As I previously showed, the authors of Matthew and Luke generally copied the narratives in Mark in generally the same order, making very few jumps between the various blocks of narratives. The gospels of Matthew and Luke do not share any common jumps when compared to Mark, and thus it is unlikely that either author copied off of the other. If you examine the common material in Matthew and Luke that is not found in Mark (often called the "Q" source (for quelle or spring), there are very few sequences of passages that are copied in the same order, so given the laziness of the authors in their copying of Mark, it is very unlikely that if either author was copying from the other, that they would make an order of magnitude more jumps between narratives than the number of jumps made when copying from Mark. Also, if there was a single Q document, given the laziness of both authors in copying from Mark, it would be peculiar that both authors would copy passages from a single source with such randomness. It should be noted, also, that only very seldom do consecutive passages line up between Matthew and Luke, and indeed, the only place where multiple passages parallel each other is in the sermons on the mount and on the plain.
Consequently, this suggests that there were more than one document within the Q source, and indeed, there are likely multiple documents. As these documents were not the larger and more authoritative gospel now attributed to Mark, it is likely that when they were copied by various scribes, scribes would be more willing to either add additional passages or sayings of Jesus, or similarly removing passages. Thus, while the copies received by the authors of Matthew and Luke of what is now called Mark were likely very similar, it is unlikely that the Q documents were as similar.
However, early Christian scribes were, like the authors of Matthew and Luke, lazy and it is unlikely that if a scribe was copying and making changes to one of these Q documents, that they would significantly alter the order in which the passages appear. In my images where I match pericopes between Matthew and Luke, these verses in the same order, perhaps interspersed with additional narratives that do not belong in one or the other, appear as fans of lines, and thus, that is how I will refer to these.
The first fan we will examine appears at the end of Matthew 17 and the start of Matthew 18 and the first few narratives in Luke 17.
We will begin with a single fan where in Luke, the narratives are essentially juxtaposed at the start of Luke 17, but where the verses in Matthew are spread over Matthew 17 and 18. To begin, one narrative from the Q documents relates faith to a mustard seed. There is a second pericope associating a mustard seed, but in this second pericope, the mustard seed is compared to the Kingdom of Yahweh. In the second case, this pericope appears in Mark, and we will see how faithful the authors of both Matthew and Luke were in copying this pericope. We will then look at this fan relating Matthew 17 and 18 and Luke 17, and see that there are much more serious differences. We will first just present the full text from both gospels highlighting the overlapping texts likely from the Q documents. We will then examine any passages shared with Mark, and any passages unique to either Matthew or Luke. We will then try to expand on this Q document.
Faith of a mustard seed compared to the Kingdom of Yahweh
There is a pericope in Mark that describes a mustard seed, but it compares the Kingdom of Yahweh to that seed, and and that narrative is paralleled in both Matthew and Luke. In Mark 4:30-32, we have
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
and copied variations appear in Matthew 13:31-32:
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
and Luke 13:18-19:
He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
As both Matthew and Luke are copying from Mark, there is much in common in all three variations.
The full narratives
The narrative of the transfiguration... [copied from Mark 9:2-13 and also copied in Luke 9:28-36]
When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has epilepsy and suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured from that moment. [copied from Mark 9:20-29, but the reason that the disciples failed was because prayer was required and in Luke 9:38-42]
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they were greatly distressed. [copied from Mark 9:30-32 and also in Luke 9:43-45]
When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes, he does.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free. However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.” [Matthew only]
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. [copied from Mark 9:33-37 but also in Luke 9:46-48]
If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. [copied from Mark 9:42 and also below]
Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things are bound to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell of fire. [copied from Mark 9:43-48 but not Luke]
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven. [Matthew only]
What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. [also in Luke 15:1-7]
“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector.
Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. [Matthew only, but repeated from Matthew 16:19]
Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” [Matthew only]
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
The parable of the unrepentant slave... [Matthew only]
Jesus asked about divorce by the Pharisees... [copied from Mark 10: 1-12 but not in Luke]
Here is the block of text in Luke 17:
Pharisees have a love of money...
The law is in force... [also in Matthew 5:17-18]
Divorce and adultery... [also in Matthew 5:31-32]
Lazarus in heaven and the rich man in hell... [Luke only]
Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for sin are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come!
It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to sin. [copied from Mark 9:42 and also above]
Be on your guard!
If a brother or sister sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.
And if the same person sins against you seven times a day and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me; put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’ ” [Luke only]
Jesus cleanses ten men with a skin disease... [Luke only]
The Kingdom of Yahweh is within you... [Luke only]
The times of Noah and some disappear [also Matthew 24:36-44]
If you look at what the author of Matthew copied from Mark, you will see that the author of Matthew is faithfully copying from Mark 9 and 10:
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the transfiguration in Mark 9:2-13,
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the epileptic child in Mark 9:20-29,
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who is greatest in Mark 9:33-37,
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millstones in Mark 9:42,
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cutting off hands and gouging eyes in Mark 9:43-48, and
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Jesus asked about divorce by the Pharisees in Mark 10:1-12.
These are interspersed with text from the Q document.
If you look at Luke, there is only one passage copied from Mark, but it is entirely surrounded by text that is either unique to Luke or also from the Q source. One reasonable interpretation is that there was a single document that was available to Matthew that may have looked as follows:
“Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Jesus said, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?”
Peter said, “From others.”
Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free. However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”
“Woe to the world because of things that cause sin! Such things are bound to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!”
“Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.
What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”
“If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector.”
“Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, if my brother or sister sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
We will describe this as the "minimal M 17-18 document." We could hypothesize a larger such document that also includes all of Matthew 18 not found in Mark, so including the story of the unrepentant slave. This larger document could be referred to as a "maximal M 17-18 document." If the author of Matthew had access to this maximal document, this would parallel the copying from Mark: for the most part, copying from another document faithfully. The alternative is that the author of Matthew was not only copying from Mark and this minimal M 17-18 document, but also introducing new stories from his own congregation. This author would suggest that it is more likely that the author had access to something closer to the maximal document. As Matthew was likely written first, there would have been an opportunity for whatever document the author had access to to change over time.
If we look at Luke, we see that most of the material from the end of Luke 9 to the start of Luke 18 is an almost contiguous block of material not found in Mark. Up until close to the end of Luke 9, the author was faithfully copying up to close to the end of Mark 9. In Luke 11, there are a few narratives from mark that the author did not copy previously and seems to have gone back, found these skipped passages, and included them in an almost contiguous block within Luke 11: Jesus as Beelzebul and a house divided, a demand for a sign, and a discussion on cleanliness and defilement. The only other inclusion of a pericope from Mark is the aforementioned story contrasting the Kingdom of Yahweh with a mustard seed, which appears in the middle of Luke 13. But beyond these isolated cases, almost all of this is material not found in Mark. Then, in the second half of Luke 18, the author continues to faithfully copy from Mark starting from where he left off: the end of Mark 9, and more or less faithfully copies from Mark up until Mark 16 to the start of Luke 24. There are a few minor inclusions not from Mark, but the only major inclusion was the story of money loaned to slaves, which appears in Matthew 25 and Luke 19, but again, if you compare and contrast these two, they are very different from each other, significantly more different than those sections of Luke where he is copying from Mark.
Anyway, so we have a huge block of text that appears to from another Q document. This author will suggest one of two possibilities:
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There is minimal L 15-17 document that does not have the story of the one hundred sheep and includes only the start of Luke 17, and the author of Luke copied from one of the M 16-17 documents while copying from this minimal L 15-17 document.
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There is a maximal L 15-17 that includes most of Luke 17 and this document had most of the material that was copied into L 15-17. The end of Luke 17 is not included, as this appears to be a separate Q document also available to Matthew, where Matthew was copying this document while authoring Matthew 24.
Given the faithful copying of Matthew and Luke from Mark, it may be reasonable that there was an earlier version of sayings of Jesus that contained the minimal M 17-18 document. This was passed around, and in one case, it was included in a slightly larger document, including additional stories that were introduced by a scribe to produce the maximal M 17-18 document, which was then copied by Matthew. Another scribe in another location may have been more energetic and produced from this minimal M 17-18 document the maximal L 15-17 document that was then copied by the author of Luke. However, it seems at least plausible that there was a shared common minimal M 17-18 document which may have been modified by either the authors of Matthew and Luke, or more likely, by intermediate scribes.
The next fan has the last bit of Luke 9 and the first half of Luke 10 appear spread throughout the range from the end of Matthew 8 to the start of Matthew 13. In Luke, this is a single narrative, it discusses the followers of Jesus. The context is that Jesus and his disciples were going to Jerusalem and includes a story that Jesus was rejected at a Samaritan village, but in a narrative that appears only in Luke:
Luke 9:51-56
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him.
On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to prepare for his arrival, but they did not receive him because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
When his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
But he turned and rebuked them.
Then they went on to another village.
The narrative continues, and it is clear that the author is suggesting that this next discussion is occurring during this aforementioned journey to Jerusalem:
Luke 9:57-62
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The same narrative appears in Matthew, but it is clearly embedded in a number of narratives surrounding Jesus not on route to Jerusalem, but clearly occurring in the vicinity of Capernaum:
Jesus heals the Centurion's servant in Matthew 8:5-13, and this is explicitly stated to occur in Capernaum.
Next, Jesus heals the mother-in-law of Peter, after which Jesus healed many people that evening. This appears in Matthew 8:14-17.
Now, the discussion of foxes and holes and birds and nests appears next, but it embedded not in a journey to Jerusalem, but rather in Jesus seeking to leave Capernaum by boat:
Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee].
A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Another of his disciples said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm suddenly arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves, but he was asleep...
In Matthew, the narrative of foxes and holes and birds and nests appears as the pretext for Jesus calming the storm, a pericope that appears in all three gospels, but neither Mark nor Luke mention this particular story in that context. Only Luke has this appear in Jesus's journey to Jerusalem.
Returning to Luke, this is immediately followed by a discussion of seventy-two followers sent out in pairs, and then returning:
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.
Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’
And if a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on that person, but if not, it will return to you.
Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid.
Do not move about from house to house.
Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them,
‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say,
‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.
Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’
I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. Indeed, at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you.
And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades.
Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
It is interesting, as some of the oldest manuscripts have 70, and not 72 followers. If the original number was seventy, this harkens back to two passages in the Judean scriptures:
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In the table of nations in Genesis 10, seventy nations are listed, so this may be a symbolic reference to Jesus indicating that his message is to be spread to all nations of the world.
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In Numbers 11:16-29, Moses appoints seventy elders to assist himself in leading the Israelites by sharing the burden of leadership, with God's Spirit resting upon them to enable them to help govern and guide the people.
Interestingly, immediately following this passage concerning the 70 elders, it mentions two additional persons: Eldad and Medad. These two seem to have had the Spirit of God bestowed upon them, and they began to prophesy publicly, demonstrating that God's empowerment was not limited by location or physical presence. Could this variation between 70 and 72 be a consequence of an early follower noting these two additional figures that appear in Numbers 11?
What is most interesting, however, is that three towns or villages in very close proximity, Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida, all closest to the heart of Jesus's ministry, the first being where Jesus seems to have lived, all rejected him, despite all the miracles that he performed in and around those settlements. Why is it that those people in theses towns, like Nazareth, are exactly those people who are recorded as rejecting Jesus's message. If there were 2000 denizens in this region, and Jesus healed a few dozen, then it is almost certain that Jesus would have healed at least one relative of half the denizens, and yet this was insufficient to motivate them to follow Jesus? Of course, if Jesus was a faith healer like so many charlatans today, then it would be quite reasonable, and actually expected, that everyone living there would recognize Jesus for the confidence trickster he was.
Returning to the narrative in Luke: recall that this is while Jesus is allegedly journeying to Jerusalem:
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him...
As they were going along the road, ...
For seventy-two to travel out into the world, travel to towns and cities, find places to stay, and remain there for a sufficiently long time so that Jesus needed to command them to stay in one home, and then possibly visit multiple towns or cities, all of this would be incredibly difficult to coordinate, and yet they all returned:
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying,
“Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!”
Jesus said to them,
“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. Indeed, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
At that very hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
All they had to say was concerning the fact that demons submitted to them? Was there nothing else of any value to speak of? Recall that they were sent out with a mission not to have demons submit to them but rather to be sent out into the harvest, to cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ How many towns did not welcome them, and how many did?
This is followed by Luke 9:25-37, Jesus tells the narrative of a priest, a Levite and a Samaritan who come across a victim, a narrative that appears only in Luke. As we see, Luke has bound this particular discussion on followers by two passages concerning the Samaritans, when the only other reference to Samaritans in the other two synoptic gospels is when the author of Matthew explicitly
What is interesting, however, is that parallel verses to all those found here in one short narrative in Luke are scattered throughout Matthew, but in a similar order. First, Matthew never mentions 70 or 72 disciples. Instead, at the end of Matthew 9, specifically, Matthew 9:37-38, we have:
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Next, in Matthew 10:1-4, the introduces for the first time the twelve disciples, not 70 or 72, so this is nearer to the start of Jesus's ministry, not the end:
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles:
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first, Simon, also known as Peter, and
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his brother Andrew;
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James son of Zebedee and
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his brother John;
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Philip and
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Bartholomew;
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Thomas and
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Matthew the tax collector;
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James son of Alphaeus and
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Thaddaeus;
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Simon the Cananaean and
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Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
It is these twelve, not 70 or 72 who are sent out, and it is to these twelve to whom he gives the instructions in Matthew 10:5-16:
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:
“Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, proclaim the good news,
‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons.
You received without payment; give without payment.
Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for laborers deserve their food.
Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.
As you enter the house, greet it.
If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.
Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Now, Jesus warns his disciples about future persecutions, a speech not found in this location in Luke. This starts with verses 17 and 18, but the warnings continue to the end of the chapter.
Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the gentiles.
Similar passages appear in Mark 13:9-13 and much later in Luke 21:12-19.
Compare this with the passage in Luke:
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.
Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’
And if a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on that person, but if not, it will return to you.
Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid.
Do not move about from house to house.
Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them,
‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say,
‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.
Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’
I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
Recall how closely the author of Luke copies the texts found in Mark, and yet, these are two different narratives describing different situations with a different group of people, and yet all the text is there. Given how faithful both the authors of Luke and Matthew were when copying from Mark, it seems incredible that if one was copying from the other's work, that they would disrupt it so significantly.
What is more interesting is that while Matthew follows much of the text of Jesus sending out the 72, in Luke 9, there is a passage where Jesus sends out his disciples, like he does in Matthew:
Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey: no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there.
Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
This is similar to Mark 6:7-13, which says:
He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff: no bread, no bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.
He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.
They cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Note that the original narrative in Mark also has Jesus sending the disciples out in pairs, yet Luke 9 fails to mention this. It is only in this subsequent telling regarding the 72 that disciples being paired up is mentioned. The author of Matthew also incorporates some of Mark's text into his, including the part of not taking two tunics, although the author of Mark has Jesus tell them to take a staff, while the author of Matthew has him command to not take a staff. The staff and extra tunic appear at the start of Luke 9.
It seems quite clear: both Mark and the additional source Q of Matthew and Luke had two different stories about Jesus sending out his disciples. The author of Matthew harmonized the two, having Jesus send out the twelve disciples, while the author of Luke copied the text from Mark to have Jesus sending out the disciples (but not in pairs) while the story from the other common source Q was converted into a story about the 72 disciples, a significant story telling about Jesus's following that appears nowhere in any other gospel.
Let us look at the next few passages in Luke: the balance of the fan:
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
Indeed, at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you.
And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?
No, you will be brought down to Hades.
Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying,
“Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!”
Jesus said to them,
“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. Indeed, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
At that very hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!
For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
In Matthew 11:20-24, we have
Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done because they did not repent.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you.
And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?
No, you will be brought down to Hades.
“For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you that on the day of judgment it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Next, in Matthew 10:40-42, we have a parallel statement to that found in Luke:
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and
whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, and
whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple
truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
This same statement comes from Mark 9:36-37:
Then he took a little child and put it among them, and taking it in his arms he said to them,
“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
The narrative of how the 70 or 72 return and rejoice in their new-found power to force demons to submit to them, and how Jesus admonishes them against such carnal desires and instead redirects their focus on their eternal rewards.
Next, in Matthew 11:25-27, we have a parallel to the next:
At that time Jesus said,
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
This is essentially verbatim, and yet appears later in Matthew immediately after curse against Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida. Again, in Luke, Jesus is speaking to the 72, but in Matthew, he is speaking to a crowed after having met with disciples from John the Baptist.
Finally, another parallel is found in Matthew, at Matthew 13:16-17 where it says
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Once again, in Luke, this comes up in his conversation with the 72 disciples, but in Matthew, this is part of a discussion on the purpose of parables, which is covered in Matthew 13:10-17. The discussion of the purpose of parables appears in all three synoptic gospels, in Mark 4:10-12 and Luke 8:9-10, but only Matthew adds this comment immediately thereafter.
Thus, in summary, the story of the 72 disciples being sent out is an isolate appearing only in Luke, and yet it almost perfectly parallels a similar story told not about 72, but about the 12 disciples. It is also surrounded by other passages unique to Matthew and Luke, and thus a candidate for Q, and yet, the narratives grouped so tightly together in Luke are scattered throughout Matthew 8 through 11, and they often are said by Jesus in significantly contexts. One might therefore suppose that many of these narratives came from one common source, and while Luke appears to have created an artificial narrative of these 70 or 72 disciples (possibly rejecting others), Matthew inserted these sayings in more appropriate locations. It is almost as if the author of Luke had this collection of sayings and tried to group them all together, while the author of Matthew was referring to a similar copy but picked and chose those passages he included, then striking them out as he went along.
As I've suggested before, I do not believe that Q is a single document, but a collection of documents about the sayings of Jesus, and while the completeness of the gospel of Mark likely meant that when it was copied, it was copied more faithfully, these collections of sayings of Jesus were probably more likely to be added to, modified and redacted by the various copyists. Thus, I will attempt to put together a document of sayings that perhaps both the authors of Matthew and Luke had available to them regarding this section of sayings of Jesus.
First, to begin, we note that Luke 10 starts almost immediately after Luke 9, which is the end of that author's copying from Mark 1 through 9. The implausibility of the story, that Jesus out of nowhere sends 72 disciples on missions, while he is headed to Jerusalem, and those 72 then return and Jesus gives them a speech suggests strongly that the author had a parchment of sayings of Jesus and simply chose to interweave this collection of sayings with this fantastical story. Just like the author copied from Mark, this same author seems to have copied from this sayings document, as well. Also, Jesus having 72 disciples sent out does not appear in any other gospel and is instead in stark contrast in John 6:
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them... This is the bread that came down from heaven, ... But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.” Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.
Thus, a reasonable estimate of what may have appeared in this sayings document is:
One said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Another said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”
And Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
“Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves..”
“Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.”
“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on that person, but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.”
“Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
“But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.”
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 Indeed, at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you.”
“And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades.”
“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.”
“I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.”
“Do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.”
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets, righteous people, and desired to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
After this is the parable of the priest, Levite and Samaritan, which does not appear in Mark or Matthew. Similarly, the next story is also unique to Luke: where Jesus visits the home of Mary and Martha, but this is not in the context of the story of Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus as reported in John. Their village is also described in that gospel as being in Bethany, but this is entirely unreasonable for the story being told in Luke. The next chapter contains the Lord's prayer, and while this does appear in Matthew, it does so much earlier on. Additionally, the verses similar between Matthew and Luke appear to form a separate "fan", and thus, the above appears to be a complete approximation of one of the Q documents.
Other fans:
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Matthew 23 and the end of Luke 11.
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The end of Matthew 24 and the end of Luke 12.
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The end of Matthew 24 and the end of Luke 17.
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The middle of Matthew 3 and the start of Luke 3.
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The starts of both Matthew 4 and Luke 4.
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The sermon on the mount and the sermon on the plain, but a large part of the middle part of Matthew appears much later in Luke.
We can then discuss isolates: large common texts that do not appear to be part of any fan:
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Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke) or the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew)
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Parable of the Talents (Matthew) or the Parable of the Ten Minas (Luke)
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John the Baptist questions Jesus through his disciples: Matthew 11:2-6 and Luke 7:18-23