One of the Days of the Son of Man: A Reconsideration of Luke 17:22

This article challenges two interpretive decisions related to “one of the days of the Son of Man” in Luke 17:22. (1) Instead of interpreting the “days” as a temporal period, I suggest that the “days” be understood as a collection of similar yet distinct days. If Luke employs this tactic, it firees the interpreter from having to synchronize the “days of the Son of Man” temporally in 17:22 with the same phrase in 17:26 and brings “one of the days of the Son of Man” into harmony with the “day of the Son of Man” (17:24, 30, 31). (2) Instead of interpreting Luke 17:22-37 as referring to the parousia, I suggest that this passage be interpreted in relation to the destruction of Jerusalem. This interpretation is encouraged by a close reading of 17:22-37 in order to identify Luke’s primary points of comparison between the “days” and “day” of Noah and Lot, and those of the Son of Man. I conclude that the disciples’ desire to see “one of the days of the Son of Man” is their desire to witness Jesus’s glorious coming as the suffering-yet-vindicated king of Israel, but they will not see it because Jesus commands them to escape Jerusalem’s ruin.