force and meaning of what Jesus says. First, there is no verb. It simply reads "Peace among or unto you." Perhaps Jesus is simply declaring the fact that because he is in their midst, peace is with them. Or perhaps it is an expression of blessing and wish: Peace be with you! The other tricky part is the word υμιν, which is a plural dative. First, the peace is not just for one person, but is for the whole group. Second, the dative can have a variety of meanings, for example, it could be a distributive dative, meaning that there is a slice of peace for all the people.
After all of this grammatic analysis, a theological point: Jesus might simply be offering a middle eastern blessing: "Peace be with you." But I wonder if Jesus is stating a fact. Peace is among you.
διαλογισμοι (literally dialogues, "thoughts", 21:38) The NET Bible suggests this is an idiom (based on BDAG). The point here is that the literal translation is not entirely helpful: "Why do dialogues arise in your hearts" seems to suggest that Jesus isn't interested in conversations about faith with us; rather this particular phrase means "doubts."
χαρα ("joy", 41) The name Kara in English comes from this Greek word, meaning joy. Joy is an important word in Luke (and the New Testament!)
1:14 Prophecy of John the Baptist's birth
2:10 Angles announcing Jesus' birth
10:17 Disciples discover they can do miracles in Jesus name
15:7 and 10: Parables of lost sheep and coins
24:41 Jesus disciple cannot believe from joy
24:52 The last sentence of Luke's Gospel
It serves as book ends! The story begins with joy and ends with joy...as the heavens come to earth.
hendiadys; hendiatris (21:44) Jesus says the "law, prophets and psalms." By using these three words Jesus means "the whole of the Old Testament"; indeed, the Hebrew Bible refers to its three sections: The Torah, The Prophets and the Writings. In this way Jesus uses three words to mean one thing. The fancy term for this is: hendiatris. (One through three!)
διηνοιξεν (from διανοιγω, meaning "open", 24:45)There are two points in the Old Testament when things are opened using this verb:
Genesis 3:5 and 7 (eyes of Adam and Eve opened as they sin)
Exodus 13 (first born opens the womb)
In other words, this is a dramatic opening. It is also fitting that just as our eyes were first opened to the painful realities of life, now are our eyes are opened to God's love in this world!
του συνειναι ("to understand", 24:45) Jesus actually intends us to understand some things. In this passage, Jesus is concerned about both "head" and "heart." They mean different things in Greek, but that Jesus is concerned with both "doubts in the heart" and "opening their minds" affirms that God is into the whole person!! (Yes, learning is an act of worship!).
****
A reflection written in 2024:
μετανοιαν εις αφεσιν ("repentance into forgiveness", 24:47)
We can take this a couple of ways
- Ignore details, simply say that forgiveness and repentance remain significant after the resurrection. Forgiveness is not ancillary to the mission of Jesus and the mission of the church.
- Repentance precedes forgiveness -- like you need to make a fundamental turn toward Jesus in order to receive forgiveness
- Repentance here means "have a new mind." Jesus is saying that in light of his death and resurrection we need a new mind, a new orientation, one that is toward forgiveness of sins. This is only possible in light of the death, suffering and resurrection of Jesus. In this way, we are repenting not so much to be forgiven, but repenting to forgive others!
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Unfinished thoughts
εις παντα τα εθνη (47) The focus of Jesus preaching is the whole world, yet
απο Ιερουσαλημ (47) Jerusalem still matters
μαρτυρυς (48) Witness. My mind explodes here. See my passage on the ascension story in Luke.
εις παντα τα εθνη (47) The focus of Jesus preaching is the whole world, yet
απο Ιερουσαλημ (47) Jerusalem still matters
μαρτυρυς (48) Witness. My mind explodes here. See my passage on the ascension story in Luke.
Quick grammar note: Greek often puts an article with an infinitive, "articular infinitive" (του+infinitive in this case). Because it is in the genitive, this suggests that it is an articular infinitive of purpose: Opened their minds so that they could understand!
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