The Gospel of Luke
Chapter 21 (21,5-38): Overview
The first point we must note about this discourse is that Jesus is still in the Temple when he gives it. In Mark and Matthew (Mk 13,3, Mt 24,3), Jesus gives the discourse sitting on the Mount of Olives.
By keeping Jesus in the Temple, Luke is maintaining continuity with the first part of his teaching there, 20,1-21,4. The immediate consequence therefore is that we now have Jesus telling of the consequences of his rejection by the Jewish leaders. The result of this and how this discourse differs as a result from the apparently similar discourses in Mark and Matthew we will need to consider once we have read it.
The discourse is set up in 21,5-9 with an opening dialogue. There is a first exchange of question and answer in verses 5 and 6 which is equivalent to Mk 13,1-2.
Then the key questions are asked in verse 7, parallel with Mk 13,3-4. The key word here is "sign" which also appears (in the plural) in verses 11 and 25.
Jesus' opening reply is given in verses 8 and 9.
Verse 10 begins "Then he said to them" after which Jesus speaks without interruption through to verse 28.
Verse 29 then begins "And he told them a parable". This last part continues until the end in verse 36.
A comparison of the discourse with Mark will indicate a stronger presentation of the fate of Jerusalem in 21,20-24.
Luke also omits Mk 13,21-23 on false Christs and at the end he changes in 21,34-36, Mark's final exhortation to watch, Mk 13,34-37.
The Discourse
The seven sections of the discourse that result are:
21,5-9: Opening dialogue
21,10-11: Wars, earthquakes, famine and plagues
21,12-19: Witness and persecution
21,20-24: Jerusalem surrounded by armies
21,25-28: Coming of the Son of Man
21,29-33: The lesson of the fig tree
21,34-36: Take heed
We will see the details marking out these sections as we read.
We can put this discourse together by noticing how Luke has altered Mark.
In verse 7, the key word is "sign". This word is also used in the plural by Luke in verses 11 and 25 in a way not found in the other two Gospels.
Verses 11 and 12 are unique to Luke as the comparison with Mk 13,8-9 will show. In verse 11, he suddenly broadens out the natural disasters he has mentioned to great signs from heaven.
Then in verse 12, again unique to him, there is a new opening: "But before all this happens..." There follows what might be described as two practical themes: witness and persecution in verses 12-19 followed by the fate of Jerusalem in verses 20-24. (We can note that "Jerusalem" forms a bracket in verses 20-24).
In verse 25, there is yet another sentence unique to Luke: "there will be signs..." This is not found in Mk 13,24.
The conclusion is that in Luke, Jesus announces the theme of signs in 21,11. He speaks of what will happen beforehand in 21,12-24. In 21,25, he then picks up the theme of signs from verse 11 in order to speak more about them and the coming of the Son of Man, 21,25-28.
We can now return to the main page.