Hey everybody this is Steve and this is a brief introduction to the Gospel according
to St Luke.
Luke is, of course, one of the 4 Gospel accounts we find right at the start of the collection
of 27 books and letters that make up the New Testament canon.
Though the author of Luke isn't recorded anywhere in the Gospel account itself, the received
tradition of the Church identifies the author as "Luke the physician," mentioned by the
Apostle Paul in Colossians (4:14) and 2 Timothy (4:11).
The first written evidence we have of this is from St Irenaeus in the 2nd century.
He identified Luke as the author of this Gospel account and said that he "recorded in a book
the gospel preached by Paul."
Luke was probably born into the dominant Greco-Roman culture of the day and then converted to Judaism
early in life.
And then he became a Christian later on, probably through the preaching and teaching of the
Apostle Paul.
A majority of contemporary scholars date the Gospel account to some time between the years
80 and 90AD.
So a few decades after Christ's death and resurrection.
Luke is actually the author of 2 New Testament books: the Gospel according to Luke and the
Acts of the Apostles.
His Gospel account focuses on Christ's life and ministry, all the way through to His death,
resurrection, and ascension.
And Acts, which we'll cover in a different video, picks up right where the Gospel ends
and shows how the Gospel began to spread throughout the Roman Empire.
As we wrap it up, here are 4 things to keep in mind when you read to help give
you a bit of context and better understand the Gospel according to Luke.
First, each of the 4 Gospel accounts is traditionally represented by a particular image in iconography,
which helps explain that Gospel account's overall theme or focus.
And Luke's Gospel is represented by an ox or bull with wings.
This represents sacrifice and strength.
Christ joined us in death so we could join Him in life.
Christ is the High Priest who lifts up the world.
And, if we're going to be Christians, we need to be prepared to make sacrifices in our own
lives.
Second, Luke draws very clear connections between the New and Old Testaments.
Luke's grammar and style imitate the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old
Testament still used by the Orthodox Church today.
This helps show that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, the one who was promised in the
Old Testament.
It's also why Luke gives us stories like the Road to Emmaus, where Christ opens the Scripture
to His disciples and reveals to them the ways that Scripture--meaning the Old Testament--points
the way to Him.
Third, Luke gives us parables we don't read in any of the other Gospel accounts, passages
which stress God's incredible mercy and compassion.
For example, Luke tells us about the Good Samaritan, who showed mercy on a person left
beaten by the side of the road.
He tells us about the Prodigal Son, and the way a father had compassion on his son who
hit rock bottom.
These are parables which teach of a loving God who visits his people with great mercy
and tenderness and is eager to call the back into His loving embrace.
And fourth, on a related point, Luke also gives us details about the life of Christ
that we don't read in the other Gospel accounts, details which emphasize tenderness and how
Christ identifies with people that are often overlooked or marginalized.
For example, Luke gives us wonderful details about the Annunciation to the Theotokos; and
Christ's birth and infancy and youth.
He seems to have a very close relationship with the women disciples, including the Theotokos.
And Luke tells us about beautiful miracles, like the raising of the widow's son, where
Christ had compassion on a woman overlooked by the wider society.
As someone who was born a Gentile who became a Jew and then became a Christian, and who
seems to have been writing at least in part for a Gentile audience, Luke tends to focus
on the ways that Christ offers a vision of creation where all are equally loved and valued:
a Kingdom where Jew and Greek, male and female, rich and poor, are united in Christ.
As you are reading along with us, keep these four points in mind: 1.
The themes of sacrifice and strength; 2.
The relationship between the Old and New Testaments; 3.
The parables of mercy and compassion; and 4.
The emphasis on the unity of all and love for the marginalized.
Tell us in the comments how you notice these four things as you begin to engage with the
Scripture; and then join us in our weekly video series, Live the Word.
Most importantly, I hope you'll celebrate with us this Sunday and every Sunday, to hear
the beautiful Scripture readings proclaimed during the Divine Liturgy and to learn how
you can Live the Word.
Thanks for watching.
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