Narrative Structure and Verbal Aspect Choice in Luke 27 audience to witness and participate in the experience of wonder at this crucial proclamation67. Moreover, Luke employs here this heightened, mimetic discourse, which displaces his audience’s perceptions into the narrative, because the events have a continuing, mirror-like relevance in the present. It is Luke’s posture that this messianic declaration holds true beyond the confines of the narrative, that Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy is as true in Luke’s own audience’s “today” as in that of the narrative’s audience68. The last division of chapter four runs from verse 31 to 44. It describes one day and night of Jesus’ itinerant ministry in the city of Capernaum. This section has had numerous attempts at different divisions in past scholarship, owing to a certain difficulty in determining the end of the pericope69. The organization of vv. 31-44 as one whole pericope is prefe- rable to other attempts due to structural features of the pericope that are parallel to other Lukan pericopes. First of all, it begins and ends with the regular aspectual cadences, as will be discussed in more detail below. Secondly, the larger structure of the pericope follows a chiastic pattern similar to the previous two pericopes. The outermost layer consists of Jesus’ traveling to cities and teaching in synagogues (31-32.43-44). The next consists of exorcisms (33-36.41). The innermost layer consists of healings (38-39.40). Thirdly, the consistent setting of one 24-hour period in and around one city is appropriate for a single pericope (cf. vv. 14-30, on day in Nazareth). Fourthly, the length of 14 verses befits a Lukan pericope (cf. 15 verses for vv. 1-15 and 17 verses for vv. 14-30)70. This pericope is largely conducted by the diegetic mode, as are the previous two, with the central narrative backbone related via aorists. 67 Luke often uses mimetic discourse in such experiential narrative circumstances, as though the reader were part of the internal audience (see below on vv. 36-37). Bock, in describing this stylistic feature, states that it is as if Luke were saying, “Imagine what it would be like if you, dear reader, were the one who witnessed these events or were among the ones healed by Jesus” (Luke, 427). 68 On the contemporary relevance of this passage, see H. Flender, St. Luke: Theologian of Redemptive History (trans. R.H. – I. Fuller) (Philadelphia 1967) 151: “the ‘to-day’ which brings the past into the present”; see also Marshall, Luke, 185: “The ‘today’ of Jesus is still addressed to all readers of the Gospel...”, who are both contra H. Conzelmann, The Theology of St Luke (trans. G. Buswell) (London 1960) 36 and Schürmann, Das Lukasevangelium, 233. 69 A division between v. 37 and v. 38 has enjoyed some popularity. Commentators N. Geldenhuys (Commentary on the Gospel of Luke [Grand Rapids 1951] 172-75), Schneider (Das Evangelium, 113), Fitzmeyer (Luke, 548), and numerous English translations (NIV, NASB, NLT, NLV, MSG, NSV, ESV, NKJV, et al.) have divided it this way. Other, slightly less popular divisions include after v. 39 (NKJV and NLV), after v. 41 (NLT, NLV, ESV, and commentator Fitzmeyer, Luke, 552, and after v. 43, Schürmann, Das Lukasevangelium, 256-57). 70 The second, third and fourth points owe to Goulder’s analysis, Luke, 312, 315-16.