Introduction
The art of storytelling is well-known as effective for conveying meaningful and profound truths. One of the best ways to appreciate Holy Scripture is through paying attention to important elements of the narratives contained therein, namely the characters (persons and animals alike); places (locations used); and plots (demonstrating intrigue, suspense and the literary techniques employed). Unfortunately, many theologians and religiously-minded readers of the Scriptures gloss over these elements. With particular regard to scriptural narratives about prayer, most theologians and spirituality commentators prefer to unpack the contents of specific prayers in the Bible. Although laudable, this approach does not thoroughly assess the literary creativity of Luke (the Third Evangelist), who adeptly utilises narrative locations to convey salient theological truths about prayer. Marie-Laure Ryan remarks that places are “bearers of symbolic meaning”.[1] Robert T. Tally, Jr, in the same vein, notes that literary locations are “suffused with meaning”. [2] Building on the strength of these assertions, in this article, I will reflect on the locations of prayer in Luke’s Gospel – otherwise referred to as the Third Gospel. Focusing on this Gospel, the essential objective of this reflection is to review the occurrences of prayer and illustrate the significance of the evident movement of prayer locations from cultic settings (Temple, synagogue, churches) to everyday habitations. This movement is denoted in this article by the term “decultisation” (a word that does not exist in the English dictionary). I will be anchoring my claim on Luke’s overarching theology.
Luke: A Gospel of Prayer
The Gospel of Luke has popularly been called the gospel of prayer by numerous scholars. This conclusion springs from the Third Evangelist’s fondness for prayer scenes and accenting the portrait of a pious Jesus. For instance, Jesus prays at his baptism (Luke 3:21); he prays before missioning the Twelve (Luke 6:12); he prays during his ministry (Luke 11:1); he teaches his disciples how to pray (Luke 11:2-4); he underscores the necessity of prayer in our daily lives (Luke 18:1-8); the Evangelist transforms the Gethsemane scene into a liturgical setting (Luke 22:41); Jesus’ last sentence was unquestionably a summative prayer which mirrors his life of unflinching dedication to God (Luke 23:46). These minor instances show Luke’s notable proclivity to creating prayer scenes. This ideological ‘canvas’ proffers a fitting theological context for studying the locations of prayer in Luke’s Gospel. In Die Mitte der Zeit (The Middle of Time),Hans Conzelmann describes the ministry of Jesus, inaugurated at his baptism, as the “middle of time”. [3] By this, he means that this event signals a decisive break from precursory characters, like Simeon, Anna, Zechariah, Elizabeth and, yes, John the Baptist. Most worthy of note is the rhetorical interweaving of stories of John the Baptist and Jesus leading up to this moment: announcement of John’s birth, announcement of Jesus’ birth, birth of John, birth of Jesus, ministry of John, and then – just before the commencement of the ministry of Jesus – John the Baptist is locked up in prison, thereby indicating a curious narrative dissociation. This jarring rhetorical detour envelops Luke’s theology that has been aptly dubbed “the middle of time” – a concept that is central to interpreting Luke’s portrait of Christ.
Jesus as the “Middle of Time”
Luke’s presentation of Jesus’ baptism offers an interpretational clue: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22; Psalm 2:7). Quoting a royal psalm implies that Luke regards Jesus’ baptism as a fulfilment of God’s promises to Davidic kings [4] at their coronation: the twin gifts of the “nations” and the “ends of the earth” (Psalm 2:8). Since at coronations, Judean kings were formally adopted as God’s sons (this does not apply to Jesus who was coexistent with the Father and was eternally begotten by Him), there was palpable ontological transformation – a significant change in nature of existence – that made the crowned king God’s viceregent. This status did not only bring privileges but responsibilities as well. Most notable were the promises of reigning over “nations” and exercising hegemony over the “ends of the earth”. This royal mandate was barely fulfilled during the monarchical era. Facing a forlorn political ambition, Jews quickly embraced a theological denotation which meant that the “nations”, as prophesied by ‘Third Isaiah’ [5], will throng to Jerusalem and acknowledge the Judean deity as the sovereign ruler of the world. Luke’s relating of the baptism of Jesus renews this eschatological hope: that the nations will teem to Israel and that the ends of the earth will profess God’s supremacy. This smouldering conviction fuels the ministry to diaspora territories in Luke and Acts, and the Evangelist’s startling depiction of some devout Gentiles. This brief pro-Gentile theological detail highlights the characteristic thrust of the dispensation of hope which the baptism of Jesus initiates: the “old” transitions into the “new’” It is this thrust that informs the rhetoric of prayer locations in the Gospel of Luke which we will now consider.
“Decultisation” of Prayer in Luke
Luke’s Gospel opens with Zechariah’s routine priestly ministry in the Temple. The location is obviously cultic and sets the pace for Luke’s two-volume work. Luke specifically mentions that “Zechariah’s prayer had been heard” to emphasise his recurrent rhetoric (Luke 1:13). The next reference to prayer in Luke’s Gospel is the description of Anna’s piety – and Simeon’s, by extension (Luke 2:37). These inspirational figures meet with the Holy Family, because they were Temple devotees and earnestly anticipating God’s “revelation to the Gentiles and glory of Israel” (Luke 2:32). This concludes the siting of prayer in cultic settings.
With effect from Jesus’ baptism, prayer is found anywhere humans sincerely seek God (Luke 3:21). Here the location is indisputably a river. The following reference mentions Jesus withdrawing to deserted places to pray (Luke 5:16). This location is obviously not a cultic setting nor is it a typical human settlement. But it is undoubtedly a site where Jesus hopes to encounter the living God and discover His will. The comparison of the disciples of Jesus and that of John also features a reference to prayer. In this scene, the disputation does not take place in a cultic setting but probably in someone’s house (Levi probably) or the streets of Galilee. This is consistent with the post-baptismal narrative references to prayer. Just before missioning the Twelve, Jesus ascends a mountain and spends all night in prayer communing with the Father (Luke 6:12). The location of this prayer scene is evidently not the cult but a site where God’s will can be deciphered unalloyed, free from human contamination or interference. The next instance is similar: Jesus prays in solitude in the presence of his disciples (Luke 9:18). This prayer scene is necessitated by his need to ascertain his disciples’ perception of him. The site here is definitely not a cultic setting but an everyday locale of human activities. The emphases of Luke, which must not be overlooked, however, are the non-negotiable traits of genuine prayer: freedom from interference, a suitable disposition, and wholehearted attention to God. The presence of these attributes makes prayer what it is, not the location which is circumstantial.
The Transfiguration continues Luke’s theme of prayer. Once again, Jesus’ quest for solitude, freedom from human interference, wholehearted dedication to God, and a suitable disposition are emphasised. The location is unsurprisingly a mountain, not the Temple (Luke 9:28-29). Moving on, Luke depicts Jesus praying in a “certain place” (Luke 11:1). Given this casual description of the site, one can reasonably assume that it is most likely not the Temple or a synagogue. At best, it is simply a place of human habitation (i.e. anywhere). Although the location of this prayer scene is imprecise, the narrative that follows is crucial: Jesus teaches his disciples how to commune with the Father. Luke’s chronicle of the prayer taught is an abridged version of the “Our Father”. Moving on, the next reference to prayer stresses the need to do it ceaselessly. The accent is not on location but on intensity and frequency. This exhortation that begins with the Parable of the Persistent Widow and ends with the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector prima facie (at first glance) truncates the spotlighted pattern of prayer scenes in Luke’s Gospel. But a closer reading shows that these references are consistent, because the Pharisee’s conceited and self-directed prayer is disapproved – albeit done in the Temple – while the tax collector’s self-deprecating and contrite prayer is lauded. This shows that Luke downplays the salvific significance of prayer locations but accentuates the possession of a fitting disposition. Also, from a narrative standpoint, this scene does not disrupt the other references, because it is presented as a story within the Gospel to show likely locations of prayer.
The Gethsemane and Calvary scenes of prayer deserve profound consideration. Luke’s version of Jesus’ agony in the garden is a substantial modification of the tradition recorded in Mark’s Gospel. Whereas the latter stresses the emotional and psychological trauma of Jesus before his arrest – “troubled”, “distressed” and “sorrowful unto death” – and his expressive gesture of collapsing, Luke relates the tale of a man who exudes enviable comportment, embodies manly courage, and transforms his Passion into a liturgical prayer scene (Mark 14:33-35; Luke 22:40-41). As in the preceding instances, the most important Lukan lesson in prayer is frequency and intensity: “He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). The location is not the Temple or a synagogue but a garden where people routinely visit. The death of Jesus in Luke, when contrasted with the account in Mark, is also a striking innovation. Whereas Mark, the first of the canonical Gospels, relates the last words of Jesus as a cry of desperation, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, Luke transforms this instance of emotional brokenness into a prayer of trust, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Mark 15:34; Luke 23:46). Both the scenes of Gethsemane and Calvary are outside the cult. These post-baptismal occurrences of prayer are all situated in non-cultic settings. What is the theological relevance of Luke’s ingenious siting of prayer scenes outside cultic settings for this Year of Prayer?
Luke – Teacher of Prayer
Luke is indisputably a narrative theologian, which means his theology is set forth pointedly in the story he tells about Jesus, his disciples, and the unfolding of God’s plan for creation. This thought is expertly captured by Jacob Jervell: “Lukas ist Erzähler und kein systematischer Theologe” (“Luke is a narrator and not a systematic theologian”) [6]. Deciphering Luke’s rhetoric on prayer is best anchored on his deliberate placement of post-baptismal instances in non-cultic settings, his repeated stress on intensity and frequency, and his glaring liking for solitary locations thus accenting a wholehearted dedication to God. Since cultic settings (Temple and synagogue) were the preferred locations for prayer, Luke’s Gospel challenges the status quo by inviting Christ-believers to focus on the prerequisite dispositions for prayer (contrition, self-deprecation, humility) and eschew incompatible attitudes (arrogance, conceit, self-righteousness). Also, in this Year of Prayer, we need to intensify the frequency of our communion with God and heighten our fervour. The foundational lesson that Luke teaches his readers tirelessly is that to pray like Jesus entails avoidance of human interference, wholehearted attention, solitude, sincere contrition, humility, self-deprecation, fervour and frequency.
The disciple of Jesus is thus called to understand deeply the example of Jesus’ relationship with God in prayer and to live it out accordingly. The disciple is called to pray, regardless of the highs and lows of daily life. Luke’s challenge to us is that challenges and distractions – whether they be situations of comfort or discomfort, suffering or luxury, pain or joy, hard work or relaxation – should not hinder our daily connection with God through prayer, which can happen anytime and anywhere. A Carmelite practical contribution to Luke’s challenge is articulated by St Elizabeth of the Trinity who advises: “Always love prayer […] and when I say prayer, I don’t mean so much imposing on yourself a lot of vocal prayers to be recited every day as that elevation of the soul towards God through all things that establishes us in a kind of continual communion with the Holy Trinity by quite simply doing everything in Their presence.” [7]
To wrap up with a pertinent insight from St Teresa of Jesus who, although not a Lukan scholar, yet aligned her musings on prayer with those of the Third Evangelist: “He [God] doesn’t give Himself completely until we give ourselves completely”; “The whole point is that we should give ourselves to Him with complete determination, and we should empty the soul in such a way that He can store things there or take them away as though it were His own property.” [8] As St Teresa impeccably opines, the goal of prayer, as also for Luke, is the self-emptying of the Christ-believer which makes room for God’s continuing dwelling in our soul.
End notes
[1] Marie-Laure Ryan et al., Narrating Space / Spatializing Narrative: Where Narrative Theory and Geography Meet (Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 2016), p. 1.
[2] Robert T. Tally, “Introduction”, in Literary Cartographies: Spatiality, Representation, and Narrative, ed. Robert T. Tally (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), p. 3.
[3] Hans Conzelmann, Die Mitte der Zeit: Studien zur Theologie des Lukas, BHT 17 (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1962).
[4] “Davidic Kings” refers to the line of kings from the house of David who ruled at different times from around 1000 BCE when David’s reign began to 586 BCE when Hezekiah’s reign ended with the destruction of the kingdom of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar.
[5] Third Isaiah (chapters 55–66): a collection of oracles by unknown prophets in the years immediately after the return from Babylon.
[6] See Jacob Jervell, Die Apostelgeschichte: Übersetzt und Erklärt (Göttingen: Vanderhoeck & Ruprecht, 1998), p. 91.
[7] From Letter 252 to Germaine de Gemeaux (December 1905), in Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity, Vol. II: Letters from Carmel, trans. Anne Englund Nash (Washington, DC: ICS Publications, 1995), p. 235.
[8] The Way of Perfection 28:12, in The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, vol. 2, trans. Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD (Washington DC: ICS Publications, 1980), p. 145.
