잃어버린 자들을 위한 복음서 - 누가복음의 기독교 사회복지적 적용

Abstract

As Jesus proceeds ‘on his way’ through Galilee and eventually to Jerusalem, Jesus continues to make sure the radically inclusive nature of his ministry, and at virtually every step along the way he faces resistance from the scribes and Pharisees. Their main complaint is that Jesus consistently places the extension of healing, repentance, and forgiveness to the outcasts over the observance of Mosaic law. Thus he extends forgiveness to a paralyzed man despite the objections of the scribes and Pharisees that only God can forgive sins (Luke 5:21). At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus faces the opposition of his hometown people (Luke 4:16-30). He preached a synagogue sermon claiming that he is the fulfillment of Isaiah: He will preach good news to the poor, release the captives, give sight to the blind, free the oppressed and proclaim that the time of God’s favor has come. At first people in Nazareth greet this message with enthusiasm (Luke 4:22). However, once they recognized Jesus’ intention that he plans to extend God’s favor to gentiles, a crowd hustled him to the edge of nearby cliff to lynch him (Luke 4:29). Prior to the full accomplishment of God’s saving purpose, how should Luke’s readers live? Luke answers this question by showing that they should follow Jesus along “the way” of God as the Lord Jesus taught it (Luke 20:21). Following “the way” apparently involved adopting a certain way of living that Jesus marked out both in his teaching (Luke 20:21) and in his example of following the hard but necessary path to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), the geographic center of God’s saving purpose. His followers should take up their crosses daily and follow him along this demanded road (Luke 9:23). Luke is particularly concerned that the followers of Jesus be inclusive in their relationships with others, handle their possessions carefully, and devote themselves to persistent prayers. Just as Jesus came to seek and save what was lost (Luke 19:10), his followers should extend salvation to the poor, the sinner, and the people with different ethical backgrounds. Then, who are specifically those lost? This paper tries to answer this question from the perspective of Christian social welfare, especially in terms of conservatism and liberalism.