Week 2 Critical Analysis. Jesus Master-Story #2: Luke, Active Ministry from Galilee to Jerusalem
The Lukan account of Jesus’s Active Ministry includes many teachings. Your task is to analyze one of them, a story of an unnamed “rich man” (sometimes called by the Latin term, dives) and a poor man, actually named Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Use the research format Question – Evidence – Conclusion, and present your findings in three mini-essays.
Research:
Question: There are at least two points Jesus is getting across in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). What are they? What is being affirmed?
Evidence: Analyze this story (summaries are boring). Be sure your analysis includes the following points:
who is telling it and to whom (look back to Luke 16:14)
who the characters are in the story
what the situations are for the characters—there are multiple scenes
what ethical teaching is involved, and how it is conveyed
what the embedded teaching about the afterlife is, and how it is conveyed.
Expect Evidence-gathering to be time-consuming. Start early.
Conclusion: What answer(s) to the Question does your Evidence point to? Make sure to check the Question & that your conclusion(s) are connected clearly & explicitly to your Evidence.
Your sources:
Primary sources: Luke 16:19-31. Stop there.
Secondary sources, if you need any:
Burkett, “Jesus in Luke-Acts” (>Unit 1 >R), passages assigned for Weeks 1-2
Articles and charts (posted in >Unit 1 >R) assigned for Weeks 1-2
Outside sources: None needed. Use of outside sources will result in a 0 on the essay. They usually lead the essay, and its grade, into a rabbit hole, and waste everyone’s time.
Notes:
The story includes ideas about an afterlife and individuals in it. Skip discussions of “resurrection” for now (the term is not used here). It will be treated directly next week.
A table summarizing teachings of some named Jewish sects in the first century is assigned for Week 2: “Jewish Sects …” (Unit 1 >Resources). Check re: the afterlife.
Submission & Deadlines: Submit 3 short essays of 3 or more paragraphs in standard essay form (introduction-evidence & argument-conclusions) as follows. Format Instructions are posted in >CC.