In order to create a post-Supper discourse (Lk 22:21-38), Luke cobbled together material from his various sources: Mark, Q, and L. There are four distinct units that are only loosely connected:
Jesus Foretells his Betrayal
Luke abbreviates the parallel passage in Mark (14:18-21) which takes place before the words instituting the Lord’s Supper. Relocating the scene to take place after the meal allows Luke to make it part of the post-Supper discourse. It also heightens the drama because it lays bare the fact that one of Jesus’ disciples who has just shared the bread and the cup will betray him.
In Mark (and Matthew), Jesus first announces to the disciples that one of them will betray him and they each immediately take turns asking him, “Is it I?” John’s Gospel has a much lengthier scene (13:21-30) in which the Beloved Disciple asks Jesus to name his betrayer and Jesus identifies Judas by handing him a morsel of food. Only John describes Judas departing from the supper.
Dispute About Greatness
In Mark’s gospel, on the road to Jerusalem, there’s a scene where James and John asked to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his kingdom (Mk 10:35-40). (Matthew softens the rudeness of the request by having Mother Zebedee do the asking.) Jesus denied the request, but the other ten became indignant at the sons of Zebedee and this leads to Jesus’ advice (Mk 10:41-45) that the greatest of the disciples must be the servant to all.
Luke dispenses with Mark’s framing story, possibly because it painted James and John in a bad light. Instead, Luke’s frame is the previous announcement of Jesus’ betrayal. Not only did the disciples begin to question who would betray Jesus, but a dispute also arose as to which of them was the greatest. Luke wants us to see that, having been told the depths to which one of them could sink, the natural inclination would be to assert their bona fides as a faithful disciple.
Luke reworks Mark, but also includes some of his own material, such as v. 27: “For who is greater, the one who sits at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” This echoes the Last Supper scene in the Fourth Gospel (13:3-17) in which Jesus girds himself in a towel and washes the feet of the disciples. It also recalls Lk 12:37 where Jesus blesses the slaves whom the master finds awake on his return: “He will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.”
Luke also calls upon a saying taken from the Q tradition. Matthew locates this saying (19:28) after his well-known response to the rich young man, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” Jesus tells Peter and the other disciples that although they have left everything to follow him, they will be rewarded in the new kingdom by sitting on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Biblical scholars believe that in choosing twelve disciples to be his inner circle, Jesus was symbolically reconstituting the twelve tribes of Israel, a necessary prerequisite to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Peter’s Denial Predicted
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial on the walk to the Mount of Olives. Once again, Luke agrees with John in having the prediction made while they are all still at supper.
Luke introduces the prediction by having Jesus announce that Satan demands to sift the disciples like wheat, but he is praying for Simon’s faith not to (permanently) fail. And, when he has recovered, he is to strengthen his brother disciples. With his typical bravado, Peter declares that he is ready to go to prison and death and Jesus replies with the well-known prediction, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day until you have denied three times that you know me.” The use of the name “Simon” at the beginning of the unit and “Peter” at the end is evidence that this unit is a composite from different sources.
Purse, Bag and Sword
In the final unit of the post-Supper discourse, Jesus asks his disciples to recall the time he sent them out on a missionary journey without “purse, bag or sandals” (Lk 10:1-12). They did not lack for anything then due to the hospitality they received, but from now on they will experience hostility. So they will need to bring a purse or bag if they have one. And if they lack it, they should sell their cloak to buy a sword because Jesus – and by extension, his disciples – will be counted as outlaws.
The disciples understand the literal sense of his words and say, “Here are two swords.” To which Jesus responds, “Enough!” in the sense of, “Enough of that!” Jesus’ exasperated reaction tells us he was speaking metaphorically. He meant “sword” as a symbol for crisis or discernment. A loose translation of the verse would be “sell your cloak and buy yourself trouble.”
Verse 38 has frequently been understood as Jesus essentially saying, “Yes, two swords are enough for our purposes.” But this interpretation flies in the face of a Lucan Jesus who preached the love of enemies (6:27-36) and lived out that teaching (9:51-56; 23:34).
Luke’s post-Supper discourse is not a grand farewell address as in John’s gospel, but there is a common theme of Jesus preparing his disciples for what is to come (betrayal, Peter’s denial) and giving them final instructions (serve others, be ready for rejection). The remainder of the chapter will see Jesus’ predictions become reality.
- Jesus foretells his betrayal (vv. 21-23). Summarized from Mark and transposed from before the supper.
- Dispute about greatness (vv. 24-30). Reworked from Mark, with L and Q additions, and transposed from earlier in the ministry.
- Peter’s denial predicted (vv. 31-34). Mostly L material added to Mark and transposed from the walk to the Mount of Olives.
- Purse, bag and sword (vv. 35-38). L material.
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Looks like the Beloved Disciple has had too much to drink. Inspired by Leonardo’s masterpiece, Jacopo Bassano’s Last Supper (1542) depicts the crucial
moment when Jesus announces one of those at table will betray him.
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Luke abbreviates the parallel passage in Mark (14:18-21) which takes place before the words instituting the Lord’s Supper. Relocating the scene to take place after the meal allows Luke to make it part of the post-Supper discourse. It also heightens the drama because it lays bare the fact that one of Jesus’ disciples who has just shared the bread and the cup will betray him.
In Mark (and Matthew), Jesus first announces to the disciples that one of them will betray him and they each immediately take turns asking him, “Is it I?” John’s Gospel has a much lengthier scene (13:21-30) in which the Beloved Disciple asks Jesus to name his betrayer and Jesus identifies Judas by handing him a morsel of food. Only John describes Judas departing from the supper.
Dispute About Greatness
In Mark’s gospel, on the road to Jerusalem, there’s a scene where James and John asked to sit at the right and left hand of Jesus in his kingdom (Mk 10:35-40). (Matthew softens the rudeness of the request by having Mother Zebedee do the asking.) Jesus denied the request, but the other ten became indignant at the sons of Zebedee and this leads to Jesus’ advice (Mk 10:41-45) that the greatest of the disciples must be the servant to all.
Luke dispenses with Mark’s framing story, possibly because it painted James and John in a bad light. Instead, Luke’s frame is the previous announcement of Jesus’ betrayal. Not only did the disciples begin to question who would betray Jesus, but a dispute also arose as to which of them was the greatest. Luke wants us to see that, having been told the depths to which one of them could sink, the natural inclination would be to assert their bona fides as a faithful disciple.
Luke reworks Mark, but also includes some of his own material, such as v. 27: “For who is greater, the one who sits at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” This echoes the Last Supper scene in the Fourth Gospel (13:3-17) in which Jesus girds himself in a towel and washes the feet of the disciples. It also recalls Lk 12:37 where Jesus blesses the slaves whom the master finds awake on his return: “He will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.”
Luke also calls upon a saying taken from the Q tradition. Matthew locates this saying (19:28) after his well-known response to the rich young man, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.” Jesus tells Peter and the other disciples that although they have left everything to follow him, they will be rewarded in the new kingdom by sitting on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Biblical scholars believe that in choosing twelve disciples to be his inner circle, Jesus was symbolically reconstituting the twelve tribes of Israel, a necessary prerequisite to bring about the Kingdom of God.
Peter’s Denial Predicted
In Matthew and Mark, Jesus predicts Peter’s denial on the walk to the Mount of Olives. Once again, Luke agrees with John in having the prediction made while they are all still at supper.
Luke introduces the prediction by having Jesus announce that Satan demands to sift the disciples like wheat, but he is praying for Simon’s faith not to (permanently) fail. And, when he has recovered, he is to strengthen his brother disciples. With his typical bravado, Peter declares that he is ready to go to prison and death and Jesus replies with the well-known prediction, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day until you have denied three times that you know me.” The use of the name “Simon” at the beginning of the unit and “Peter” at the end is evidence that this unit is a composite from different sources.
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| A somewhat less reverent version attempts to portray biblical scenes using Lego minifigures. |
Purse, Bag and Sword
In the final unit of the post-Supper discourse, Jesus asks his disciples to recall the time he sent them out on a missionary journey without “purse, bag or sandals” (Lk 10:1-12). They did not lack for anything then due to the hospitality they received, but from now on they will experience hostility. So they will need to bring a purse or bag if they have one. And if they lack it, they should sell their cloak to buy a sword because Jesus – and by extension, his disciples – will be counted as outlaws.
The disciples understand the literal sense of his words and say, “Here are two swords.” To which Jesus responds, “Enough!” in the sense of, “Enough of that!” Jesus’ exasperated reaction tells us he was speaking metaphorically. He meant “sword” as a symbol for crisis or discernment. A loose translation of the verse would be “sell your cloak and buy yourself trouble.”
Verse 38 has frequently been understood as Jesus essentially saying, “Yes, two swords are enough for our purposes.” But this interpretation flies in the face of a Lucan Jesus who preached the love of enemies (6:27-36) and lived out that teaching (9:51-56; 23:34).
Luke’s post-Supper discourse is not a grand farewell address as in John’s gospel, but there is a common theme of Jesus preparing his disciples for what is to come (betrayal, Peter’s denial) and giving them final instructions (serve others, be ready for rejection). The remainder of the chapter will see Jesus’ predictions become reality.
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