Luke 19: The Overlap of Jesus' Parables and Historical Events - Luke's Strategy to Persuade Theophilus
Luke 19: The Overlap of Jesus' Parables and Historical Events - Luke's Strategy to Persuade Theophilus
9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
12 He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.
13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling.
Luke presents the story of Zacchaeus not from the familiar perspective of Zacchaeus himself, but from Jesus' viewpoint. Zacchaeus is portrayed as someone whom Jesus has sought and found. Luke anticipates Theophilus, a Roman, wondering, "Am I also someone whom Jesus has lost and found?" By incorporating the parable of the ten minas, Luke maintains the context of the Zacchaeus story (continuing from verse 11: "While they were listening to this"), and goes a step further to confirm that Theophilus, like Zacchaeus, is someone whom Jesus has sought and found.
In the parable of the ten minas, each of the ten servants receives one mina, reflecting Luke's theme of universality. Jews did not receive more, and non-Jews did not receive less. Luke's universalism is also echoed in Jesus' words in the Zacchaeus story: "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost" (verse 10). From Jesus' perspective, both Jews and Gentiles are the lost. The core of the parable is the master's command to do business. The master's evaluation is based not on profit, but on whether the servants engaged in business. This is where Theophilus can see his own potential.
Luke recognizes that Jesus' parables might be unfamiliar to Theophilus and intertwines them with actual historical events. The fact that Zacchaeus is treated as a sinner and Jesus' declaration that he is a son of Abraham might seem strange to a Roman like Theophilus. Luke overlays the parable of the ten minas with historical events: the opposition to Archelaus becoming ethnarch after his father's death and the dispatching of a delegation to oppose his appointment parallels the nobleman's quest for kingship. The entry into Jerusalem and the nobleman's return align. The punishment of the wicked servant who did no business parallels the cleansing of the temple (verses 45-48) following Jesus' entry into Jerusalem.
To ensure Theophilus understands, Luke adds commentary to the parable of the ten minas (verse 11). Luke signals to Theophilus that Jesus is approaching Jerusalem and will soon enter it. Luke also adds his own perspective that people thought the kingdom of God was going to appear at once, providing Theophilus with a framework to understand the events following Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, culminating in the crucifixion, not just in terms of time, but on a different level.