Luke’s unique revelation of God (REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR I (ST. LUKE) 18TH OCTOBER 2023

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE 28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR I (ST. LUKE) 18TH OCTOBER 2023

2Tim.4:10-17b; Ps.145; Luke 10:1-9

Luke’s unique revelation of God

Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist. Luke was a native of Antioch and a physician by profession. This explains why his gospel gives more details about the condition of the sick and more miracles of the healing of the sick. He was consulted by St. Paul during an illness on his 2nd great missionary journey (cf.Col.4:14), thereafter, he was converted by St. Paul and became his companion recording and interpreting with the utmost fidelity the oral preaching and catechizing of the great missionary.

Luke’s account of the gospel is unique for two main reasons. First, it was the only gospel that was written by a Gentile. All other gospels as well as New Testament books were written by Jews. Second, Luke’s gospel is the only New Testament book to be the first of the two part, with its companion found in Acts.

Luke’s gospel was written particularly to the Gentiles, and so, the theme of universality is central to his gospel. The Goodnews is for all irrespective of social differences. This was particularly noted in 24:47 “that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem”. For this reason, Luke stresses the mercy of God and documented more merciful acts of Jesus such as the woman caught in adultery (7:36-50), Zacchaeus (19:1-10), the lost sheep (15:1-7) and so on.

Luke also specially showcased the role of women in salvation history. He began by giving a powerful and unique portrayal of Jesus’ mother (1:26-56; 2:19, 51). In fact, the detail account of the Annunciation event gives the impression that Mary the mother of Jesus must have been one of Luke’s sources in compiling his gospel account. Other women given prominent places are: Elizabeth (1:39-45), Anna (2:36-38), the widow of Nain (7:11-17), and many more. Similarly, Luke showed Jesus to have a special concern for the poor and the oppressed.

The Temple is also given central in Luke’s gospel. For Luke, Jerusalem was more than a mere destination. It was the holy city, the site of the Temple, the place of divine promises. Consequently, Luke’s gospel continually points towards Jerusalem. For example, the account of the birth of Jesus moves towards the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (2:22); later Mary and Joseph discovered Jesus in the Temple (2:41-51). Again, Luke reverses the order of the last two temptations of Jesus as presented by Matthew so that the climax is reached in the Jerusalem (4:9). The whole of Jesus’ earthly life was a journey towards Jerusalem. In the same vein are Christian pilgrims in this world, moving towards the heavenly Jerusalem.

Luke also presented Jesus as always in prayer. Jesus will often withdraw himself to lonely places and pray (5:16), before choosing the twelve, he prayed (6:12), as he was dying on the cross, he prayed for his executioners (23:34), and so many other instances. What does Luke teach us? God is not the exclusive property of anyone or group. He always love the gentiles. Therefore, we must not write-off or underrate people on account of their sexes, financial statues, or any form of incapability. Again, so long as we are prayerful, we will always be on the path to Jerusalem our heavenly inheritance. St. Luke, pray for us.