Have a look at numbers 10 and 11
10.
He said to his disciples. It is impossible that offences should not be committed. But woe to the one through whom they come. It would be better for a millstone to be put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take note yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. And if in the one day he sins against you seven times, and then he turns to you saying "I repent," you should FORGIVE him." The apostles said to the Lord. "Help us to increase our faith." The Lord said "If you have faith as small as a grain of mustard you
would have been able to say to this
sycamine tree "Be uprooted and be planted in the sea." And it would have obeyed you. But who amongst you who has a slave ploughing or herding who when he comes out of the farm will say to him. "Come up immediately and rest." Rather you will say to him. "Get me something to eat. Then fix up your clothes and wait on me while I eat and drink. Then after these things you can eat and drink yourself." He does not have to thank the slave because he did what he was told. And so it is with yourselves. When you do everything that has been commanded you admit "We are (still) unprofitable slaves. We have only done what we should have done."
17:1-10
11.
It happened that AS HE CONTINUED TO GO UP TO JERUSALEM he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. As he entered into a certain village he came upon ten leprous men who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voice saying "Jesus Master, pity us." And seeing them he said "Go and show yourselves to the priests." As it happened, as they went up to show themselves, they were cleansed.
One of them, seeing that he was cured, returned with a great voice praising God. He fell on his face at the feet of (Jesus). He was a Samaritan. Answering Jesus said to him. "Were not all ten cleansed? But where are the other nine? Only one has returned to give glory to God and he is a stranger." He said to him. "Get up and go. It is your faith that has healed you."
17:11-19
|
There are several factors that modify this assumption.
Both Mark and Matthew have a technique of emphasising a point in the middle of their section paragraphs.
In Mark's Section A the middle paragraph in his concentric circle is about a paralytic being let down through a roof.
The middle paragraph of his Section B concentric circle is about Jesus walking on water.
Matthew does not have concentric circles.
But the middle paragraph of his Section C is about a paralytic being let down through a roof.
The middle paragraph of his Section D is Jesus about walking on water.
|
Consider the emphasis that has been given to the theme of "forgive".
For example Mark makes it the mid point of his Section A.
Matthew makes it the end point of his Section D.
Matthew also makes it a central theme of his final Section F (c/f Reality Search analysis).
Luke has already divided his own Section B into two because the second half of his paragraphs
repeat the places already listed in the first half of paragraphs.
He could be dividing his Section D into two halves as well. The theme of "forgive" concludes the first
half of the Section and the structural link of "as he continued to go up to Jerusalem" starts off
the second half of the same Section.
|
Luke uses the paragraph "hook" of parties being addressed near the start of the paragraphs
in his Section C. He uses the same paragraph "hook" in his Section D, and this appears to have two halves.
Recall c/f the Reality Search analysis that Luke's Section C appears to be about improving Democracy.
This is a society based upon Order (c/f Greek philosophy). Luke is also , like the other
writers, following an underlying line of logic in the overall structure of his text.
One wonders if there is some sort of "continuum line" about an order-based society which is being put
forward. This starts with Luke's Section C and goes through to the end of his Section D.
Recall that Matthew put forward the positives of an environment of internalised law. But then
he put forward negatives that a society based upon Law can lapse into.
Luke has put forward positives about a society based upon Order. But is he about to put forward
negatives about the same type of society and these will be at the other end of his
continuum line?
|
|
