Juraj Feník - Róbert Lapko, «Annunciations to Mary in Luke 1–2», Vol. 96 (2015) 498-524
In addition to the scene conventionally known as "the Annunciation" (Luke 1,26-38), three other texts in the infancy narrative qualify to be classed as such. This article proposes an understanding of 2,8-20; 2,22- 35; 2,41-52 as annunciation pericopes by highlighting the fact that other characters, namely, the shepherds, Simeon, and Jesus function as messengers communicating to Mary further information about her son. It identifies the messenger, the act of speaking, the message, and the reference to Jesus' mother in each of the four scenes. Luke's infancy narrative, so the argument runs, contains four annunciation scenes in which a progressive revelation about Jesus addressed to his mother takes place.
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Annunciations to Mary in Luke 1–2
The initial, all-too familiar scenes opening Luke’s narrative (1,5-
25 and 1,26-38) are commonly known under the titles “Annuncia-
tion to Zechariah” and “Annunciation to Mary”, or “Annunciation
of John’s Birth” and “Annunciation of Jesus’ Birth” respectively.
Cohering in Luke’s use of the literary form of birth annunciation
(Geburtsankündigung) 1, the two stories recount the annunciation
of the miraculous birth of a portentous child to a parent by the same
heavenly messenger, Gabriel.
Features such as the arrival of a messenger, the identification of
the addressee, and the delivery of the message are easily discernible
in both 1,5-25 and 1,26-38, providing for the commonality of the
two pericopes 2. In lieu of comparing the annunciation to Mary with
1
In what has become a standard tool for work on the infancy narratives,
R.E. BROWN, The Birth of the Messiah. A Commentary on the Infancy Narra-
tives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke (New York 1993) 252, understands
the wider segment 1,5-56 as “[t]he first diptych [of the infancy narrative], based
on annunciations [...]”. W. ECKEY, Das Lukasevangelium. Unter Berücksichti-
gung seiner Parallelen. Teilband I: 1,1 ‒ 10,42 (Neukirchen-Vluyn 2004) 65,
speaks of 1,5-56 as the “Ankündigungsteil” within the infancy narrative. For
A.T. LINCOLN, “Luke and Jesus’ Conception: A Case of Double Paternity?”,
JBL 132 (2013) 639-658, here 643, the two stories “both follow the pattern of
annunciations in the Jewish Scriptures”. Many others lend their assent. A well-
known departure from this near consensus is K. STOCK, “Die Berufung Marias
(Lk 1,26-38)”, Bib 61 (1980) 457-491, here 490-491, who concludes his analysis
of Lk 1,26-38 by championing the view that the narrative allows itself “am
ehesten als die Berufung Marias bezeichnen”. For a canvassing of opinion on
the literary form of the narratives, consider, inter alios, N.C. CROY – A.E. CON-
NOR, “Mantic Mary? The Virgin Mother as Prophet in Luke 1.26-56 and the
Early Church”, JSNT 34 (2011) 254-276, here 255-259; R. LAURENTIN, I Vangeli
dell’infanzia di Cristo. La verità del Natale al di là dei miti (Torino 1985) 130-
138; M. ORSATI, “L’annuncio a Maria della nascita di Gesù: Lc 1,26-38”, Vangeli
Sinottici e Atti degli Apostoli (ed. M. LÀCONI) (Corso di studi biblici 5; Torino
1994) 473-492, here 476-478; C. PELLEGRINO, Maria di Nazaret, Profezia del
Regno. Un approccio narrativo a Lc 1,34 (AnBib 206; Roma 2014) 57-90.
2
The annunciation character of the first story arises quickly within the
narrative flow. After describing the appearance of the angel (1,8-12), Luke
has the angel speak directly to Zechariah (1,13a) and reveals the content of
his message (1,13b-17). The identification in 1,13a of the subject of speaking
BIBLICA 96.4 (2015) 498-524
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