I. Values and Time Orientation
 Middle East: Present > Past > Future

A. Present:

 Luke 9:27
 Luke 21:32 (see Mark 13:32)

 Luke 12:13-34 (see Deut 21:17)

 Luke 18:18-30
 

B. Past:

 Luke 6:1-11
 
C. Future

 Read these passages: The pronoun “Son of Man ” appears in all of them. Some are “future” oriented. Take note of these: Luke 5:24; 6:5; 6:22; 7:34; 9:22; 9:26, 44, 58; 11:30; 12: 8, 10, 40; 17:22, 24, 26, 30; 18:8, 31; 19:10; 21:27, 36; 22:22, 48, 69; 24:7.

 In which passages can “Son of Man” be replaced with “I”?

 Since ancient peoples, particularly peasants, have little to no concept of a “future” but rather only a “forthcoming”, it seems that these futures statements were placed on the lips of Jesus (at Level II or III) after the resurrection based on a rapidly spreading expectation that he would return again very soon, perhaps any week-end.

 See Daniel 7:13-14; 12.

 See 1 Thess 4:13-18.
 

 Time is a value that is understood and calculated differently in different cultures. Cultural experts note that Mediterranean peasant have no awareness of a future anything like the future middle-class Americans live with. SeeBruce J. Malina, “Christ and Time: Swiss or Mediterranean,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 51 (1989) 1-31.