The Gospel of Luke

In the three-year cycle of Sunday Lectionary readings, Year C is the year of Luke.

According to a tradition dating from the second century, Luke is the doctor to whom Paul refers in his letter to the Colossians as his fellow worker and companion.  Most scripture scholars conclude that Luke was a highly educated writer and gifted storyteller who knew the Greek translation of the Old Testament and had perhaps been a convert to Judaism before becoming a Christian.  Luke admits that he was not an eyewitness to the ministry of Jesus.  For his narrative he draws on Mark's gospel, on a collection of Jesus' sayings known as Q (for the German word Quelle meaning "source") and on a number of other written and oral sources.

Luke's journey story is not just a geographical or historical record however.  Rather it is depicted as a journey for the whole church and for the individual Christian - a journey towards suffering and glory.  The disciples suffer in Luke's story, but always joyfully, and despite the conflicts and persecutions portrayed in Acts, the picture of the life of the early church is a very positive one.

Luke wrote his story in two volumes - the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.  Acts is usually dated at around 80, based on Luke's use of Mark and his description of local church structures and issues.  The gospel of Luke appears to be addressed to people of Greek background, perhaps both Gentiles and Jews who had been evangelised by Paul. The first reading for the entire Easter season in Year C is from the book of Acts, giving us the opportunity to experience the two accounts as a unified narrative of the ministry of Jesus and its continuation in the ministry of the early church.

Luke's gospel tells of Jesus' journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, a journey which is completed in the Acts of the Apostles by the journey of the church from Jerusalem "to the ends of the earth".  The Lectionary readings represent faithfully Luke's "Travel Narrative" (chapters 9 to 19), the journey of Jesus to death, resurrection and return to the Father.

Luke is traditionally symbolised by a winged ox because of his emphasis on the sacrificial aspect of Christ’s life (oxen being used in temple sacrifices.) While Mark and Matthew link salvation to Jesus’ death on the cross, Luke presents the life, death and teaching of Christ as a message of universal salvation for all people, not only the Jews.

Luke's is the only gospel to call Jesus "Saviour" and salvation is a prominent theme but unlike Mark and Matthew who link salvation to Jesus' death on the cross, Luke describes Jesus saving people throughout his ministry and shows it happening here and now, in their midst: “Today salvation has come to this house”, “Today you will be with me in paradise”.

Luke's goal is to inspire in Christ's followers a faithfulness to their commitment based on God's fidelity to them.  He does this by reminding the hearer/reader of God's past faithfulness and drawing attention to parallels in the present.  This instills hope and trust in the promises yet to be fulfilled, including the return of Jesus and the redemption of Israel. 

The Holy Spirit is given prominence in Luke’s gospel in a way not found in the other gospels.  People are frequently described as being filled with or inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Luke stresses the activity of the Holy Spirit in the Incarnation, in the events of Jesus’ life and as the guide and inspiration of the Christian community.

The role of prayer in Jesus’ life and ministry is developed more by Luke than the other evangelists.  He shows Jesus instructing the disciples in the importance and power of prayer in the story of a friend asking for bread in the middle of the night and in the parables of the persistent widow and of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Many popular bible stories like the parables of the Good Samaritan, the visit of the shepherds to the infant Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus come from Luke’s gospel. 

Throughout Luke’s gospel Jesus is portrayed as compassionate and merciful. In Luke’s Good News we learn that Jesus eats meals with public sinners, cares about society’s outcasts and treats women with dignity and respect. More than any of the other gospel writers, Luke gives importance to the role of women.  He places Mary at the centre of his infancy narrative (unlike Matthew who focuses on Joseph); Luke pairs the men in his stories with women (Zechariah and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna).  In Luke's story about Martha and Mary, Mary does what would have been unacceptable in Jesus' time - she sits at his feet as a disciple.

Something that is particularly evident in Luke's gospel is the emphasis on Jesus' ministry to those on the fringes of society, to the oppressed, excluded and disadvantaged.  This focus appears right from the start with Mary's song, The Magnificat, and Jesus makes it the central message of his first act of preaching: "He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free" (Lk 4: 18).  His wonderful “lost and found” stories (the stray sheep, the missing coin, and the prodigal son) are found in none of the other gospels.