This month's Christian Treasury features Luke's gospel. In January, Matthew was the subject and in April it was Mark. It's delightful for the Christian to view these wonderful word-pictures of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Scholars admire Luke for his classic and flexible Greek. This also carries over beautifully into our language. The reader will discern quickly the wisdom of the Spirit of God in using Luke as the penman to write about Jesus as the Son of man.
The Gospel of Luke and its sequel, Acts, are unique in that they are books of important historical events. Yet, even though Luke took part in many of these, he never once alludes to himself. The only way he allows us to hear of his presence is where he changes the pronoun occasionally from "they" to "we," as in Acts 16:8 and 11, etc. Such modesty is surely a fitting example for us as Christians today. We should always seek to exalt Christ and at the same time hide ourselves.
Paul speaks of Luke as the beloved physician. Though he belonged to an honorable profession, it was not in those days an honored one. Under Roman rule those who sought to cure were assigned to a low place, but those whose mission it was to kill were given high honors.
One commendation for Luke, personally, that we must not overlook is in the last chapter that Paul wrote where he says, "Only Luke is with me." These are indeed affecting words. Paul was about to be offered up and surely he deeply appreciated Luke's presence with him.
This third Gospel is distinguished by its display of God's grace to man. What characterizes Luke's account of our Lord is that he presents to us Christ Himself, and not His official glory as Matthew does. It is Himself as He was a man upon the earth, moving among men day by day. Christ's genealogy here does not stop with Abraham as in Matthew, but goes all the way back to Adam.
Luke had an exact and intimate knowledge of all from the beginning and he found it good to write in order to Theophilus, that he might know the certainty of the things in which he had been instructed. In this way God has provided for the whole Church by the teaching contained in this living picture of Jesus. Now you and I owe much to this man of God for what we can learn and understand about Jesus, the Man who is God.
“That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" were some of the words spoken by Simeon to Mary (Luke 2:35). As we trace our Lord Jesus through this Gospel we can see that He did reveal hearts.
Another special thing to notice is what the hearers said when Jesus read from Isa. 61 in the synagogue at Nazareth. "All bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth." Luke 4:22.
Ed.