Luke

Luke


What do you see in this book that tells you about the original reader? Luke is writing his account to a man name Theophilus who is guessed to be a Gentile. It is believed that Luke’s readership would be Gentiles and more Hellenistic Jews spread throughout the Roman Empire.

What do you see in the book that tells you about the author? Before taking this class, I always detected that Luke cared about women and now I realize in reading this book again, that he cared about all people. And people who were poor, or sick, or ostracized for one reason or another. Luke was the only non-Jewish writer in the Bible and so all these accounts of Jesus were painstakingly collected and recorded with great care.

What are the main themes, repeated ideas, and main idea of the book? Jesus, the Son of Man, and the use of the phrase, Kingdom of God, are used frequently in this account. The story themes are all about the poor and beaten and is a most heartwarming book showing how we are commanded to love one another in word and in deed–especially helping the unfortunate. The main idea of the book is expressed in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."

What does the book show about the nature and character of God? I find it so interesting that each of the Gospel writers represented a different expression of God’s character. Luke includes events that are listed in Matthew and Mark, but 59% of the book is new material not listed in any of the other Gospel accounts. And these are all about people like the prodigal son, the woman who gave a mite at the temple, the good Samaritan, and many more. The tone is softer, the words more gentle. This is a thoughtful account and reflects God’s nature and character as a caring God.

What does this book show about God’s redemptive plan for mankind? While Luke records less than half the prophecies of Matthew, there are still 25 references to Old Testament prophecies in his account. Luke writes more details of events during the 40 days before Jesus’ ascension. The experience of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and a more expanded amount about the women’s adventure at the grave site, followed with their difficulties in convincing the men about Jesus’ resurrection!

Personal application: For me, this is the account I should have read first after completing the Old Testament. It is more gentle. Jesus is not by any means compromising His standards, but the account is written with empathy and this might be because Luke is a physician and his compassionate heart is reflected in his writings. I so enjoyed the "other stories" he recorded and appreciate his effort in recording them as he was not an eyewitness to them. I liked the historical tone and maybe that’s why I would have chosen it to be the first Gospel read after the Old Testament. I loved this book . . .

Point of Passion: It is so important in the work of intercession to pray with love, conviction, knowledge, and compassion. Luke certainly was an example of all these things in the way in which he wrote this Gospel.