the role of the lukan parables in terms of the purpose of luke's gospel

lessing prayer of the disciples before his ascension (24:51-53). Second, among the synoptic
parallels Luke alone mentions prayer (3:21; 6:12; 9:18, 28) or lays special emphasis on
prayer (11:1; 19:46). 3
At each of these places that mention of prayer is not absent in the
synoptic parallels, Luke virtually makes reference to prayer: “Now when all the people were
baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened”
(3:21), “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in
prayer to God” (6:12), “Now it happened that as he was praying alone the disciples were with
him; and he asked them, ‘Who do the people say that I am?’” (9:18), and “Now about eight
days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the
mountain to pray” (9:28). The other side of the coin is that Luke sets 11:1 in the situation of
an answer to the disciples’ specific request of prayer, unlike its setting in the diverse themes
in Matthew 6:5-15, and that he chooses “will be a house of prayer” (19:46) rather than “will
be called a house of prayer” (Mk. 11:17). As a result, putting special stress on prayer makes it
all the more striking. Finally, Luke has three parables related to prayer unique to the Gospel:
The Friend at Midnight (11:5-8), the Judge and the Widow (18:1-8), and the Pharisee and the
Tax Collector (18:9-14).
The theme of prayer is also continued in Acts with a special emphasis on practice. In
keeping with Jesus’ model and teaching on prayer, the early church in Acts actually proceeds
to pray as a fundamental part of Christian life (1:14; 2:42). The apostles regularly seem to
attend the temple at the hours of prayer (3:1), as well as being more aware of prayer as
apostolic priority (6:2-4). Stephen’s prayer (7:59-60) is reminiscent of Jesus’ prayer on the
cross (Lk. 23:34, 46). Fervent prayer enables the prayers to receive the promised Spirit (4:24-
31) and be rescued from jail (12:5, 12; 16:25). Besides these, prayer is performed in the
commissioning of Matthias as the replacement of Judas (1:24-25), seven deacons (6:6), Saul
and Barnabas (13:3), and elders in the churches of South Galatia (14:23). Taken together,
Luke’s special concern to prayer can be seen throughout Luke-Acts.
The prayer of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel can be divided into two categories, such as “Jesus at
3. S. John Roth, “Jesus the Pray-er,” CurTM 33 (2006), 488-500, especially, 488-89; M.M.B. Turner, “Prayer in
the Gospels and Acts,” in ed., D. A. Carson, Teach us to Pray: Prayer in the Bible and the World (Grand Rapids,
Mich.: The Paternoster Press and Baker Book House, 1990), 58-83, here 58-59; Lindell O. Harris, “Prayer in the
Gospel of Luke,” SJT 10 (1967), 59-69, here 59.
4. Marshall, “Jesus–Example and Teacher of Prayer in the Synoptic Gospel,” 113-31, especially 115-16, also
contends that Luke was not only aware of the significance of prayer, but also emphasized prayer in Jesus’
ministry and teaching on the grounds that Luke had his editorial insertions into his Marcan source material (3:21;
6:12; 9:28f.; 22:32, 44; 23:34, 46), and unique material to Luke (1:10; 11:1, 5-8; 18:1-14; 24:30) as well.
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