[Propertalk] Fw: Luke 2:1-20; Part 2 of 3

[Joe Parrish]

-----Original Message-----
From: bstoffregen at roadrunner.com
To: brian.stoffregen at gmail.com
Sent: Wed, Dec 16, 2009 11:46 pm

THE PLACE OF THE BIRTH

We are told that the baby is laid in a ????? (phatne). This word only occurs in Luke (2:7, 12, 16; 13:15). Traditionally this has been translated "manger," and the word does refer to a trough for feeding animals. Interestingly, in English, the word "crib" refers both to a type of container for animal feed and a place for infants. Both are structures with bars on the side.

The word ????? (phatne) can also refer to a "stall" for tying up animals. Such a stall may be indoors or outdoors. This seems to be the meaning in Luke 13:15 where an owner will untie an ox or donkey from the ????? (phatne) to lead it to water.

In the birth narrative, ????? (phatne) is in contrast to ???????? (katalyma). Properly a ???????? (katalyma) was a place where a traveler "lays down" (??????? - katalyo) his baggage = a place of rest, lodging. The same word is used in Luke 22:11 (par. Mk 14:14) to refer to the "guest room" where Jesus will eat the Passover with his disciples. The verbal form is used in Luke 8:12 & 19:7 to refer to finding lodging or being a guest (i.e., where one puts down baggage). It is also used in Luke 21:6 with the more literal meaning of "to throw down".

The ????? (phatne) becomes a sign for the shepherds (2:12, 16). It is how they recognize this baby as the one in the angel's declaration. (It was normal to wrap infants in strips of cloth.)

THE FIRSTBORN

Brown (The Birth of the Messiah):

Although prototokos, "firstborn," is sometimes clearly equivalent to monogenes, "only born," some would take this to mean "first born among many." And so, since the time of Helvidius (A.D. 380), this verse has played a role in the dispute among Christians as to whether Jesus was Mary's only child (because she remained a virgin), or she had other children, born after Jesus (the brothers and sisters of Jesus , mentioned in Mark 6:3) .... In the second century A.D. the Cynic Lucian of Samosata (Demonax 29) proposed a dilemma about a philosopher who claimed to be the first and only: "If the first, not the only; if the only, not the first"; and many have seen fit to quote that here. More subtly, Plummer, Luke, 53, argues that the evangelist would not have used "firstborn" of Jesus if he knew that Mary had no more children, so that at least in Luke's time there was no well-known tradition that Jesus was an only child. However, the use of prototokos rather than monogenes proves only that Luke had no interest in presenting Jesus as Mary's only son. Others have seen in "firstborn" an implication of special affection; yet when Luke wants to imply that, as in the case of the widow of Nain, he uses monogenes (7:12; also 8:42; 9:38). [p. 398]

There may another reason why Luke uses ?????????? (prototokos) for Jesus. That became part of titles given to him: "the firstborn of all creation" (Col 1:15); "the firstborn of the dead" (Col 1:18; Rev 1:5); the firstborn (Rom 8:28; Heb 1:6).

SHEPHERDS

In a Christmas Day sermon I described the shepherds: 

They are people whom we wouldn't expect to be worshiping Jesus. Because of their jobs, shepherds normally didn't make it to the Temple worship services. They didn't practice sabbath day observances. They were seen as ignorant, irreligious, immoral, crude and vulgar Jews - and they smelled bad, too. I would guess that we wouldn't like anyone to describe our church members using those kinds of words: ignorant, irreligious, immoral, crude and vulgar. Those aren't words you use to describe good, Christian people.

A member reminded me every Christmas afterwards that I had ruined Christmas for her with the comment about smelly shepherds. What would we expect from men who slept in the fields with sheep and without showers?

While there are positive images of shepherds in scriptures, e.g., "The LORD is my shepherd," at the time of Jesus' birth shepherding was a despised occupation. Culpepper (Luke, New Interpreter's Bible) says of them: "... in the first century, shepherds were scorned as shiftless, dishonest people who grazed their flocks on others' lands" [p. 65].

Brown (The Birth of the Messiah) writes in a footnote:

TalBab Sanhedrin 25b mentions that herdsmen were added by the early rabbis to the list of those ineligible to be judges of witnesses since frequently they grazed their flocks on other people's lands. Thus, they were among the type of dishonest people who were excluded from court. [p. 420]

Men who were not considered fit to be witnesses in court, are the first to witness the Christ child! Might they suggest that God has a sense of humor?

Luke's nativity story begins with Caesar Augustus, the most powerful man in the universe and it ends with lowly shepherds. 

Like infant Jesus, the shepherds have no "guest house" where to sleep. They are describes as "living out doors" or "living in the fields" (???????? - agrayleo 2:8 -- a word that occurs only here in the NT).

The naturalness of the holy family's journey to Bethlehem -- following the orders of Caesar; is now contrasted with the super-naturalness of the shepherds' journey to Bethlehem. A question Culpepper (Luke, The Interpreter's Bible) asks in his reflection is "How will we get to Bethlehem?" In Matthew the Magi are led by a star, then by the scholars in Jerusalem who quote scriptures. In Luke, the holy family travels there in obedience to the government's decree. The shepherds see a dramatic, heavenly vision. He then writes: 

By all these roads travelers can reach Bethlehem. Not all will follow the road of scholarship or historical investigation. Many will come as families surprised to hear God's Word in the midst of life. Others will come as the result of dramatic, moving experiences of the immediacy of the spiritual and the wondrous in the fabric of ordinary existence. By whatever road we take, the story invites us all to Bethlehem. [p. 66]

Within the humble dwellings of the shepherds at night -- in the darkness -- the angel of the Lord stands before them and the glory of the Lord shines around them.

The natural reaction to the appearance of angels if fear. They "are afraid with a great fear". The first words from the angel are "Do not be afraid." 

This angel's message to the shepherds is similar to the angel's message to Zechariah. Both proclaim the gospel (????????????? - euaggelizomai, 1:19; 2:10). What is the good news? It is described as "great joy" and "for all the people". 

In Luke there is the shallow joy of those who quickly receive the word, but because it has no root, they fall away when testing comes (8:13).

There is the misplaced joy of the 70 over demons submitting to them. They should rejoice that their names are written in heaven (10:17-20).

There is joy in heaven when sinners repent (15:7, 10). 

There is joy and disbelief at seeing the risen Jesus (24:41).

Finally, Luke ends the gospel with the disciples worshiping the ascending Jesus and then returning to Jerusalem with "great joy" (24:52).

Luke, more than the other gospels, presents Jesus as the savior for all people. Men and women, poor and rich, Pharisees and sinners (only in Luke does Jesus eat with Pharisees in addition to eating with sinners and tax collectors).

Brian Stoffregen
pastor, Faith Lutheran Church, 2215 S 8th Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364
e-mail: brian.stoffregen at gmail.com

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