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Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

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many will come from east and west and will eat<br />

with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

k<strong>in</strong>gdom of heaven, 12 while <strong>the</strong> heirs of <strong>the</strong><br />

k<strong>in</strong>gdom will be thrown <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> outer darkness,<br />

where <strong>the</strong>re will be weep<strong>in</strong>g and gnash<strong>in</strong>g of<br />

teeth". 13 And to <strong>the</strong> centurion <strong>Jesus</strong> said, "Go;<br />

let it be done for you accord<strong>in</strong>g to your faith".<br />

And <strong>the</strong> servant was healed <strong>in</strong> that hour.<br />

FROM THE GOSPELS TO JESUS<br />

Luke 13.28-29<br />

§8.4<br />

10 When those who had been sent returned to <strong>the</strong><br />

house, <strong>the</strong>y found <strong>the</strong> slave <strong>in</strong> good health.<br />

The episode is clearly <strong>the</strong> same: it is <strong>the</strong> story of <strong>the</strong> heal<strong>in</strong>g at a distance of <strong>the</strong><br />

seriously ill servant of a centurion who lived <strong>in</strong> Capernaum. With<strong>in</strong> that framework<br />

we f<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> same strik<strong>in</strong>g features: (i) a core of <strong>the</strong> story where <strong>the</strong> agreement<br />

is almost word for word (Matt. 8.8-10/Luke 7.6b-9); (ii) details which vary<br />

on ei<strong>the</strong>r side of <strong>the</strong> core to such an extent that <strong>the</strong> two versions seem to contradict<br />

each o<strong>the</strong>r (<strong>in</strong> Mat<strong>the</strong>w <strong>the</strong> centurion comes to plead with <strong>Jesus</strong> personally;<br />

<strong>in</strong> Luke he makes a po<strong>in</strong>t of not com<strong>in</strong>g).<br />

Evidently <strong>the</strong> exchange between <strong>Jesus</strong> and <strong>the</strong> centurion made a considerable<br />

impression on <strong>the</strong> disciples of <strong>Jesus</strong>: <strong>the</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation of humility and confidence<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>Jesus</strong> on <strong>the</strong> part of such a figure, and <strong>Jesus</strong>' surprise at its strength<br />

would have been strik<strong>in</strong>g enough. 195 Equally noticeable is <strong>the</strong> way <strong>in</strong> which Mat<strong>the</strong>w<br />

and Luke have each taken <strong>the</strong> story <strong>in</strong> his own way. Mat<strong>the</strong>w emphasizes<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>me of <strong>the</strong> centurion's faith, by <strong>in</strong>sert<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> say<strong>in</strong>g (Matt. 8.11-12) which<br />

Luke records <strong>in</strong> Luke 13.28-29 (<strong>the</strong> centurion as precedent for Gentile faith), 196<br />

and by round<strong>in</strong>g off his tell<strong>in</strong>g with a fur<strong>the</strong>r commendation by <strong>Jesus</strong> of <strong>the</strong> centurion's<br />

faith (Matt. 8.13). Luke emphasizes <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>me of <strong>the</strong> centurion's worth<strong>in</strong>ess<br />

by hav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> elders testify of his worth<strong>in</strong>ess (axios) (7.4-5) <strong>in</strong> counterpoise<br />

to <strong>the</strong> centurion's expression of unworth<strong>in</strong>ess (oude exiösa) (7.7a). Nor should<br />

we ignore <strong>the</strong> fact that both Mat<strong>the</strong>w and Luke draw <strong>the</strong>ir different emphases<br />

from <strong>the</strong> same core — faith (Matt. 8.10), worth<strong>in</strong>ess/fitness (hikanos, Luke 7.6).<br />

Here I would suggest is a f<strong>in</strong>e example of oral tradition<strong>in</strong>g, or if it is preferred,<br />

of Evangelists writ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> story <strong>in</strong> oral mode. 197 The story was no doubt<br />

195. Contrast <strong>the</strong> <strong>Jesus</strong> Sem<strong>in</strong>ar: 'S<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> words ascribed to <strong>Jesus</strong> vary, and s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong>re<br />

is noth<strong>in</strong>g dist<strong>in</strong>ctive about <strong>the</strong>m, we must assume <strong>the</strong>y were created by story-tellers' (Funk,<br />

Five Gospels 300). But <strong>the</strong> argument is self-defeat<strong>in</strong>g: would story-tellers create such unmemorable<br />

words, and why <strong>the</strong>n would <strong>the</strong>y be held constant <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r re-tell<strong>in</strong>gs?<br />

196. Funk's discussion is quite confused as to whe<strong>the</strong>r Matt. 8.11-12 could have existed<br />

separately from Mat<strong>the</strong>w's narrative context (Five Gospels 160), despite <strong>the</strong> recognition that its<br />

'Q' parallel (Luke 13.28-29) need not presuppose a Gentile mission (348), whereas<br />

Kloppenborg argues that <strong>the</strong> 'tendentious development of <strong>the</strong> heal<strong>in</strong>g story <strong>in</strong>to an apology for<br />

Gentile <strong>in</strong>clusion occurred already <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> oral stage' prior to Q (Formation 120).<br />

197. Contrast <strong>the</strong> redactional approach, as exemplified by U. Wegner, Der Hauptmann<br />

von Kafarnaum (WUNT 2.14; Tüb<strong>in</strong>gen: Mohr Siebeck, 1985), and Catchpole, Quest ch. 10,<br />

which characteristically assumes <strong>the</strong> literary paradigm throughout and evokes <strong>the</strong> picture of<br />

Mat<strong>the</strong>w and Luke carefully edit<strong>in</strong>g an orig<strong>in</strong>al Q more or less word by word.<br />

214

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