Hearing the silence

Book Description

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus faces an angry crowd ready to throw him off a cliff, yet somehow he simply "passed through the midst of them and went on his way." How did this happen? What does this mysterious moment reveal about the deeper spiritual truths woven throughout Luke's narrative?

Biblical scholar Bruce Longenecker invites readers on a fascinating exploration of what lies beneath the surface of familiar Gospel stories. Rather than focusing solely on what Luke explicitly tells us, this thoughtful study examines the profound significance of what remains unsaid, unexplained, and tantalizingly absent from the text.

Through careful analysis of Jesus' enigmatic escape in Luke chapter four, Longenecker demonstrates how the gaps and silences in biblical narratives often contain their most powerful messages. He surveys how various Jesus novels and films have attempted to fill in these narrative blanks, revealing our human tendency to explain away mystery rather than sit with its transformative potential.

This unique approach opens fresh pathways for understanding not just a single puzzling passage, but the entire theological vision that shapes Luke's Gospel. Readers will discover how paying attention to literary silence can deepen their spiritual insight and enhance their engagement with sacred texts.

For those seeking to move beyond surface-level Bible reading toward a more nuanced and contemplative approach to scripture, this work offers valuable tools for hearing what speaks most powerfully in the quiet spaces between words.