Luke chapters 1-11 tell of the birth, baptism, and beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth through Luke’s perspective. In reading these chapters, instead of focusing on one particular verse or chapter, I had questions that came from reading all these chapters. I wondered why certain things happened the way they did. Being curious by nature I like asking questions, so here they are:
How does the human filter provide such a kaleidoscope of interpretations of who Jesus was? Jesus was different things to different people. To some he was a savior, a healer, a master, to others he seemed a radical in his teachings. Some saw him as a prophet, others a blasphemer, and yet others the son of God
If Jesus was born of Mary, a virgin, why does the gospel trace back Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph only? Luke 3:23 “Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph” and goes on to describe the lineage all the way back to Adam, son of God. Can you imagine if they would have described the lineage from Mary, from whom it was known that Jesus came?
Why at certain times did Jesus try to hide that he was the son of God? When Jesus began his ministry, the gospel of Luke showed him rebuking demons he cast out of people to be quiet, because they cried out that he was the Son of God. Even as Jesus healed people, there were some that he told to not speak about their healing. One example is the man with leprosy, who was instructed to show himself to the priest and offer a sacrifice, but to not tell anyone that he was healed by Christ. It seems to go against what a person who was healed would want to do. Normally they share this type of good news with all their friends and loved ones. The gospel of Luke noted that nevertheless, word about Jesus and his power to heal and do miracles was widespread.
Why did Jesus speak in parables or in certain ways and not always explain what his message was? There were times when the disciples themselves did not understand what Jesus told them. When Jesus spoke of the parable of the sower, he only explained the meaning to his disciples quoting Isaiah 6:9, and said that the people though seeing, may not see, and though hearing, may not understand. Then he went on to say that there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and to consider carefully how we listen. Perhaps when people heard the message Jesus had, they were not listening with an open heart and were not ready to understand the meaning?
Jesus did not turn out to be what the people of that time expected from a Messiah. In a society and religion where rules, cleanliness from ritual, order, and hierarchy were valued, Jesus threw these things out the window. To the pharisees he called them out on their hypocrisy, their greed, and wickedness. To the law experts he told them they burden people and do not help them. He told them their generation would have the blood of the prophets on their hands (heavy stuff). He told them they had taken the key to the door of knowledge and did not enter or allow others to. To the disciples he told them the greatest in the kingdom would be a little child. He ate with poor, the tax collectors, prostitutes, and spent time with people who were considered unclean or unimportant. He told Martha not to worry about cooking/cleaning/preparations but instead to spend time with him (how refreshing). When the crowds came to find him, Jesus would withdraw to a quiet place to pray. Some expected Jesus to overthrow the Roman government that ruled over the Jewish people. Instead, Jesus overthrew the religious way of doing things and established his kingdom of humility, love, and forgiveness for all people.
What if Jesus had come in our lifetime, would he be what I expected? Would my heart be open and ready to understand his teachings? Would I have seen him only as a prophet and missed out on realizing he was the real thing? Would I have been willing and ready to leave everything behind, including my family and follow him?
Miriam Cortez is a Registered Nurse at LLUMC. When she’s not working she enjoys reading and spending time in the great outdoors with her husband and daughters.