What do the parables and miracles in Luke teach about the kingdom of God, salvation and the character of Jesus?
Parables and miracles in Luke: the nature and purpose of parables, the distinctive Lukan parables (the lost, the good Samaritan, the prodigal son), the types of miracle, and what they reveal about the kingdom and salvation.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to the parables and miracles in Luke. Covers the nature and purpose of parables, the distinctive Lukan parables (the lost sheep, coin and son, the good Samaritan), the types of miracle (healings, exorcisms, nature and raising the dead), and what they reveal about the kingdom of God and salvation.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
You need to explain the parables and miracles in Luke: the nature and purpose of parables, the distinctive Lukan parables (the lost sheep, coin and son in Luke 15, the good Samaritan, the rich man and Lazarus), the types of miracle (healings, exorcisms, nature miracles and raisings of the dead), and what these reveal about the kingdom of God and salvation, and then evaluate the purpose of the miracles. Parables and miracles are the main vehicles of Jesus's teaching and the chief signs of the kingdom in Luke.
The nature and purpose of parables
The parables of the lost (Luke 15)
Other distinctive Lukan parables
Luke preserves parables that embody his themes.
- The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25 to 37). A priest and a Levite pass by, but a despised Samaritan cares for the wounded man, redefining "neighbour" as anyone in need and making an outsider the model of love.
- The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19 to 31). The rich man who ignored the beggar Lazarus is tormented after death while Lazarus is comforted, warning about wealth and the neglect of the poor.
- The Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9 to 14). The humble, penitent tax collector, not the proud Pharisee, goes home justified, illustrating that God exalts the humble.
The miracles and the kingdom
Evaluating the purpose of the miracles
A model evaluation paragraph might run: "It is true that the miracles reveal who Jesus is: his power over disease, demons, the storm and even death demonstrates an authority that belongs to God alone, and Luke uses them to show that the Messiah and the kingdom have arrived. Yet to say they are mainly about revealing his identity understates Luke's interest, because the miracles are also acts of compassion that meet real human need, and they characteristically restore an outcast, a leper, a bent woman, a demoniac, to health and to the community from which their condition had excluded them, enacting the reversal and inclusion Luke cares about, and they repeatedly call forth and reward faith. The judgement, therefore, is that in Luke the miracles reveal Jesus's identity and enact his compassionate, saving mission at the same time, so the two purposes are not rivals but belong together: the one who has authority to heal is the Saviour who came to seek the lost."
Try this
Q1. What is a parable? [2 marks]
- Cue. A short story drawn from everyday life that teaches a spiritual truth, especially about the kingdom of God, and calls for a response.
Q2. Explain the message of the parable of the good Samaritan. [6 marks]
- Cue. A despised Samaritan, not the priest or Levite, helps the wounded man, redefining "neighbour" as anyone in need and making an outsider the model of love.
Q3. "The miracles in Luke are mainly about revealing who Jesus is." Discuss. [12 marks]
- Cue. Weigh the miracles as demonstrations of Jesus's authority and identity against their role as compassionate acts that restore outcasts and call for faith. Reach a judgement.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA AS 1 201912 marksExplain the meaning of the parable of the prodigal son.Show worked answer →
An AO1 question, so reward accurate exposition of the parable and its
message.
The story. Explain the younger son's demand, departure and ruin, his
decision to return, and the father's running welcome, robe, ring and feast,
and then the elder son's resentment and the father's appeal.
The meaning. A strong answer brings out the themes: God's lavish,
forgiving love for the lost (the father), the joy in heaven over a
repentant sinner, and the warning to the self-righteous (the elder son)
who resent grace shown to others.
Accurate use of the text and its context in Luke 15 reaches the top band.
CCEA AS 1 202112 marksComment on the view that the miracles in Luke are mainly about revealing who Jesus is.Show worked answer →
An AO2 evaluation question, so argue both sides and judge.
Supporting the claim. The miracles demonstrate Jesus's authority over
illness, demons, nature and death, and so reveal his identity as the
Messiah and Son of God who brings the kingdom.
Challenging the claim. The miracles also express compassion, restore
outcasts to community, and call for faith, so they are not only about
Christology.
A judgement that the miracles reveal Jesus's identity and at the same time
enact his compassionate, saving mission, so the two purposes belong
together, reaches the higher bands.
Related dot points
- The background to Luke's Gospel: authorship, date, audience and purpose, the prologue, the relationship to Acts, and the infancy narratives that introduce Luke's distinctive themes.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to the background of Luke's Gospel and the infancy narratives. Covers authorship, date, audience and purpose, the prologue, the link with Acts, and how the birth narratives of John and Jesus introduce Luke's themes of joy, the Spirit, the poor and salvation for all.
- The identity of Jesus in Luke: the titles (Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Lord, Saviour, prophet), the baptism and temptation, and the Nazareth manifesto as the programme of his ministry.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to the identity of Jesus in Luke. Covers the main titles (Son of God, Son of Man, Christ, Lord, Saviour and prophet), the baptism and the temptations, and the Nazareth manifesto (Luke 4) that sets out the programme of Jesus's ministry to the poor and outcast.
- Discipleship and the poor in Luke: the cost and demands of discipleship, the use of wealth and the danger of riches, the place of women, and Jesus's concern for the poor, sinners and outcasts.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to discipleship and the poor in Luke. Covers the cost and demands of discipleship, the right use of wealth and the dangers of riches, the prominence of women, and Jesus's distinctive concern for the poor, tax collectors, sinners and social outcasts.
- The passion and resurrection in Luke: the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the trials, the crucifixion with its distinctive sayings, the death of Jesus, the empty tomb and the Emmaus road, and Luke's distinctive emphases.
A CCEA AS 1 guide to the passion and resurrection in Luke. Covers the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the trials before the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod, the crucifixion with Luke's distinctive sayings, the death of Jesus, the empty tomb and the Emmaus road, and Luke's distinctive emphases of forgiveness and innocence.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCE Religious Studies (2016) specification — CCEA (2016)