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

which prevail in Hellenistic and biblical literature have become the impetus in developing
and extending the Lukan travel narrative from the Markan travel narrative (Mk 10:32;
11:1). 22 The problem of the Lukan travel narrative arises from the mission to the Gentiles in
Acts, that is, if a Christian accepts the principle of freedom towards the Jewish Law, does the
continuity of the history of salvation still remain secure? During the Journey, Jesus offers the
eschatological salvation first to Israel, but Jesus is rejected by them. For this reason, the
history of salvation has become a history of doom. On the other hand, Jesus encounters
Gentiles, who, in contrast to Israel, accept his salvation offer. At this point, the acceptance
and rejection of Jesus’ salvation offer make the transition of salvation from Jews to Gentiles,
thereby creating the scaffold of the mission to the Gentiles in Acts as well. In this regard, the
travel narrative is ambivalent about the history of doom because of the rejection of the Jews,
and the scaffold of the mission because of the acceptance by the Gentiles. Apart from this,
according to Denaux, the travel narrative contains both the theme of ascension and of
discipleship. 23
J. Székely argues that in Luke, the journey is an image of Jesus’ exodus towards death
and glorification. In other words, the travel narrative is seen in terms of the christological
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interpretation that Jesus is indeed on his way to his destiny and his victory.
At the same
time, the way is also a prefiguration, not only of the life of the church, but also of the Gentile
mission. Along the way, the journey is the preparation of the disciples for the time of Jesus’
absence after the ascension. On the course of the Journey, the disciples are prepared for
authentic witness to Jesus’ words and deeds. He elicits the mission theme from Jesus’
presence in Samaria and a semi-pagan territory, but also from the number seventy (or
seventy-two) at the beginning of the mission discourse. In his view, the number seventy (or
seventy-two) is reminiscent of the seventy peoples of the earth in Gn 10, and the seventy-two
elders of Nm 11:24-30. He also views the travel narrative, as we have seen from Reicke, as a
manual for missionaries through its several instructions. During Jesus’ Journey, the
consequence of the conflict between Jesus and the leaders of the Jewish religion creates a
22. Denaux, “The Theme of Divine Visits and Human (In)hospitality in Luke-Acts. Its Old Testament and
Graeco-Roman Antecedents,” in ed., J. Verheyden, The Unity of Luke-Acts (Leuven: Leuven University Press,
1999), 255-279.
23. Denaux, “Het lucaanse reisverhaal (Lc. 9:51-19:44),” CBG 14 (1968), 214-242; 15 (1969), 464-501; idem,
“The Delineation of the Lukan Travel Narrative within the Overall Structure of the Gospel of Luke,” 357-392;
idem, “Old Testament Models for the Lukan Travel Narrative. A Critical Survey,” in ed., C.M. Tuckett, The
Scriptures in the Gospels (Louvain: Leuven University Press, 1997), 271-305; idem, “The Parable of the King-
Judge (Lk 19:12-28) and its Relation to the Entry Story (Lk 19:29-44),” 35-57.
24. Székely, Structure and Theology of the Lucan ‘Intinerarium’, 130-33, 159-61.
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