Follow Me: What Can Luke’s Theology of Discipleship Teach Us About Death and Dying?
Kristen Moyer, M.D., MTS, Chief Resident/Clinical Instructor, Department of Medicine/Yale-New Haven Hospital
In this paper, the author proposes an interpretation of the Lukan Passion Narrative (PN) to offer a Christ-centered model of death and dying. Ultimately, the author’s thesis is that Lukan theology, specifically Luke’s emphasis on discipleship, supports that Christ’s death and dying process can be paradigmatic for our own (1). Thus, the present study is interdisciplinary in that it seeks to set in conversation the results of a New Testament exegetical inquiry with a contemporary understanding of death and dying.
The paper is divided into three parts. Part One introduces fundamental issues such as authorship and dating as well as key theological points central to Luke’s Gospel. Part Two is organized around an exegetical inquiry of focal texts within Luke’s PN (2). Finally, Part Three focuses on the practical application of the author’s conclusions and insights from Parts One and Two. The author offers an interpretation of Luke’s key points with regard to how Jesus approached his Passion and death as instructive for how we might approach our own death. This discussion will be framed around five major conclusions the author believes to be central to Luke’s understanding of the Passion and death of Jesus:
I. Death, the ultimate “trial,” is evidence of Satan’s activity in the world and not a mark of God’s intention for humankind.
II. Death threatens to divide, and it reveals the inner thoughts of many.
III. Jesus’ death is both a once-and-for-all event and a model by which we can face death.
IV. Jesus’ death cannot be understood apart from his life.
V. Jesus’ death demonstrates that Christian destiny transcends life and death.
Content-related questions important for this study are as follows: Given Luke’s theological agenda, how do we interpret Christ’s actions and reactions throughout His Passion? Which characters had significant interaction with Christ at the end of his life, and how does Christ respond to these characters? Finally, what can the insights learned from this textual study teach us about approaching our own death, dying process, and care for others at the end of life?
In this paper, the author proposes an interpretation of the Lukan Passion Narrative (PN) to offer a Christ-centered model of death and dying. Ultimately, the author’s thesis is that Lukan theology, specifically Luke’s emphasis on discipleship, supports that Christ’s death and dying process can be paradigmatic for our own (1). Thus, the present study is interdisciplinary in that it seeks to set in conversation the results of a New Testament exegetical inquiry with a contemporary understanding of death and dying.
The paper is divided into three parts. Part One introduces fundamental issues such as authorship and dating as well as key theological points central to Luke’s Gospel. Part Two is organized around an exegetical inquiry of focal texts within Luke’s PN (2). Finally, Part Three focuses on the practical application of the author’s conclusions and insights from Parts One and Two. The author offers an interpretation of Luke’s key points with regard to how Jesus approached his Passion and death as instructive for how we might approach our own death. This discussion will be framed around five major conclusions the author believes to be central to Luke’s understanding of the Passion and death of Jesus:
I. Death, the ultimate “trial,” is evidence of Satan’s activity in the world and not a mark of God’s intention for humankind.
II. Death threatens to divide, and it reveals the inner thoughts of many.
III. Jesus’ death is both a once-and-for-all event and a model by which we can face death.
IV. Jesus’ death cannot be understood apart from his life.
V. Jesus’ death demonstrates that Christian destiny transcends life and death.
Content-related questions important for this study are as follows: Given Luke’s theological agenda, how do we interpret Christ’s actions and reactions throughout His Passion? Which characters had significant interaction with Christ at the end of his life, and how does Christ respond to these characters? Finally, what can the insights learned from this textual study teach us about approaching our own death, dying process, and care for others at the end of life?