Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- In the opening pages of Luke's gospel, angels, Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon ambitiously announce the joy, justice, fulfillment, and redemption that are supposed to come with the arrival of Jesus (1:13-17, 30-33, 46-55, 68-79; 2:10-14, 29-32). What are the big obstacles, challenges, and reversals that get in the way before this can happen? How does Luke come to terms with all the roadblocks?
- Re-read Luke's account of the first Christmas (1-2). What surprises you about this version of the super well-known story? What has our popular Christmas-time culture gotten wrong or totally missed? And we're not talking about Santa.
- What role does Luke envision for non-Jews (a.k.a. Gentiles)?
- Timeline time. Create a timeline of the major events—past and future—treated in Luke's gospel. Make sure to plot out the life of Jesus, the destruction of Jerusalem, the expected return of Jesus, and the arrival of God's kingdom. Where is the present for Luke when he was writing?
- Is the arrival of God's kingdom expected soon, in the far or near future, or is it already a reality in the present? What is supposed to happen when Jesus returns? Full disclosure: there's no right answer.
- What does it mean to pray in Luke's gospel? Who prays? What do they say? Why do they do it?
- How does Luke characterize the Jewish leaders and the Jewish people in general? Would you say Luke is resentful? Angry? Cynical? Compassionate?
- What does Jesus say about wealth in Luke's gospel? What would it look like to offer a "Lukan interpretation" of the Markets or Business sections of the Wall Street Journal or New York Times?
- What is Luke's vision, understanding, or "naming" of God? Don't avoid the toughies (19:11-27, for instance) in favor of all this "Father" business.
- Re-write the Parable of the Good Samaritan (10:30-36), but in modern lingo. Who today might play the role of the priest, Levite, and Samaritan?
- How does Luke characterize the disciples? Are they examples for imitation? Kind of dense? Works in progress? How does Luke treat their failures—especially in 22:21-62—and what role does he see for them after the story is over?