Thoughts On the Gospel According to Luke........: Introduction

Ode to meet Jesus - and to breathe His praise from my whole being!!!!  That is the highest calling on my life.  Still, there is another smaller, yet still great ode to consider here, which is simply:  Ode, to meet Luke!

Through the years, teachers have dutifully impressed it on my heart that the Word of God is inspired by the Holy One himself.... There is great peace in resting upon that truth:  A truth which is an awesome force indeed!

Still, there is increasing gratitude swelling up in my heart towards those faithful men who penned the Word, and in the case of the Gospel according to Luke, that would, of course, be Luke.

Yet Luke did not focus on himself at all.  His name never finds its way into his own writings.  His focus is entirely upon Jeshua ha Meshiach!  The Savior, the Promised One!  In response, here at the outset of these Thoughts on the Gospel According to Luke, within my heart there is an ever increasing urgency in prayer:  That we may learn humility both from Luke, and especially from our Lord, and keep our focus on Jesus as the Promised Savior!

But also that we might know to whom we are to carry the Light of Christ.  Luke's main target audience, initially, were the Greeks, and he wrote in a high stylistical Greek form to show respect for the topic at hand, and to express the need for the Greeks he was writing to to take his subject seriously: to take seriously their need for the Gospel of the Messiah, the Christ, the Promised Savior.

God's purpose for Luke was clearly fulfilled in his life.  Luke's name means 'Light'.  The light of the world became the very theme of his life's work.  The result is that he sought to more fully understand the Light of the World, and to walk in that light, and to share that light with others.  Indeed, Jesus had said, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life." (John 8:12)  Luke clearly had the Light of life, followed it, and walked in it!  May we also!  But beyond that, Jesus not only extended that light to Luke (and to us), but He also called us all to share it with the world, as Luke has done before us, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

So, how do we come to the Lord and be so filled with His light that we can share it with the kind of confidence in which Luke walked & testified of His Lord?  By being still and just looking at him, knowing that He is God (Psalm 46:10).   "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"  (Matthew 6:22-23)

What then if our eye has been bad and full of darkness?  Is there an answer?  Yes, indeed!  Long ago, God promised that, through Jesus, the blind can see again:  "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped."  (Isaiah 35:5)  And indeed, Jesus opened the eyes of the blind (video):  (John 9:1-39)

May He open our eyes more fully, day by day.  For indeed, just as some in this world are born, seeing, yet they see with troubled vision (e.g. - my brother was born with two horizons, and never knew it until he was in his 40's, in spite of his successfully navigating his way into well reputed work as an engineer.... and yes, now he has sought surgery to correct the problem.... finally!, while my eyes never converged, which impacts my life in subtle ways as well....)....., anyway, indeed, just as some in this world are born seeing, yet with troubled vision with their physical eyes, the eyes of our heart and mind can misunderstand what is clearly and plainly right in front of our face......

The Light of life!!!!!

May His Light shine clearly through to our hearts and minds, that we may perceive what the lamp and light is showing us on the path of life..... today!