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

understanding Luke’s view of the relation between Christianity and Judaism should pivot 180
degrees. That is, rather than setting Gentile Christianity free, Luke ties it to Judaism. And
rather than rejecting the Jews, Luke appeals to them.” 121
Having mentioned Josephus’ reports that the defeat of the Jews in the great war with
Rome (66-74 C.E.) raised repercussions in the Diaspora, J.M. Ford holds that “one of the
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purposes of the Gospel of Luke was to respond to these postwar conditions,” and to
encourage the Jewish Christian communities in Palestinian and the Diaspora that the peace
that Christ came to bring is not won through violence but by love, forgiveness, and
acceptance of enemies into covenant community. He claims that the year of favour
proclaimed by Jesus in Luke 4:16-30 could also be applied to the Christian communities in
the Diaspora, namely, “the Jubilee era which, if properly implemented, would solve many of
the social, economic, and religious problems within Palestine.” 123
However, they all advance their claims without regard to whether the intended reader of
Luke-Acts has “some knowledge of Jewish faith and practice and is familiar with the Jewish
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scriptures.” Moreover, they have “an awareness of Jewish-Samaritan hostilities, as well as
a familiarity with the Mediterranean world. However, the Jewish elements in Luke-Acts can
be explained in a number of ways, some of which do not require a Jewish audience.”
2-2-3. A Non-Christian Audience
Here, a non-Christian audience generally points to a God-fearer, not a pagan Gentile audience.
Given, in Luke’s prologue, the phrase ‘among us’ in verse 1, and their previous knowledge in
verse 4, a pagan Gentile audience is ruled out of this discussion. In this respect, the audience
of Luke-Acts may well be Christian. I will, therefore, deal primarily here with God-fearers as
a non-Christian audience of Luke-Acts, not a pagan Gentile audience. God-fearers as the
audience for Luke-Acts have been debated by scholars. 125
God-fearers are described as
121. Ibid., 159. Brawley believes that Luke uses Hellenistic literary techniques to legitimate Jesus and Peter,
showing parallels in Hellenistic literature in six major categories: (1) divine approval, (2) access to divine power,
(3) high motivation, (4) benefiting others, (5) possessing a high level of culture, and (6) adhering to an ancient
tradition. See also Brawley, Luke-Acts and the Jews: Conflict, Apology, and Conciliation, 51-67.
122. Ford, My Enemy is My Guest: Jesus and Violence in Luke, 136-37; idem, “Reconciliation and Forgiveness
in Luke’s Gospel,” in ed., R.J. Cassidy and P.J. Scharper, Political Issues in Luke-Acts (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis
Books, 1983), 80-98.
123. Ford, My Enemy is My Guest: Jesus and Violence in Luke, 136.
124. Forbes, The God of Old: The Role of the Lukan Parables in the Purpose of Luke’s Gospel, 322.
125. K. Lake, “Proselytes and God-Fearers,” in ed., F.J. Foakes Jackson and K. Lake, The Beginnings of
Christianity. V. The Acts of the Apostles (5 vols.; London: Macmillan, 1933), 74-96; M. Wilcox, “The God-
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