In Luke, Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, weeps over the city: ‘Would that even today you knew the things that made for peace’ (19.42). The procession is one of triumph and praise for the mighty works they had seen: ‘Blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest’ (19.38). It is no accident that the disciples echo the song of the angels at Bethlehem. Peace, the shalom of God, is the theme of Luke’s Gospel. Jesus is the focus of that healing and reconciliation that breaks down barriers and reunites those that have been divided.
Peace, however, is found in the right ordering of society- in justice. Luke, of all the Gospels, draws out Jesus’ prophetic commitment to the poor. The Magnificat (1.46-55) celebrates the elevation of the humble and the brining down of the mighty. Jesus opens his ministry (4.16-30) by reading from Isaiah (61.1ff): his mission to the lame, the blind, the prisoner and the poor. Women are a core part of the disciple band (23.55), and in Jerusalem it is the common people who prevent the authorities from making their moves against Jesus (19.48).
Part Two: Mark – Service and Solidarity