The Gift of Luke’s Writing

I was listening to a podcast by Tim Keller the other day and he was discussing Luke. It is believed Luke was a physician and probably a Gentile. Luke was not one of the original 12 disciples but spent time with Paul. He was an educated man, which can be seen in his writing style. It is believed he is the author of the third gospel in the New Testament, as well as the book of Acts.

One of the things that sets Luke apart for me is the importance he places on Jesus reaching out to the poor -physically and spiritually. Luke records various times when Jesus met the outcasts where they were. In fact, he is the only one of the gospel writers that tells the stories of the prodigal son, the tax collector, and the Samaritan traveler. It feels like Luke’s goal is to speak directly to those who feel they are unworthy of the gospel message because of their own choices or societal placement.

In the book of Luke, it’s not lost on me that the author of the same name tells the story of how Jesus’s own disciples didn’t recognize Jesus on the road to Emmaus. He doesn’t leave out the part that the prodigal son’s brother felt slighted because he was obedient. He doesn’t leave out the part where the Jewish travelers past by the man attacked on the side of the road but the socially unacceptable Samaritan does not. He doesn’t gloss over the hypocrisy of the Pharisee when he prayed and compared himself to the tax collector. It’s no surprise that the book of Acts is filled with stories of Jesus helping those who some felt were unworthy of help. He is the only writer of the gospel that focuses on these blatant misunderstandings of living a godly life by the Jewish people that they should have known.

Luke calls out the pious “religion” of the day through these stories. He strives to reach the hearts of the gentiles with purposeful stories that showed where the chosen people had missed the big picture. Why would the gentiles want a religion based on the hypocrisy they often saw in the lives of those Jesus first came to seek and save? I believe Luke defines the shortcomings so that those who have felt inferior their whole lives could see they were no more, or less inferior in their understanding than so many others.

I love Luke’s stories. It makes my sinner heart draw into his writing goals. It makes me wonder what hurts were in his past that led him to focus on the fact that Jesus loved the lowly and they in turn loved him. If you are someone who has sinned wretchedly in your life, Luke gives you hope. If you are someone who has allowed the slow creep of piousness to enter your life, reading Luke should cause you to feel the need for repentance. If you are someone who gets hung up on appearances, Luke should humble your heart. If you are someone who feels unworthy, Luke shows you we are all unworthy.

I am thankful for Luke and the gospel message he has written for us. I am thankful that his message doesn’t end with Christ’s death but that he chose to pen the book of Acts for us to have an understanding that the gospel is for all people. For us to see the fervent desire of the Apostles to continue to spread the news of the saving power of Christ. For us to be given a roadmap for church life. Luke, in his educated ways, reaches us today as we consider his wisdom and the importance of each concept he penned for future generations to come.