Opposition to Totalitarianism

Ref

Parties addressed

Key Quote

1. . V . "Saved" Leader (V means Versus!)

13:23-30

Someone

"there are first ones who will be last"

13:23-30 Someone said to him. "Lord are only a few saved?" And he said to them. "Struggle to enter through the narrow door, because many I tell you will seek to enter and will not be able. For when the house-master is risen and he shuts the door and you are standing outside and begin to knock on the door saying "Lord open to us", he will say to you in answer. "I do know who you are or where you come from." Then you will begin to say "We ate and drank with you before and you taught in our streets." And he will say, telling you "I do not know where you come from. Stand away from me those who are

unrighteousness." There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God. But you on the other hand are being thrust outside. And they will come from the east and west and from the north and south and will recline in the kingdom of God. And look, there are those who are last yet who will be first. There are those who are first who will be last." (Text is mainly a paraphrase of the Literal translation in the RSV Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, 1988)

2. . V . Rejection

13:31-35

some Pharisees

"c/f mother hen re Jerusalem"

13:31-35 At the same time some Pharisees approached saying to him. "Depart from here because Herod wants to kill you." And he said to them “Go and tell that fox "Look I expel demons and accomplish cures to-day and to-morrow. And on the third day I am perfected. Nevertheless it behoves me to-day and to-morrow and on the following day to journey. This is because it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside Jerusalem."”

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her. How often I wished to gather your children to myself like a bird gathers her brood under her wings. Yet you did not want this. Behold your house is left to you. And I tell you you will not see me until the time when you say "Blessed is the one coming in the name of the Lord."

In other words, Jesus is going to turn up in Jerusalem when the time is ripe for a confrontation there.

Note how Luke repeats the concept of containers which was a theme in the previous Section C - from a child wanting an egg, to a man's body pictured as being a house, to mention of a womb and 'keeping' the Word. Here Jerusalem is also imaged as a 'house' destined for destruction (c/f the Roman seige in 70 AD)