Abstract
The article takes as a point of departure that the parable of the Good Samaritan was inspired by Luke’s reading of 2 Chronicles 28:15. After introducing the concept of Lucan creative interpretation by referring to other examples in the gospel, it will be argued that a comparison between the texts in question provides a relief for an even better understanding of the parable. Some hermeneutical conclusions will be drawn regarding the concept of ‘creative interpretation’ for the authority of the Bible and its use, the theodicy problem, and the ultimate purpose of the gospel’s emphasis on the marginalised, taking Old Testament motif(s) of beauty into account.
Highlights
The parable of the Good Samaritan may be well known to most of us, but to many the text of 2 Chronicles 28:15 may be rather obscure
About all the major commentaries on Luke’s Gospel when commenting on Luke 10:30–36 refer to 2 Chronicles 28:15, but commentators on the Chronicles text refer to the Good Samaritan parable (e.g. Rudolph 1955; not so Curtis & Madsen 1910:458–459)
Since the similarities are there for all to see, Coggins (2003:307) in his Chronicles commentary concludes that the Lucan parable ‘is surely based’ on 2 Chronicles 28:15. This may imply that the parable is denied to the historical Jesus, which may be a reason why New Testament scholars are more cautious
Summary
The parable of the Good Samaritan may be well known to most of us, but to many the text of 2 Chronicles 28:15 may be rather obscure. All the main Marcan motifs are retained in the dramatic Lucan expansion, for example, the (1) Sabbath preaching, the (2) amazement of the addressees, (3) the absence of healings in Jesus’ home town, (4) the adage of the prophet not honoured in his own hometown, and (5) the offence taken at Jesus In his version Luke typifies what the content of Jesus’ ministry entails and implies by quoting from TritoIsaiah (61:1–4) the verse which traditionally functions almost just as prominently in liberation theology (see Scheffler 1991a) as the exodus tradition (Table 1).
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