Thomas Cahill

April 22, 2001 Summarize Lu's concerns from last time"¦ 188 ff: Prayer Model Prayer Friend at Midnight 190: Prayer and Kindness READ QUOTE: "But for Luke there is one thing that can make the Christ-like life impossible"¦. "¦Matthew"¦hyp"¦Lu"¦wealth.

Matt: hypocrite = play actor "“ note Greek theater Lu: wealth "“ Broader issues = greed, selfishness, idolatry What might wealth and hypocrisy have in common? Blindness // self-deception // anxiety (note Lu 12:22ff "“ be not anxious) 191: The parable of the rich fool ""¦piles up treasure but is not rich toward God." What does it mean to be rich toward God? CAHILL follows the parable of the rich fool with the parable of Lazarus and Dives and then doesn't get around to the issue of worry until p. 193. NOTE: this is not Luke's order -- Like most of us, Cahill arranges material to make the points that HE wants to make.

Church of Saint-Eutrope in Clermont-Ferrand, stain...

The Parable of the Rich Fool by Rembrandt, 1627.

English: Print by Gustave Doré illustrating the p...

Does Cahill's arrangement betray LUKE's intentions as a redactor? NOTE ARRANGEMENT: LUKE: The parable of the rich fool and the discourse on anxiety are paired contextually (ch. 12). THEN, the parable of Lazarus and Dives is in ch. 16 and paired with the thematic statement in 16:16 "“ "The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the Kingdom of God is proclaimed and everyone tries to enter it by force." Cahill is right that the theme concerning the danger of wealth continues throughout Luke. He is careless, however, in placing the parable about Lazarus immediately following the parable of the rich fool.

Luke's intention is clearer if we take Luke's order and treat the issue "Anxiety" next.

193 (Lu 12:22ff) Anxiety/worry 191 (Lu 16:19-31 in the context of 16:16-17) Rich man and Lazarus "A Miracle for Me" "“ Cahill, pp. 208-213 I. Miracle a. The category of miracle, like evangelism in some circles, has been tainted by people who abuse the category for their own selfish ends: W.V. Grant, Oral Roberts, Gold Dust at a local charismatic congregation b. Likewise "¦ intellectual difficulty with the category from a modern, scientific perspective i. Not to say that there has to be a dichotomy "“ The best of the Anglican tradition affirms reason as well as tradition and revelation. "“ We don't have to commit intellectual suicide to live by faith.

ii. Premodern, modern, postmodern c. What is a miracle? -- class input d. II. Cahill begins section on miracle w/ a case-study: Mary Magdalene a. Mary: apostle "“ Luke 8 (note women in ministry issue: Smyth/Helwys) // $$$ her money supported J's ministry b. Cahill's point: People like Mary M witnessed and experienced Jesus miraculous activity -- enough to change their lives.

III. p. 207 "“ Cahill's "Either/Or" a. either superstition or substrata of meaning that was later embellished i. Is this either/or option our only option? ii. What are other options? b. Theological stories i. Mark "“ works of power ii. Matt "“ Messianic Authority iii. Luke "“ Compassion and inclusion iv. John -- signs IV. P. 211 "“ Meier a. Most primitive layer of oral tradition b. metahistorical V. Mystery "“ p. 212 VI. Hermeneutical options a. Second naiveté "“ narrative as it stands "“ meaning disclosed b. Fusion of worlds c. Tupper "“ [What does our approach to MIRACLE imply about our view of God?] Given self-limitation of God "“ i. Tapestry ii. Perlman "“ three strings iii. "God always does the most that God can do." VII. Examples in Luke a. 8:22-25 "“ storm b. 9:10-17 "“ 5000 c. 13:10-17 "“ crippled woman on Sabbath d. 14:1-6 "“ healing on Sabbath

Cahill's Crossing on the East Alligator River Marc...

Притча о Лазаре. 1886

c. 1035-1040