THE PASSION OF JESUS IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
A REVIEW AND REFLECTION

David G. Monaco, C.P.
The Passionist, Number 24, 1992, p. 17-22

At the time of my graduation from the Catholic Theological Union, Father Donald Senior, C.P., gave me a farewell gift. It was a copy of his newest book, The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, together with a note of good wishes from Don on the title page.

I now begin my fourth year at Calvary Retreat Center in Shrewsbury, MA; I am a member of the retreat team and a vocation minister. Last year, our retreat theme was: "The Passion of Humanity." We challenged our retreatants to view the Passion of Christ as an on-going reality in our suffering world and in their own sufferings.

My preparation for my conferences included prayer, reflection, and research. I carefully read the four volume Passion Series by Don Senior. I paged that "autographed" copy of the Lucan book in the course of my retreat work this year and in personal reflection. I believe the truth of something that Don points out in the Preface to his work. In this present age, there is something compelling about the Gospel of Luke, which seems to have a "special appeal for an age in which questions of economic justice, peace, and the prophetic role of the churches-questions all important in Luke-are so urgent" (p.8). It is with gratitude for Don's insights and ideas that I approach this review and reflection upon The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.

In the preface, Don Senior presents the format for the work, one common to the entire four volume series. Part I covers the preparation for the Passion throughout the entire Gospel of Luke. Part II works through the Passion narrative itself. Part III traces the motifs of the Passion, relating them to the overall Gospel message and reflecting upon ways in which the theology speaks to us today. I found this developmental approach to the story of the Passion to be logical, clear, and easy to follow both in The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, and in Don's entire Passion series.

The Preface expresses two goals that I wish to comment upon in this review. First, he notes that "as in the first two volumes of this series, the intent is to bring the insights of biblical scholarship to a wider audience, hopefully without sacrificing either subtlety or clarity" (p.7). Second, "the primary interest of this study is Luke's intended message" (p.14). He succeeds in both of these areas.

As to the desire to bring out the insights of biblical scholarship, the references and footnotes reflect keen knowledge of and familiarity with the scholarly material available on issues covered in The Passion Narrative According to the Gospel of Luke. Don's own insights are fresh, incisive, and thorough, while maintaining a "readable" style that makes the work accessible to a wide audience. His style of writing is sensitive, thought-provoking, and moving (like his teaching style).

His challenge to a prevalent view of the salvific nature of Jesus' death in the Gospel of Luke is particularly incisive. He takes issue with the idea that the death of Jesus has a limited salvific effect. He presents convincing evidence of the many ways in which salvation, in the fullest sense of the term, "breaks in" throughout the Passion narrative - from the linking of the Passion to Passover, the prayer for the disciples against the onslaught of Satan, the healing of the severed ear of the high priest's slave in the garden, the forgiveness offered to Peter with a simple look, and the prayer of forgiveness for his executioners, to the way in which Jesus' death transforms those who witness his Passion (the repentant criminal, the centurion, and the crowds) and gives strength to the weak disciples and Joseph of Arimathea.
When his goal is the" intended message" of Luke, he draws on insights and patterns of reflection within the biblical text. His careful step-by-step analysis of the Passion narrative in Part II of The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke brings forth motifs that are seized upon and worked out succinctly and clearly in the final section of the book. In Part III of the book, Don deals with four major aspects of Luke's message: 1. The Passion and Luke's Portrait of Jesus, 2. The Passion and the Power of Darkness, 3. The Passion and the Community, and 4. The Passion and the Meaning of Death. Each individual segment is thorough and thought-provoking.

In Luke's "portrait" of Jesus, Don challenges the view of the salvific effect of Jesus' death. He considers the bond of love and trust between Jesus and the Father and reflects upon the cost of Jesus' prophetic commitment to the Kingdom of God. In the section on "The Passion and the Power of Darkness," Don demonstrates powerfully how the Passion of Jesus becomes "the definitive battleground" (p.172) for the struggle between ultimate good and ultimate evil. Within the context of this cosmic struggle, Don develops the notion of "time" in an intriguing manner. He notes that Satan left Jesus in the desert "for an opportune time" (Lk 4:13), then returned to have "entered into Judas" (Lk 22:3) at the time of betrayal. He notes Jesus' words to his captors in the garden: "This is your hour and the power of darkness" (Lk 22:53).

The section, "The Passion and the Community," delightfully presents the ways in which the Luke used diverse characters in the Passion story to give a powerful lesson on perseverance and the nature of true discipleship, using "weak" and "unexpected" characters as true witnesses in comparison with those who should be "strong." The final section of Part III, "The Passion and the Meaning of Death," eloquently focuses upon the triumphant power and faithfulness of God over and above the pain and terror of death and points out the paradoxical "witness value" of death.

In the second and third parts of the book, Don Senior is able to deal with the "intended message" of Luke in a way that is both insightful and creative. These parts are a gift to those who search the Scriptures for wisdom and guidance in their ministries and in their personal lives. It is also an important contribution to contemporary Passion studies.

The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke speaks to our Passionist charism, and its impact upon today's world, as well as the "worlds" of the evangelist Luke and his Church community. Many of the problems that faced them, such as persecution and the tension caused by an uneven distribution of goods (p. 12), are still very much in evidence to this day. Thus, the answers that Luke and his community sought and found in the Passion of Jesus are valid for us as well.

In my ministry at Calvary Retreat Center, I have found the work of Don Senior helpful in reflecting upon the basic human need for reconciliation with self, others, and with God. The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke has helped my preaching on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Don's reflections on the "Good Thief" are a paradigm for Reconciliation, in which one owns up to the woundedness and brokenness of one's life and turns to a gentle and loving Lord for healing and forgiveness.

The insights on the forgiveness offered to Peter in Jesus' simple look after Peter has denied even knowing him (Lk 22:61) give a further example of the way in which God reaches out to us in the midst of our faults and failings. Likewise, the reflections upon the words of Jesus from the cross, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34) invite us to consider God's ever present desire to minister healing and reconciliation. The insights on the meaning of Jesus' words to the "daughters of Jerusalem" (Lk 23:27-31) are sobering reminders of the gravity and consequences of our choices of evil over good, of death over life, of sin over relationship with God.

The Passionist Constitutions state: "We are aware that the Passion of Christ continues in this world until He comes in glory". This simple, incredibly profound statement is one of the most powerful lines in all of our Passionist literature. It is one that we believe so firmly, that it appears in the very first chapter of our rule of life entitled "Fundamentals of our Life." As novices, we are given the Rule and Constitutions, and as professed members of the community, we continue to reflect upon it throughout our lives. Yet, above and beyond our prayerful conviction that the above statement is true, each of us involved in ministry knows intimately and deeply just how accurate it is.

The Passion of Christ continues in the many people who come to us seeking some meaning in the midst of broken lives. The Passion of Christ continues in the young people who are forced by circumstances beyond their control, and their very understanding, to grow up before they have the chance to enjoy their childhood. The Passion of Christ continues in the bodies of AIDS patients. The Passion of Christ continues in the elderly who suffer the pain of abandonment and loss of physical capabilities. The Passion of Christ continues in families torn apart by addiction to drugs and alcohol, sickness, death, abuse, unemployment, hunger, violence, and the variety of ills that beset the many people who will cross the thresholds of Passionist houses throughout the world.

As hurting and broken people come to us in our retreat houses, parishes, parish missions, renewals, and wherever Passionists may happen to be, their stories are the very "stuff" of the Scriptures. Their stories are the very "stuff" of the Passion. Their stories convince us that the Passion of Jesus is not a static event that happened and is over and done with. Their stories convince us of the desperate need for the continual "Rememberance Of the Passion” that is our community's "raison d'etre" in the Church and in the world.

As Passionists and as each faith-filled Christian comes to be more conscious of the reality of Christ's Passion in today's world, they enter into the riches and the depths of the Passion, to learn from the actual physical Passion of Jesus of Nazareth, revealed in the Scriptures, and to understand its ramifications in the lives of those touched by Jesus. It is the Passion of Christ, the "school of wisdom," that will teach us to be aware of the broken lives of our sisters and brothers throughout the world. This "school of wisdom" will sensitize us to the shattered reality of those whose lives do not ordinarily even come into contact with ours. The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is a gift for all those who wish to learn from the wounds of Christ. It is a work that helps us delve deeper into the reality of the Passion of Jesus and learn to recognize the Passion in the lives of people throughout the world, so that we can then reach out and work to heal their wounds with the compassionate care of the One who has called us to be followers of a Crucified Lord.