[Propertalk] Fw: Luke 2:41-52 - Part 1 of 3

Thu Dec 17 12:05:38 EST 2009

Forwarded: Luke 2:41-52 - Part 1 of 3

-----Original Message-----
From: bstoffregen at roadrunner.com
To: brian.stoffregen at gmail.com
Sent: Wed, Dec 16, 2009 11:46 pm
Subject: Luke 2:41-52

Here are notes <>for the 1st Sunday after Christmas: Luke 2:41-52.Brian

1 Christmas C: Exegetical Notes on Luke 2:41-52

This is the only canonical story of young Jesus. This story is also found in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (19), which is full of stories about young Jesus. It is dated about 125 C.E. Another story is

Once again he [Jesus] was going through the village, and a child who was running banged into his shoulder. Jesus was angered and said to him, "You shall go no further on your way." And immediately the child fell down dead. (4:1)

This story might give an indication why the Infancy Gospel of Thomas wasn't included in the Bible -- it doesn't present a picture of Jesus that is consistent with the Jesus that the believers knew and believed in.

THE PIETY OF MARY AND JOSEPH

Our text not only tells us about the young Jesus, but also a lot about his parents -- they were very devout in keeping the Jewish Law.

* Eight days after Jesus' birth, he is circumcised (2:21).

* Five times in the account of the purification of Mary & presentation of Jesus in the temple, we are told that his parents act according to the "law" (2:22, 23, 24, 27, 39).

* Our text begins by telling us that "every year" his parents go to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. NOTE: according to Culpepper (Luke, New Interpreter's Bible): "Moving at a pace of 15 miles a day, their journey to Jerusalem would have taken four or five days" [p. 76].

* When Jesus is 12, they go up "as usual" [ἔθος - ethos in Greek -- more on this word later] for the festival.

Luke stresses the fact in this chapter that Mary and Joseph were very devout Jews. We might wonder how much of Jesus' knowledge and self-identity came from the way he was raised in this pious household.

MAKING IT A "HABIT"

I have made the word ἔθος (ethos) the topic of sermons on this text. The English word "ethics" comes from this word. It refers to "a pattern of behavior that is more or less fixed by tradition and generally sanctioned by the society" [Lowe & Nida]. The word is frequently translated "custom" or "habit."

Of the 12 times this word is used in the NT, 10 of those are in Luke/Acts. The only occurrence of the verbal form (ἐθίζω - ethizō) is in Luke 2:27, where it indicates that Mary and Joseph do for Jesus what is customary under the law. Even though there is nothing else written about young Jesus in scriptures, we know that he grew up with parents who made it a habit of obeying the Law. I'm certain that young Jesus was encouraged to obey it when it applied to him. Young Jesus was learning some good religious habits from his parents.

The noun is used of Jesus in Luke 22:39 where we are told that it was his custom (or habit) to go to the Mount of Olives. He goes there to pray.

What "customs" or "habits" are being handed down by parents today? Some have made it a habit of attending church every week. Some have made it a habit of attending church on Christmas and Easter. Some encourage their children give an offering every week. Others give almost nothing themselves.

It is interesting to me that the Greek word ἔθος (ethos)  is never used in scripture to refer to what we would usually consider ethical or moral behaviors -- like "don't tell lies, don't steal, help other people, don't be immoral, don't hurt or kill other people, be generous." When ἔθος (ethos)  is used in the New Testament, it almost always refers to religious behaviors -- mostly about attending church!

And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Heb 10:25).

Another word with the same meaning [εἴωθα - eiōtha] is used of Jesus when he goes to the synagogue on the sabbath as was his custom (Lu 4:16); and of Paul (Ac 17:2). Do we need to promote regular church as an "ethic" that believers should practice? When we make lists of ethical behavior, is church attendance or taking time to pray on the lists?

However, most of the seven times ἔθος (ethos)  is used in Acts, Jesus and his followers -- especially Paul -- are accused of destroying the ἔθος (ethos)  that Moses had handed down (Ac 6:14; 15:1; 16:21; 21:21; 28:17). As we see in Luke, Jesus came from a family that followed the "customs" of Moses. Jesus did not seek to destroy, but he did seek to give them the proper meaning. "Habits" can become mindless actions -- doing something without knowing the meaning(s) behind such actions.

We do some of the same thing with Christmas. We don't want to destroy Christmas, but we try and promote the real meaning of the holiday. It is a time to celebrate the birth of God's son, not primarily a time to worry about presents to buy or receive, or the tree and decorations to put up. These other actions may help support the real meaning of the festival, but they may also get in the way of the true meaning.

If Jesus made it a habit to attend church (synagogue) and to go off on a mountain to pray, how much more do we need to make it a habit if we are to keep a constant walk with God?

Brian Stoffregen
pastor, Faith Lutheran Church, 2215 S 8th Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364
e-mail: brian.stoffregen at gmail.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://stsams.org/pipermail/propertalk_stsams.org/attachments/20091217/5a4ad02e/attachment.htm>