Pairs of Stories in Luke's Gospel

Story Pairs in Luke's Gospel
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

Parallel Stories involving Women and Men in the Gospel according to Luke:

First Story (ref. & source)	Second Story (ref. & source)
Angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah (1:8-23 - L)	Angel Gabriel appears to Mary (1:26-38 - L)
Canticle of Mary (Magnificat; 1:46-55 - L)	Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus; 1:68-79 - L)
Simeon encounters the infant Jesus & his parents in the Jerusalem Temple (2:25-35 - L)	Anna thanks God & prophesies about Jesus in the Jerusalem Temple (2:36-38 - L)
Widow of Zarephath & Israelite widows (4:25-26 - L)	Naaman the Syrian & Israelite lepers (4:27 - L)
Exorcism of a demon-afflicted man at Capernaum (4:31-37 - Mk)	Healing of Simon’s mother-in-law at Capernaum (4:38-39 - Mk)
Paralyzed man is forgiven of his sins (5:17-26 - Mk)	Woman who anoints Jesus' feet is forgiven of her sins (7:35-50 - L)
Centurion’s slave is healed (7:1-10 - Q)	Widow of Nain’s son raised from the dead (7:11-17 - L)
Naming of the twelve apostles of Jesus (6:12-16 - Mk)	Naming of women who accompanied Jesus (8:1-3 - L)
Jesus twice says "Your faith has saved you" to women (7:50; 8:48)	Jesus twice says "Your faith has saved you" to men (17:19; 18:42)
Jairus’ daughter is raised to life (8:41-42, 49-56 - Mk)	Bleeding woman is healed (8:43-46 - Mk)
Parable of the Good Samaritan (10:25-37 - L)	Examples of Martha and Mary (10:38-42 - L)
A neighbor asks for bread at midnight (11:5-8 - L)	A widow asks for justice persistently (18:1-11 - L)
A woman in a crowd shouts out to Jesus, "Blessed is the womb that bore you..." (11:27 - L)	A man at a dinner tells Jesus, "Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!" (14:15 - L)
The Queen of the South (11:31 - Q)	The Ninevites (11:32 - Q)
A crippled woman is healed on a sabbath (13:10-17 - L)	A lame man is healed on a sabbath (14:1-6 - L)
“Daughter of Abraham” reference (13:16 - L)	“Son of Abraham” reference (19:9 - L)
Parable of a man planting a mustard seed (13:18-19 - Mk)	Parable of a woman mixing yeast & flour (13:20-21 - Q)
Parable of a shepherd looking for a lost sheep (15:3-7 - Q)	Parable of a woman looking for a lost coin (15:8-10 - L)
Example of two men together asleep (17:34 - Q)	Example of two women grinding meal (17:35 - Q)
A servant girl questions Peter (22:56-57 - Mk)	Two men also question Peter (22:58+59 - Mk/L)
Simon of Cyrene carries Jesus’ cross (23:26 - Mk)	Jesus meets women on the way to Calvary (23:27-29 - L)
Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus’ body (23:50-53 - Mk)	Several women see where Jesus is buried (23:55-56 - Mk)
Women find Jesus’ tomb empty (24:1-11 - Mk)	Peter also runs to the tomb, finding it empty (24:12 - L)

Literary Sources: L = only in Luke; Q = Luke and Matthew, but not Mark; Mk = from Mark (and usually also in Matthew)

Men & Women appearing together in Lukan Stories:

Zechariah & Elizabeth are introduced (1:5-7 - L)
Elizabeth (with Zechariah) conceives a child (1:24-25 - L)
Elizabeth & Zechariah name their son John (1:57-63 - L)
Joseph & Mary go to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born (2:1-7 - L)
Shepherds visit Mary & Joseph and their child Jesus (2:15-20 - L)
12-year-old Jesus goes with Mary & Joseph to Jerusalem (2:41-52 - L)
The mother-in-law of Simon Peter is healed by Jesus (4:38-39 - Mk)
Jesus encounters Simon the Pharisee and an anonymous sinful woman (7:36-50 - L)
Disciples accompanying Jesus include the Twelve and several named women (8:1-3 - L)
Jesus’ mother & brothers come to see him (8:19-21 - Mk)
Jairus asks Jesus to heal his daughter (8:41-42, 49-56 - Mk)
Parable of someone beating male & female servants (12:45 - L)
Divisions within families: father vs. son; mother vs. daughter, etc. (12:53 - Q)
Jesus claims priority over one's family: father & mother, etc. (14:26 - Q)
Jesus speaks of adultery & divorce (16:18 - Mk)
“Remember Lot’s wife” (17:32 - L)
Parable of a widow & an unjust judge (18:1-8 - L)
“Honor your father and your mother” (18:20 - Mk)
Disciples must leave their families behind (18:29 - Mk)
Case of a woman who had seven husbands (20:27-38 - Mk)
Widow and others contribute to the Temple treasury (21:1-4 - Mk)
Jesus’ relatives remain near the cross, including women (23:49 - Mk)
Women who return from the empty tomb witness to the eleven (24:9-11 - L)
Two disciples encounter the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus (24:13-35 - L; possibly a married couple, or a brother/sister pair?)

Related Resources:

Electronic New Testament Educational Resources

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