Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament

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Study Questions for the

Ignatius Catholic Study Bible

The Gospel of St. Luke

Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch

This contains study questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, the only Catholic study Bible based on

the Revised Standard Version – 2nd Catholic Edition. For more information on the study Bible, or to

download study questions for other books of the Bible, please visit www.ignatius.com.

2 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

THE GOSPEL OF SAINT LUKE

Chapter 1

For understanding

1. 1:15. What is the Old Testament significance of Gabriel’s prophecy that John the

Baptist would “drink no wine nor strong drink”? Who are some other figures who had

the same commitment as John?

2. 1:28. What considerations help us understand the meaning of the title “full of grace”

that Gabriel gives to Mary? Why is the Greek more revealing than the traditional

rendering that St. Jerome gives? Why is a translation like “highly favored one”

inadequate?

3. 1:35. Why is the angel’s use of the term “overshadow” significant? What Old

Testament passage uses the term? In that passage, what was overshadowed?

4. Topical Essay: Mary, Ark of the Covenant. How does Luke draw upon traditions

from Second Samuel and the Books of Chronicles to portray Mary as the Ark of the

Covenant?

For application

1. 1:4. How fully informed are you about your Catholic faith? What are you doing right

now to learn it more fully?

2. 1:18, 34. Compare these two passages. How are they different? How do the ways

their questions are worded reveal that Zechariah doubts and Mary believes? If

Gabriel had appeared to you, how would you have asked the question?

3. 1:25. How would a Jewish woman’s hopes for the coming of the Messiah influence

her desire to bear children? How is Elizabeth’s attitude toward her barrenness also a

feature of a woman’s psychology? How should a Christian regard pregnancy?

4. Topical essay: Mary, Ark of the Covenant. In what respects is it appropriate to

compare Mary to the Ark of the Covenant? Do you know of any other New

Testament passages where she is compared to the Ark? Why is that comparison

important to modern Christians?

Chapter 2

For understanding

1. Topical essay: The Census of Quirinius. How does a closer look into the facts of

the infancy narrative in Luke support both Luke’s reliability as a historian and that of

the early Church as a channel of historical traditions?

2. 2:7. What was the legal meaning of the term “first-born” in ancient society? What

does the Catechism of the Catholic Church (see 499–507) say about Jesus’ birth to

the Virgin Mary?

3. 2:14. What does the word “peace” in the angels’ hymn mean?

4. 2:29–32. How does Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis evoke Isaian prophecies? Which ones?

For application

1. 2:14. How does the “peace among men with whom he is pleased” apply to you? Do

you enjoy that peace? If so, how can you grow in it? If not, how can you enter it?

3 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

2. 2:19. Why would Mary ponder the events surrounding Jesus’ birth and revelation in

her heart? What might these events have meant for her? How have you pondered

God’s action in your life, and what has it revealed to you?

3. 2:34–35. While it may be easy to see how Jesus might be “set for the rise of many”,

how might he be destined for their fall? In what ways has Jesus and his message

been a stumbling block for you? How have you surmounted the problems?

4. 2:49. Why do you think Jesus (who had been missing for three days) was surprised

that his parents were looking for him? Where did he expect they should have

looked? How have you looked for Jesus in the wrong places?

Chapter 3

For understanding

1. 3:4–6. What is the significance of Luke’s quoting the opening chapter of Isaiah’s

central section (chaps. 40–55)?

2. 3:21–22. Which two Old Testament oracles resonate in the background of Luke’s

account of Jesus’ Baptism by John?

3. 3:23–38. Why does Matthew trace Jesus’ ancestry forward from Abraham, while

Luke traces it back from Jesus to Adam? How can we explain the fact that the

generations from David to Jesus in both Gospels are significantly different?

4. 3:23. Why does Luke note Jesus’ age at the start of his public ministry? What is the

connection with King David?

For application

1. 3:7–8. John calls his audience a brood of vipers because they put on a show of

repentance without actually repenting inwardly. How hard is it for you to examine

your conscience before going to confession? How do you excuse your behavior or

dodge the need to repent?

2. 3:16. In terms of your personal experience, what does it mean for you to be baptized

in the Holy Spirit and fire? How has that Spirit and that fire touched your life?

3. 3:18. In the preceding verses, how has John “exhorted” the crowds? What is this

good news? If it is so good, why threaten people with the prospect of hellfire and

damnation?

Chapter 4

For understanding

1. 4:1–13. How does Luke’s version of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness plot

the course of Jesus’ ministry?

2. 4:18–19. When Jesus quotes Is 61:1–2, how does his audience understand the

meaning of the passage? What did Isaiah mean by referring to the jubilee year?

What does Jesus mean by it?

3. 4:25–30. When Jesus invokes the missions of Elijah and Elisha to explain his own

ministry, how does he apply them to his own work?

4. 4:43. How is the kingdom of Christ associated with the kingdom of David? How does

Vatican II’s Lumen Gentium describe this kingdom as it exists now?

4 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

For application

1. 4:1–2. Why do you think the Holy Spirit would expose Jesus to temptation by leading

him into the desert? Why do you think he allows you to experience temptation? In

what areas are you most vulnerable to it?

2. 4:12. Jesus here quotes Deut 6:16. What does it mean to “tempt the Lord your

God”? How is that different from “taking a step out in faith”? What is your own

experience in this regard?

3. 4:22–24. Jesus’ neighbors reject him because he grew up among them. How have

you fared with evangelizing your relatives (or being evangelized by them)? How do

you deal with the reactions?

4. 4:39. What does Simon’s mother-in-law do when Jesus heals her? How has Jesus’

grace in your life influenced your social behavior?

Chapter 5

For understanding

1. 5:12. At how many levels was leprosy a damaging disease to those who had it?

2. 5:13. What was the expected outcome for a Jew who touched a leprous outcast?

How does Jesus reverse that outcome?

3. 5:21. What is Jesus challenging when he forgives the sins of the paralyzed man? At

what does this action hint?

4. 5:32. When Jesus says that he did not come to call the righteous, what does he

suggest his mission is?

For application

1. 5:8–10. When Peter reacts in astonishment to the great catch of fish, he asks Jesus

to depart from him, “for I am a sinful man”. In reply, Jesus tells him not to be afraid.

How often do feelings of unworthiness make you feel afraid to approach God? What

do you do with that fear?

2. 5:12–13. What kind of person is the “leper” in your environment? How have you

avoided contact? How would Jesus touch this person? How does he want you to do

so?

3. 5:18–24. Why does Jesus respond to the paralyzed man by first forgiving his sins?

How has the connection between sin and paralysis shown itself in your life? How

has God’s forgiveness allowed you to move?

4. 5:28–32. What kinds of people in a parish might have others thinking of them as

“sinners”? Would you avoid them or welcome them since we are all sinners? How

does Jesus’ comment to his critics apply in your own parish situation?

Chapter 6

For understanding

1. 6:1. What was the biblical rule regarding work on the Sabbath? How did the

Pharisees of NT times reinforce those rules? How does Jesus’ attitudes toward the

Sabbath contrast with theirs?

2. 6:3 and 6:4. What was the “bread of the Presence”? Why was an exception made

for David and his men to eat it?

5 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

3. 6:20. In Luke, what does the word “poor” denote? According to St. Ambrose, how

does the Lucan version of the Beatitudes reflect the four cardinal virtues?

4. 6:36. How does Jesus’ emphasis on imitating God’s mercy reformulate the

command in Lev 19:2 to imitate Yahweh’s holiness? What is the difference?

For application

1. 6:12. What need do you think the incarnate Son of God would have for prayer,

especially for extended periods of it? What might his prayer have been like?

2. 6:27–31. How do these verses indicate you should love your enemies? What has

love of enemies demanded of you personally? How successful have you been at

taking these verses seriously?

3. 6:37–38. If the principle in verses 37–38 holds true, what happens to you if you fail

to forgive those who offend you? Under what conditions, then, will you yourself be

forgiven?

4. 6:45. Apply this verse to your habits of speech. How do you speak when you

become irritated or impatient? How do you speak of others (especially family

members) who do not behave as you would wish? What do your speech habits say

about “the abundance” of your heart?

Chapter 7

For understanding

1. 7:12. What are the prospects for the widow of Nain now that her only son has died?

What mystical significance does St. Ambrose give the identity of the widow?

2. 7:16. How does the raising of the widow’s son parallel the mighty works of the

prophets Elijah and Elisha?

3. 7:24. On what two levels is Jesus using the image of the reed shaken by the wind

(when talking about John the Baptist)?

4. 7:28. Why did Jesus consider John the Baptist the greatest of “those born of

women”? Look up CCC 719; how does the Catechism expand upon this

understanding?

For application

1. 7:6–7. Which words from this passage are used in the liturgy? How does the Church

apply the centurion’s words? The centurion asked that his servant be physically

healed. What kind of healing do we ask of Jesus in the sacred liturgy?

2. 7:6–9. What is there about the centurion’s description of his authority that amazes

Jesus so much? How much does your faith resemble the centurion’s confidence in

Jesus’ authority?

3. 7:35. What (or who) are the children of wisdom?

4. 7:47. What difference has God’s forgiveness of your sins made to your love of him?

How have you responded to forgiveness?

Chapter 8

For understanding

1. 8:10. What does Jesus’ allusion to Is 6:9–10 indicate about his own ministry with

6 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

reference to Isaiah’s?

2. 8:16–18. How does the parable of the lamp explain Jesus’ teaching style? How does

Augustine understand the parable in moral terms?

3. 8:30. What is the significance of the name Legion for the demons that possess the

Gerasene demoniac?

4. 8:40–56. What three details link together the healing of the woman with the flow of

blood and the raising of the synagogue ruler’s daughter?

For application

1. 8:8b. How hard is it for you to hear the Lord speaking to you? How do you listen?

What would it take for you to acquire the “ears to hear”?

2. 8:18. What does it mean to “take heed how you hear”? What does Jesus warn will

happen through a consistent failure—or perhaps refusal—to hear properly?

3. 8:21. What does Jesus suggest is the proper way to hear? What part of the Word of

God do you have the most resistance to hearing and then acting upon?

4. 8:22. In the context of the foregoing passages, why is it significant that the winds

and the sea hear Jesus’ command and obey him?

Chapter 9

For understanding

1. 9:27. When Jesus promises that his kingdom will arrive in the lifetime of his

contemporaries, to what is he pointing?

2. 9:28–36. What three levels of significance does the Transfiguration of Jesus have in

Luke?

3. 9:31. Word Study: Departure. How does Luke blend the various shades of

meanings of the word exodus (departure) in his account of the Transfiguration?

4. 9:35. What are the Old Testament echoes in this passage? Why is the Father’s

injunction, “Listen to him”, significant for those who heard it?

For application

1. 9:3–4. Why do you think Jesus tells his disciples to travel without spare clothing or

necessities and to stay where they are first received? When you travel, what

arrangements do you typically make? How would you contrast your travel patterns

with those Jesus asks his disciples to follow?

2. 9:23. Why would Jesus have told his followers to “deny” themselves, and what do

you think they understood him to mean? What would the expression “taking up one’s

cross” have meant? How often did Jesus say that this should be done? What do

these expressions mean to you?

3. 9:49–56. John’s zeal occasionally earned him a response from Jesus that he did not

expect. How has Jesus corrected your own zeal for him? Why does he do that?

4. 9:57–62. Why does Jesus seem to take such a “hard line” toward those who profess

an interest in following him? To what extent is being a follower of Jesus more

important to you than personal security or family obligations?

7 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

Chapter 10

For understanding

1. 10:1. How does Jesus’ appointment of 70 disciples to go on missionary journeys

parallel other aspects of Jewish and Old Testament life?

2. 10:7. Why should Catholics support ministers of the gospel? What does the

Catechism of the Catholic Church say on this point? (See CCC nos. 2043 and

2122.)

3. 10:30–37. On a theological level, how does the parable of the Good Samaritan

illustrate that holiness as defined by the Old Covenant is surpassed by the New?

What Old Testament story parallels the events in this parable?

4. 10:42. What does Jesus mean when he tells Martha that “one thing is needful”?

For application

1. 10:2. In the contemporary Church, what evidence do you see that the “harvest is

plentiful”? What evidence do you see that the laborers are few? Where do you see

yourself in this picture?

2. 10:17–20. How do you rejoice when your evangelistic efforts succeed? How should

you rejoice?

3. 10:21–22. What has the Father hidden from the “wise and understanding”? What

approach to learning the faith is Jesus recommending here?

4. 10:40–42. What attitude do you think prompts Martha to ask Jesus to correct her

sister? Granted that Martha is doing something important, why would Jesus say that

Mary had chosen the “good portion”, the better part? When you feel the press of

everyday obligations, which of the two women do you tend to imitate? How would

Jesus address you?

Chapter 11

For understanding

1. 11:8. If God already knows what we need, why is perseverance in prayer called for?

2. 11:20. What is the “finger of God?” What is the parallel here between Jesus’ activity

and the incident in Ex 8:19?

3. 11:34. What is Jesus’ point in referring to the eye as “the lamp” of the body? What

kind of light and darkness is Jesus referring to?

4. 11:44. How can Jesus compare the strictly religious Pharisees to graves that people

walk on unaware?

For application

1. 11:1–4. How often do you ask Jesus to teach you to pray? What do you learn about

prayer from the pattern of the Lord’s prayer?

2. 11:13. Using the note on this verse as a guide, tell why it is significant that Luke

changes the gift sought in prayer from “good things” (cf. Mt 7:11) to the Holy Spirit. If

you are in the state of grace, why should you continually pray for the Holy Spirit to

be given to you? How would you know when you received what you prayed for?

3. 11:24–26. What does this passage say to you about the need to be active in your

response to God’s grace, rather than passive? If you were to remain passive—that

is, to accept God’s gifts without otherwise changing—what might happen?

8 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

4. 11:33–36. In Luke’s version, to what does the “lamp under a bushel” refer? Who

sees your light if it is on the lamp stand?

Chapter 12

For understanding

1. 12:1. How can hypocrisy be compared with leaven (yeast)? What effect is the leaven

of the Pharisees likely to have?

2. 12:7. In this passage, what does the numbering of hairs on the head have to do with

Christian martyrdom?

3. 12:38. What was the span of time from the second to the third watch? When are the

servants supposed to be most vigilant for the Master’s return?

4. 12:49. What does fire symbolize in this passage?

For application

1. 12:16–21. What are your long-term goals with respect to the income you have or

expect to receive? How rich are you in what matters to God?

2. 12:22–26. What do you worry about most of the time? What effect has that worry

had on the way you pray, or the confidence you have in your own value before God?

3. 12:49–53. How can Jesus be the cause of division and not of peace? How have you

experienced the division he is talking about—and which side of it are you on?

4. 12:54–56. What are some of the signs of the present time that call for interpretation

from Jesus’ point of view? How do you recognize the action of God in the world

around you or in your own life?

Chapter 13

For understanding

1. 13:1–5. How do the incidents of Pilate’s bloodshed and the collapsing tower at

Siloam provide examples of the urgency of repentance?

2. 13:16. Why does Jesus call the synagogue official who corrected the congregation

for seeking healing on the Sabbath a hypocrite? Why is healing on the Sabbath

appropriate?

3. 13:24. What does the image of the narrow door stand for?

4. 13:35. How does Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem recall Jeremiah’s prophecies of

God’s withdrawal from the Temple? What is the connection with Jerusalem’s future?

For application

1. 13:1–5. How do you treat newspaper accounts of tragic deaths? How often do they

remind you of your own need for repentance? If they have not, how should you take

advantage of Jesus’ admonition?

2. 13:11–12. In what ways are you spiritually like the woman in the passage? Is the

resemblance a matter of an oppressive spirit or of some kind of spiritual atrophy?

How do you think Jesus will heal your infirmity?

3. 13:24. What kind of strength does it take to enter the narrow gate? How will you get

the strength?

9 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

Chapter 14

For understanding

1. 14:16. What does the “great banquet” represent? What significance did such

banquets have for those of biblical times, and how does Isaiah describe one?

2. 14:17. How were invitations to banquets customarily issued? What is an example of

this practice from the Old Testament?

3. 14:26. Why does Jesus require us to “hate” our father and mother and relatives?

What does he mean?

4. 14:34. How can salt become tasteless? What is behind the metaphor for the

Christian?

For application

1. 14:10. What kind of risk is connected with taking the lowest place at table? Why

would true humility seek the lowest place without thought of being elevated or even

noticed? What might be some of the benefits of such humility?

2. 14:12–14. What are your attitudes toward the guests you invite to your home? How

closely do your attitudes resemble what Jesus recommends here? When was the

last time you invited people like those Jesus lists?

3. 14:18–20. What kinds of excuses have you given Jesus for not responding to his

invitations? What kind of change are you afraid he wants of you?

4. 14:26–33. What has your decision to follow Jesus cost you thus far? What do you

think it might cost you in the future? What should it cost?

Chapter 15

For understanding

1. 15:2. Why did the Pharisees object to Jesus eating with disreputable men? What do

the following parables of Jesus indicate about God?

2. 15:3–7. As the shepherd who goes after the lost sheep, what does Jesus

accomplish? What two traditions related to shepherding does Ezekiel bring

together?

3. 15:11–32. How does the parable of the Prodigal Son narrate the exile and eventual

homecoming of historical Israel? How do the prophecies of Ezekiel and Jeremiah

regarding Ephraim foreshadow the point Jesus is making in the parable?

4. 15:12. What do the Old Testament passages cited in the note say to illustrate the

shamefulness of the younger son’s demand for his inheritance and his squandering

of it?

For application

1. 15:7. How is the joy in heaven over one repentant sinner sometimes felt even on

earth? Why is there more joy over a repentant sinner than over a faithful Christian?

When have you experienced or been made aware of such joy?

2. 15:12–13. In what ways does the younger brother violate the command to honor his

father? How serious a violation is it? What temptations have you faced to break the

bonds of God’s parental care for you? How does your conduct compare with that of

the younger son?

3. 15:28–30. In what ways does the older brother violate the command to honor his

10 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

father? How serious a violation is it? When have you become angry at God, and

what happened as a result?

4. 15:20, 22, 28, 31–32. What verbs in these verses illustrate the father’s attitude

toward both sons? What indication is there that the father regards the behavior of

both sons as wrong? What is God’s attitude toward your failures (or those of people

you love) when you (or they) repent?

Chapter 16

For understanding

1. 16:1–8. What does it mean to say that the parable of the Unrighteous Steward is

about “urgency and preparedness”?

2. 16:8. How did the steward show himself to be shrewd?

3. 16:16. What does the expression “the law and the prophets” mean? Why does

Jesus point specifically to John the Baptist here? What might Jesus mean by saying

that people are entering the kingdom of heaven “violently”?

4. 16:22–23. What is the distinction between “Abraham’s bosom” and Hades in these

two verses?

For application

1. 16:8. Although this verse seems to apply mostly to financial prudence, in what other

ways might the “sons of this world” be more prudent than the “sons of light”? Is

Jesus here suggesting that the sons of light imitate worldly prudence, or is he

suggesting prudence of a different sort?

2. 16:10. Why is it true that a person who is honest or dishonest in small matters acts

the same way in large ones? How has this truth been borne out in your own

experience?

3. 16:15. What might some examples be from your experience of things (acts,

attitudes, habits, possessions, etc.) that are estimable in human opinion but

abominable in God’s sight? How would you know that God regards them as

abominable?

4. 16:31. How easy is it to explain away a miraculous event? If the miracle is placed in

a framework of faith, is it as easy then to explain the miracle away? How well did

Jesus’ own Resurrection persuade his contemporaries?

Chapter 17

For understanding

1. 17:2. Why does Jesus wish such a severe punishment on those who cause one of

the “little ones” to sin?

2. 17:4. What does Jesus mean by saying that you should forgive your brother if he

comes to you seven times for forgiveness? What does the Catechism say about this

(CCC 2284–87)?

3. 17:18. What Old Testament incident does the cleansing of the Samaritan leper

recall? What does the healing indicate at a deeper level?

4. Topical Essay: Jesus, the Son of Man. How might Jesus expect his disciples to

unpack from the expression “Son of Man” claims of divine authority? How does

11 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

Daniel use the expression? What are some instances from the Gospels where Jesus

uses the expression in a similar way?

For application

1. 17:3–4. Why do you think Jesus prefaces a command to rebuke or forgive your

brother by telling you to be on your guard? Against what?

2. 17:7–10. How do you feel when you have done something virtuous? How does this

passage say you should behave? What do you think of Jesus’ recommendation

about your attitude toward being good?

3. 17:11–18. From what did the Samaritan leper’s faith save him? For what? What do

you think happened to the other nine after they were cleansed and went to show

themselves to the priests (as Jesus told them to)? When your prayer is answered,

do you act like the one leper who returned to give thanks or the nine who did not?

4. 17:20–24. What kind of temptations do you face to look someplace other than where

you have been taught for the “real” kingdom of God or “real Christianity”? How have

you followed Jesus’ admonition not to run off and investigate? (If you did anyway,

how did the result validate Jesus’ warning?)

Chapter 18

For understanding

1. 18:15. Word Study: Infants. To what question is the noun “infants” tied in this

passage? To what answer do the various passages cited in the study lead?

2. 18:16. What does this passage have to do with the practice of Infant Baptism? What

evidence is there that the early Church practiced Infant Baptism?

3. 18:22. How does Jesus expose the rich official’s greatest weakness? What is the

lesson for us? How do Joseph of Arimathea and Zacchaeus, who were both rich,

contrast with this official?

4. 18:35. Who was the blind man at Jericho? What irony is attached to his behavior?

What moral application did St. Augustine give this passage?

For application

1. 18:1–8. What in the passage suggests that the widow was sure of the justice of her

case? How does Jesus apply the moral of the story to his audience? How does the

widow’s perseverance in pressing her case compare with your own perseverance in

prayer?

2. 18:9–14. Why is it dangerous to compare your practice of your faith with the practice

of others? How satisfied (or discontented) are you with your own religious practices?

How do you think Jesus looks on that satisfaction (or discontent)?

3. 18:28–30. What have you given up to follow Jesus? How have you experienced

what he offers in exchange?

Chapter 19

For Understanding

1. 19:9. How did Zacchaeus show himself to be a true son of Abraham?

2. 19:11. On what two counts does Jesus’ parable of the ten gold coins correct the

12 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

disciples’ mistaken notion that the kingdom of God will appear immediately when

Jesus enters Jerusalem?

3. 19:12–27. What are the historical, moral, and theological layers of significance in the

parable of the Pounds?

4. 19:30. What is the significance of riding into Jerusalem on a colt that no one has

ever ridden? Why the colt of a donkey?

For application

1. 19:3–4. What was Zacchaeus’ attitude to his own dignity in his desire to see Jesus?

How willing are you to make a fool of yourself so that salvation may come to your

house (v. 9)?

2. 19:13–26. In the parable, what did the king tell his servants to do with the money he

gave them? What sorts of gifts has God given you to serve him with? How have you

“traded” with these gifts, and how have you fared in their growth or decline?

3. 19:39–40. When have you seen someone who was enthusiastic for God in public?

What was your reaction to that enthusiasm? When have you shown enthusiasm

yourself for him in public? How do you think God looks upon those who are

unashamed to show their love for him in front of others?

4. 19:41–44. Why would Jerusalem be to blame for not knowing the time of its

visitation? What does “know” mean here? When have you failed to know God’s

visitation in your life? What have been the consequences?

Chapter 20

For understanding

1. 20:9–16. How does the parable of the Wicked Tenants recount Israel’s Old

Testament history? What is its point? Why does Jesus compare Israel with a

vineyard?

2. 20:17–18. What three texts does Jesus combine to employ the image of a stone?

What are some New Testament echoes of these texts?

3. 20:27–40. What is the substance of the Sadducees’ dilemma? How does Jesus deal

with it? What is the significance of Jesus’ reference to the burning bush to prove his

point?

4. 20:36. What does it mean to say that the saints in glory are “equal” to the angels?

How do we know that belief in a general resurrection is central to Christian faith?

For application

1. 20:1–8. To the Pharisees, Jesus was an upstart who had no authority to do what he

was doing. How do you recognize those in the Church who have genuine authority?

How would you know if a charismatic teacher had a genuine charism?

2. 20:9–19. What authority did the wicked tenants think they had to take over the

vineyard? How might you apply this parable—including Jesus’ warning—to the claim

of dissident theologians that they have the expertise to redefine Church teaching?

3. 20:36–38. How does this passage address the grief you might feel at the death of a

loved one or an acquaintance? What does it say about the cult of “dead saints”?

13 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

Chapter 21

For understanding

1. 21:5–36. What catastrophe does Jesus prophesy in the Olivet Discourse that gives

us a historical preview of the Last Judgment and the end of the world?

2. 21:15. In what respect is Jesus telling his disciples to be unlike professional orators

when they come into a courtroom? Who will prepare them? Who provided the first

example of how this works?

3. 21:22. What are the “days of vengeance”? What does the citation from Daniel

describe? How is the expression used in the Greek Old Testament?

4. 21:24. From what Old Testament passages does Jesus draw to describe

Jerusalem’s demise? Look up the passages cited in the note.

For application

1. 21:2–4. Whether your gift to God is money, time, or skill, do you give out of what you

have left over and available or out of what you have to live on? Either way, how do

you feel about the significance of your gift? How do you think God regards it?

2. 21:5–6. How do you think the Church might function if all the buildings in Rome and

the Vatican were destroyed? To what do we look for permanence?

3. 21:12–19. How would you apply this passage to your present situation with relatives,

friends, or neighbors? How is Jesus asking you to prepare for resistance from these

people? If you have ever met genuine resistance or persecution, how did you give

testimony?

4. 21:34. How does the present cultural environment encourage your heart to become

sleepy? What does it mean in scriptural terms for the “heart” to be weighed down

with dissipation? What is Jesus calling on you to do about that?

Chapter 22

For understanding

1. 22:1. How were the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover structured?

2. 22:17. Of the four cups of wine used at the Seder (Passover) meal, to which does

the passage most likely refer? Which was probably the eucharistic cup?

3. 22:19. With what gesture did the early Christians associate the Eucharist? What

happens to the Covenant when Jesus consecrates the bread? How does the Church

understand Jesus’ command to the Twelve to “do this”?

4. 22:19. Word Study: Remembrance. How is the term for “remembrance” used in the

Greek Old Testament? How is it used in the New Testament? What does this

“memorial” do in addition to reminding us of Jesus’ saving death?

5. 22:31–32. Why does Jesus display a special interest in Peter? How does the

Catechism apply this passage?

For application

1. 22:7–13. What is your experience with attending or conducting a Seder (Passover)

meal? What did you learn from it about your faith? If you have not attended or

conducted one, how might you plan one?

2. 22:21–27. Why do you suppose that an argument about who was greatest would

break out among the Twelve at this particular point? In times of family stress (such

14 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

as trying to decide how to care for an infirm parent), what kinds of arguments might

arise among siblings? How would Jesus stop the argument?

3. 22:42–44. When you pray in times of trouble, do you pray that God remove the

trouble or give you the strength to get through it? How do you think you should pray?

4. 22:61–62. What was a time when Jesus revealed to you the full impact of one of

your own sins? How did the revelation come about? What was your response? Why

is it beneficial for Jesus to “look” at you that way?

Chapter 23

For understanding

1. 23:30. What was the context of the passage from Hosea to which Jesus alludes? To

whom was the passage originally directed? How does Jesus apply it?

2. 23:31. What or who is the green wood and the dry wood? How did Ezekiel use

images of burning wood?

3. 23:34. How does the Passion of Jesus parallel the movement of Psalm 22? What

are some specific parallels?

4. 23:46. How does Jesus demonstrate that he is in control even on the Cross? How

does his cry echo Psalm 31? How does the psalm end?

For application

1. 23:1–5. How do your political views align with your religious convictions? If they

differ, which is likely to win out when you are in the voting booth?

2. 23:23–25. If you are pursuing a cause you know to be right, how do you respond to

the vocal opposition of groups or authorities? How have you handled situations

where you had to take a position that was just but unpopular or “against policy”?

3. 23:34. How do you respond to persons who, with full intention and malice, attempt to

cause you serious harm? Why should you forgive as Jesus does?

4. 23:46. What is there about your life that you commit into the Father’s hands? Why

should you not wait until the last moment to commit yourself to him?

Chapter 24

For understanding

1. 24:1–53. What are the “many proofs” cited in Acts that Jesus rose from the dead?

2. 24:30. How does the structure of the Emmaus episode reflect the structure of the

eucharistic liturgy?

3. 24:39. How has the evidence for the truth of the Resurrection mounted up to this

point? What type of body does Jesus have, if it is no longer earthly?

4. 24:46. Which Old Testament passages foretell Jesus’ rejection, Passion, and death?

What is the Old Testament background of the Resurrection?

For application

1. 24:25. What does it mean to be “slow of heart to believe”? How did the disciples

show a wish to believe, and how did they signal their unbelief? How does this

hesitancy resemble your own when it comes to the preaching you hear?

2. 24:32. What changed the disciples’ slowness of heart? How has your own heart

15 Study Questions for the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The Gospel of St. Luke

“burned within you” as you read or heard the Scriptures? What has that “burning”

meant to you?

3. 24:38. What questions do you have about the Christian message? How do they

trouble you? Why do you have them? What kind of answer was Jesus expecting

from the disciples to his questions?

4. 24:41–43. If you have doubts about the Christian message, what would it take to

convince you? Jesus here gives a practical demonstration of his reality. What kind of

demonstration are you looking for? How hard have you looked for it?