RSV ~ Luke 4 Notes

Lk 4:1-13 | ISB Notes

Luke’s temptation narrative plots the course of Jesus’ ministry. At question is the nature of his mission: What kind of Messiah will he be? Satan attempts to detour Jesus from the path of suffering to one of earthly power (4:6) and sensationalism (4:9-10). His final effort to tempt Jesus brings them to Jerusalem (4:9), which anticipates Passion Week and the defeat of Satan by the Cross (Heb 2:14-15; 1 Jn 3:8) (CCC 538-40, 2119). See note on Mt 4:1-11.

• Allegorically (St. Ambrose, In Lucam): Christ goes into the wilderness to rescue man from his exile in sin. Since Adam’s expulsion from Eden, man has languished in the desert of spiritual death, cut off from paradise. Christ pursues man in the desert to wrest him from the grip of the devil.

Lk 4:2 | ISB Notes

forty days: The duration of Jesus’ fast.

• The number 40 is symbolic of probation and testing in the Bible. It is linked with the flood (Gen 7:4, 17), Moses’ fast on Mt. Sinai (Ex 34:28), Israel’s journey in the desert (Deut 8:2), the twelve spies’ inspection of Canaan (Num 14:34), Israel’s oppression by the Philistines (Judg 13:1), Elijah’s fasting (1 Kings 19:8), and Nineveh’s opportunity to repent at the preaching of Jonah (Jon 3:4).

Lk 4:13 | ISB Notes

until an opportune time: The devil’s defeat is as yet incomplete. He will continue fighting against God’s kingdom (11:17-22) and will mount an aggressive assault on Jesus in Gethsemane (22:3, 39-53).

Lk 4:16 | ISB Notes

Nazareth: Jesus’ boyhood home (2:51). See note on Lk 1:26.

synagogue: A small building used for worship and instruction in the Bible. Sabbath services were structured around the reading and exposition of the Law of Moses (Acts 15:21) and the prophets (4:17; Acts 13:15). See note on Mt 4:23.

Lk 4:18-19 | ISB Notes

A reference to Is 61:1-2, with an additional excerpt from Is 58:6. Since many during NT times expected the Messiah to liberate Israel from the political domination of the Romans, the townspeople mistakenly thought these passages promised their national independence (CCC 439).

• Isaiah’s oracle picks up the language of Lev 25 regarding the jubilee year. As part of Israel’s economic legislation, a jubilee was celebrated every 50 years. It signaled the remission of debts, the release of slaves, and the return of ancestral property to its original family owners. Isaiah projects this jubilee celebration into the future when God will come to release Israel from its slavery (idols) and debt (guilt). Jesus follows the spirit of Isaiah when he announces liberation from sin, not from political or economic subjugation (Rom 6:6). Elsewhere in Luke the word release (Gk. aphesis) means “forgiveness” (1:77; 3:3; 24:47).

Lk 4:18 | ISB Notes

good news to the poor: Christ reserves many blessings for the lowly and powerless (1:52; 6:20; 14:12-14; 16:19-26; 18:1-8; 19:8-10; CCC 544, 2443).

Lk 4:22 | ISB Notes

Joseph’s son?: People naturally considered Jesus the offspring of Joseph, unaware of his virginal conception by the Holy Spirit (1:34-35; 3:23). The Nazarenes were skeptical about Jesus’ credentials and felt he was unqualified to inaugurate Israel’s national liberation (Mk 6:1-3).

Lk 4:24 | ISB Notes

no prophet is acceptable: Jesus places himself in the company of the OT prophets, many of whom were rejected and even killed by fellow Israelites (11:47; 13:33-34; Acts 7:52).

Lk 4:25-30 | ISB Notes

Jesus recalls the mission of Elijah and Elisha to explain his own.

• These prophets lived during dark times, when God looked unfavorably upon the northern kingdom of Israel and sent blessings to the Gentiles instead. Elijah was sent to a widow in Sidon (1 Kings 17:1-16), and Elisha cleansed a Syrian leper (2 Kings 5:1-14). Jesus declares that the “acceptable year of the Lord” (4:19) will likewise be a time of blessing, even outside of Israel. This collided with Jewish perspectives that anticipated only punishment for Gentile nations.

Lk 4:29 | ISB Notes

out of the city: The crowd probably intended to stone Jesus as a false teacher (Deut 13:10; Acts 7:58).

Lk 4:31 | ISB Notes

Capernaum: The headquarters of Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Mt 4:13; Mk 2:1). The town lies on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and thrived on its fishing industry.

Lk 4:36 | ISB Notes

with authority and power: Many popular exorcists during NT times recited long incantations and used odorous roots to expel demons (Wis 7:20; Mt 12:27; Acts 19:13). Jesus, however, merely speaks a word and the spirits depart. Exorcism played a pivotal role in his campaign against Satan’s kingdom (4:41; 8:28-29; 9:42; 11:14-20) (CCC 550).

Lk 4:38-39 | ISB Notes

The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law highlights the power of Jesus’ word. Just as he vanquishes demons by rebuking them (4:35, 41), so Jesus rebuked the woman’s illness. Her immediate recovery is evidenced by her hospitality.

Lk 4:43 | ISB Notes

kingdom of God: A leading theme in the Gospels. It is mentioned more than 30 times in Luke.

• The kingdom of Christ is closely connected with the ancient kingdom of David. For centuries David’s empire lay in ruins, existing only in the minds of the prophets who foretold its glorious restoration by the Messiah (Is 9:6-7; Amos 9:11; Mk 11:10; Acts 1:6). Jesus now comes as the messianic heir to resurrect this fallen kingdom in a spiritual way, ruling from his throne at the Father’s right hand (Mk 16:19; Acts 2:33-36). His everlasting reign in the heavenly Jerusalem thus fulfills God’s covenant oath to establish David’s throne for all time (1:32-33; Ps 89:3-4). Like David, Christ appoints a cabinet of royal ministers (apostles) to manage the daily affairs of the kingdom (22:28-30; 2 Sam 8:15-18; 1 Kings 4:1-6). Even the international scope of Christ’s kingdom was prefigured in the Davidic empire, which not only ruled over the tribes of Israel but extended its dominion over other nations as well (2 Sam 8:1-14; 1 Kings 4:20-21) (CCC 543, 551-53). .

• According to Vatican II, the kingdom of God is mysteriously present in the Church, where Christ reigns as king and shepherds his people through the Magisterium (Lumen Gentium, 3). The kingdom will reach its full perfection in heaven (Jn 18:36; 2 Tim 4:18; CCC 541).

Lk 4:44 | ISB Notes

Judea: Sometimes denotes all of Palestine in Luke, including Galilee (1:5; 7:17; 23:5).