Page 75 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

Witness according to Luke

In his public life, Jesus ministered to the people in various ways. David Larson points out Jesus’

multifaceted ministry by dividing it into categories: “the ministry of communication (he

preached and taught), the ministry of compassion (he healed), the ministry of companionship (he

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made disciples).” Since the ministries are interlaced and complementary, it is difficult to “rank

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these in importance and impossible to assign appropriate allocations of time.” Luke, however,

seems to emphasize Jesus’ ministry of preaching above the other ministries as may be inferred

by comparing Luke 4:44 with the parallel passages in the other Synoptics. Mathew describes

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Jesus’ ministry as “teaching, preaching, and healing.” Mark emends “teaching” and alters

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“healing” to “casting out demons.” Luke, however, shortens his parallel account to the sole
description of “preaching.” The implication is that Luke regards Jesus’ ministry of preaching as

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“the most important of the three activities.”

Throughout his gospel, Luke gives special attention to the fact that the gospel of Jesus Christ was

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preached to and accepted by the Gentiles. He retains, therefore, in his gospel several additional

13
David L. Larson, The Company of the Preachers: A History of Biblical Preaching form
the Old Testament to the Modern Era (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998), 41.

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Ibid.
15 Matt. 4:23.

16 Mark 1:39.

17
Robert H. Mounce, The Essential Nature of New Testament Preaching (Grand Rapids,
MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1960), 28.

18
Jeffrey S. Siker, “‘First to the Gentiles’: A Literary Analysis of Luke 4:16-30” Journal
of Biblical Literature 111 (Spring 1992), 73. He argues against the contention of Joseph
Fitzmyer on the Lucan motif as “to the Jews first.” He attempts to revert it to “first to the