St. Luke Being Ironic?

[ozgeorge]

I've been reading an interesting article by a sociologist (not a theologian) which mentions in passing the Scripture passage Luke 3:1-2.
The author of the article suggests that the Evangelist is employing irony by contrasting a long list of worldly powers and their juristictions with the fact that the most momentous historical event actually came to a humble "nobody" in the desert.
I always thought that St. Luke was merely placing the event in history, but I can see now that he is also possibly employing the irony the author suggests:

"Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,
Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea,
and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee,
and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis,
and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests,
the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness."

[prodromas]

Yeah I really do like the contrasting Irony. But in a way isn't the whole new testament Ironic? The King of all made to be humble Jewish carpenter (for arguments sake lets say he was a carpenter). Greatness coming out of humility isn't that the biggest irony?

[Fr. George]

I've been reading an interesting article by a sociologist (not a theologian) which mentions in passing the Scripture passage Luke 3:1-2.
The author of the article suggests that the Evangelist is employing irony by contrasting a long list of worldly powers and their juristictions with the fact that the most momentous historical event actually came to a humble "nobody" in the desert.
I always thought that St. Luke was merely placing the event in history, but I can see now that he is also possibly employing the irony the author suggests:

His observation seems to have merit - the listing "in the 15th year of the reign" should be enough to provide historical evidence to any one living in the first two centuries (the target audience of the Gospel) - but adding all that information sets up the comparison, and hence the irony.

Thanks for the post George!

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