Reflections on the Gospel of Luke

REFLECTION ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

 
Introduction

Early Christian tradition, from the late second century on, identifies the author of this gospel and of the Acts of the Apostles as Luke, a Syrian from Antioch, who is mentioned in the New Testament in Col 4:14, Phlm 24 and 2 Tm 4:11. The prologue of the gospel makes it clear that Luke is not part of the first generation of Christian disciples but is himself dependent upon the traditions he received from those who were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word (Lk 1:2). His two-volume work marks him as someone who was highly literate both in the Old Testament traditions according to the Greek versions and in Hellenistic Greek writings.

Among the likely sources for the composition of this gospel (Lk 1:3) were the Gospel of Mark, a written collection of sayings of Jesus known also to the author of the Gospel of Matthew, and other special traditions that were used by Luke alone among the gospel writers. Some hold that Luke used Mark only as a complementary source for rounding out the material he took from other traditions. Because of its dependence on the Gospel of Mark and because details in Luke’s Gospel imply that the author was acquainted with the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans in A.D. 70, the Gospel of Luke is dated by most scholars after that date; many propose A.D. 80–90 as the time of composition.

Luke’s consistent substitution of Greek names for the Aramaic or Hebrew names occurring in his sources (e.g., Lk 23:33; Mk 15:22; Lk 18:41; Mk 10:51), his omission from the gospel of specifically Jewish Christian concerns found in his sources (e.g., Mk 7:1–23), his interest in Gentile Christians (Lk 2:30–32; 3:6, 38; 4:16–30; 13:28–30; 14:15–24; 17:11–19; 24:47–48), and his incomplete knowledge of Palestinian geography, customs, and practices are among the characteristics of this gospel that suggest that Luke was a non-Palestinian writing to a non-Palestinian audience that was largely made up of Gentile Christians. - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB, Books of the Bible)

Reflections

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.  And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” ...

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. - Luke 1:26-28, 38

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Church, held in Ephesus, to combat the heresy of Nestorianism that radically separated the divinity of Christ from his humanity; taught that the Virgin Mary is “Theotokos” meaning in Greek, the “God-bearer” or “Mother of God”.  She who was highly favored, became the hinge of human history; for by her yes to God the Savior of the world, took on our flesh, our life, becoming like us in all things but sin. 

To not honor Mary as the Holy Mother of God, is to not see Our Lord in the context of our humanity which he saved and redeemed. To not contemplate her great fiat, “let it be to me according to your will,” is to overlook her example of total commitment to God, to which we are all called to follow.  For by giving birth to the Head of the Church, Jesus, she also gives birth to the Body of the Church, you and I.  

 Mary is the new Eve, but unlike the first Eve who was the mother of all the living, who die in their sins.  Mary is the mother of all the living whose death are defeated by the Cross and Resurrection of her Son, and are given the Holy Spirit of life, life in its fullness. 

Today, we her children ask her prayers and her maternal care.

Holy Mother of God, pray for us.

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Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.”  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you. - Luke 22:19-20

 
“In your bread hides the Spirit who cannot he consumed; in your wine is the fire that cannot he swallowed. The Spirit in your bread, fire in your wine: behold a wonder heard from our lips.” - St. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD)

The Holy Mystery/Sacrament of the Eucharist is “the” liturgical celebration that, “makes” the Church.  It is where the People of God are united to the sacrifice of Christ, participate in his victory over death, and through the invocation of the Holy Spirit are given an “apocalypse/revelation” of the Kingdom of Heaven that is to come in its fullness.  In the Eucharist: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). 

Both St. Irenaeus of Lyon (130-202 AD) and St. Athanasius of Alexandria (296-373 AD) wrote that God became human so that humans could become like God.  Meaning that the Word became flesh, so that we could be divinized, that is to say become Christ-like, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  For as St. Irenaeus also wrote, the Father is never present without his two hands; the Son and the Spirit.  

Two other great Fathers of the Church were St. Gregory of Nyssa (335-395 AD) and St. Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).  They understood this divinization to be accomplished by the Eucharist.  Therefore, to become Christ-like is the goal, mission, and ultimate truth of the Church.  Not as individuals solely, but more importantly as the Body of Christ we give thanksgiving (Eucharist) to the Father for glorifying his Church and drawing us to himself (The Kingdom of Heaven), through the Cross of Jesus, who by the power of the Holy Spirit rose from the dead.  “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5).  

The Eucharist in which we are all united reveals to us that God; “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). 

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He said to them,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.  Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. - Luke 10:2-3

While this reading from Luke was addressed specifically to the seventy-two disciples sent out by Jesus; it apples to all Christian men and women, for we all are disciples of the Lord.  

The harvest is abundant, for there are many who have yet to hear and embrace the Good News, the truth of God revealed in Christ.  We no longer live in a Christian dominated society.  For although there may be residual elements of our faith in society, our culture has become secular, and increasingly agnostic and hostile to the truth of Christ.  Rather, the men and women we encounter today are much like the Ethiopian official encountered by the Apostle Philip: “Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch,…Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone instructs me?’”(Acts8:27,30-31).  There are many who have questions, but have not anyone to answer them.  

No longer is evangelization and instructing others in the faith, the ministry of bishops, priests, deacons, and men and women in vowed religious life.  In fact, possibly the greatest outcome of the Second Vatican Council has been the renewal of the laity, and the affirmation of their central role in the Church’s proclamation of the Gospel.  One might say, the ordained preach to the choir, it is up to the choir to sing of Christ in the midst of the people.  Without the laity indeed the laborers are few, but with a well catechized and prayerful people, willing to be like lambs in the midst of wolves; the Gospel can change the hearts and minds of many, and change the world.  The Second Vatican Council states:

…the laity likewise share in the priestly, prophetic, and royal office of Christ and therefore have their own share in the mission of the whole people of God in the Church and in the world. - Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem), The Second Vatican Council

In these challenging times in which we live, we must all recommit ourselves to the work of evangelization, the ministry of sharing the offer of new life in Christ.

 “While we have time, let us do good.” - Saint Francis of Assisi

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When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.  They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together.  They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. - Luke 24:30-35

Luke’s Gospel passage concerning the encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Emmaus is a pivotal piece of Scripture for understanding the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.  We may even go so far in saying that it reveals to us the very nature of the Church.  

Let us keep in mind that the material used by the Gospel writers, such as St. Luke, are reflective of the various needs of the early Church.  Some of their resources were from the apostolic preaching, known as kerygma, some were apologetic, meaning material that reflects the defense of Christian belief against the Gentile pagans, Jewish Sadducees, Pharisees and others.  The Road to Emmaus seems to have derived from the catechetical teachings of the early Church, and here in particular the teachings on the Eucharistic celebration; initially called the breaking of the bread.

These disciples who knew Jesus in his earthly ministry did not recognize him on the road, until he opens for them the scriptures.  He explained to them, gave them a verbal catechism of how Moses, David, Solomon, the Prophets, indeed how all of the Israelite/Jewish Scriptures were about him and how he has fulfilled them.  It says their hearts are burning as our hearts should be set ablaze, as they came to understand the truth of Jesus, that he is the Messiah of God. 

Then at the table he takes the bread, says the blessing, breaks the bread and gave it to them, and their eyes were opened.  How will we the Church know him until the end of time; in the Sacred Scriptures and in the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist.   What have we to fear?  Who can separate us from the love of God?  Nothing, for you have been claimed for God, and destined for eternal life, for to think otherwise is to deny the truth of the Lord who died and rose for his bride the Church. 

May we be united with St. Paul in saying; “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal, but the word of God is not chained” (2 Timothy 2:8-9).    

“Holy Gifts for the holy, with perfection, purity, and sanctity” 

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One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A gale swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger.  They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm.  He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?’ - Luke 8:22-25

The forces of nature at times frighten us, for they make us feel small, weak, and at their mercy.  When those forces are invisible to our eyes, such as viruses, there is that added dimension that they may be lurking around any corner, and we will not see their approach.  While fear is a natural alarm system, prolonged fear can be disorienting and destructive.  

Our Lord gave his apostles this remedy to fear, as he gives it to us; Faith.  Saint John Chyrsostom (349-407 AD) reminds us that: “God loves us more than a father, mother, friend, or any else could love, and even more than we are able to love ourselves.”  Our faith daily shows us that God loves us.  God knows our fears, our pain, our uncertainty, and our doubts; he covers all these with his love.  Our faith is our ongoing trust in he who loved us to the point of offering himself on the Cross for us.  Faith is our ongoing relationship with he who bring us to eternal life.  

Also, when Jesus said, to his apostles: “Where is your faith?” Not only could this be seen as their lack of faith in him, but also their lack of faith in the power of God’s grace that was in them.  As members of Christ’s Body, the Church, we too are responsible for healing the sick, caring for the broken hearted, giving direction to the lost, and proclaiming the new life in Christ now offered to all.  In the same way we must not lose faith in Christ, we must not lose faith in the indwelling of the Spirit given to us, so that we might be Christ’s Body in the world. 

“All who have lived according to God still live unto God, though they have departed this life. For this reason, God is called the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, since He is the God, not of the dead, but of the living (cf. Mt. 22:32).” - St. Gregory Nazianzus (the Theologian), 329-390 AD    

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 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

    and recovering of sight to the blind,

    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” - Luke 4:16-21

 
“Scripture brought me to the Gate of Paradise, and the mind stood in wonder as it entered.”  - St. Ephrem the Syrian 306-373 AD.

 
Why is Sacred Scripture so powerful?  Why does it capture our hearts and minds?  The reason is that Jesus is the Word of God, and Sacred Scripture is about Jesus.   The Lord said this to his disciples, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled”(Luke24:44).

 
When Our Lord read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, that he was anointed to proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, liberty for the oppressed, and a year of favor from God; he was speaking to us, to all believers throughout time.  For he himself is the year of favor, in him this Scripture is fulfilled in our hearing, for he is the one who always fulfills the will of the Father.  

 
Too often we read Sacred Scripture as if we are reading a history book, or biographies; no we are not solely reading, we are proclaiming our faith in the Word of God, Jesus Christ.  We are proclaiming that the Word has become flesh; that the Word proclaimed in the Sacred Scriptures has come and dwelt among us, has redeemed us by the Holy Cross, and has opened for us the gates of eternal life.  Today what we hear and proclaim about the Word made flesh, Jesus, is fulfilled in our hearing.  

 
- Rev. David A. Fisher