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

edemptive history. 17 According to him, Jesus indeed taught his followers to pray for the
Kingdom to come its fullness (11:1), as well as to escape the tribulations and to stand before
the judge, the Son of man (21:36). He is convinced that not only Jesus himself, but also
Stephen entered the fourth stage of redemptive history. 18
Even though Plymale seems to
explain in success the relationship between prayer and the history of salvation in Luke and
Acts, I am disappointed at his selection of texts for studying this theme in part. He uses only
eleven specific prayer texts. This theme should be treated with more comprehensive texts, so
as to be given a more accurate perspective about prayer in Luke and Acts.
D.M. Crump’s aim is to show the Christological significance of Jesus’ prayer-life in Luke
and Acts. He states that Jesus, who can carry the will of God through his prayers, is the only
intercessor and perfectly knows the mind of God, and perfectly prays according to the
Father’s will. For him, Jesus with the exalted status as heavenly intercessor, prays for his
disciples, followers and their mission (9:18-17, 28-36; 10:21-24; 23:34, 46, 40-42; 23:47-48;
24:30-31), as well as continuing to pray for his followers in heaven as heavenly intercessor
(22:31-32; Acts 7:55-56). Jesus’ prayer as heavenly intercessor enables his followers to
perceive his identity and understand his message, arguing that for Luke, prayer is a means
with which one can find God’s will rather than guiding the course of his redemptive history.
If Jesus’ followers are not prayed for by Jesus, they are doomed to failure, like Judas. That is,
everything is thoroughly rooted in Jesus’ intercession. In conclusion, He contends that Luke
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thus seeks to elucidate why and how Jesus’ prayer can be concerned with the church today.
I agree in principle, but when it comes to examples of Jesus’ intercessory prayer, my view, as
I have pointed out in the footnote above, is rather different. It is most unlikely that seven texts
are applicable to the case of Jesus’ intercessory prayer: praying at the transfiguration (9:18-17;
9:28-36), praying for the repentance and conversion of the thief (23:40-42) and the centurion
(23:47-48), praying in Jesus’ breaking of the bread in Emmaus (24:30-31), and praying for
Stephen in Acts (7:55-56). However, he deserves to receive a favourable evaluation because
he goes further in the Christological significance of Jesus’ prayer-life in Luke and Acts
beyond the role of Jesus in God’s revelation, to the role of Jesus as an intercessor at prayer.
R.J. Karris basically has Luke as a narrative theologian of prayer in view. For him Luke
17. Steven F. Plymale, The Prayer Texts of Luke-Acts (AUS, 7.118; New York: Peter Lang, 1991); idem, “Luke’s
Theology of Prayer,” in ed., David J. Lull, Society of Biblical Literature: 1990 Seminar Papers (Atlanta,
Georgia: Scholars Press, 1990), 529-551, here 540.
18. Steven F. Plymale, The Prayer Texts of Luke-Acts, 114 and “Luke’s Theology of Prayer,” 549-550.
19. Crump, Jesus the Intercessor: Prayer and Christology in Luke-Acts, 21-34, 42-48, 89-96, 98-108, 178-203,
241.
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