The Gospel of Luke thus far...

In our bible reading so far, we have finished the Gospel of Matthew and Mark. Now, we are almost to the end of the Gospel of Luke. A question came to surface during our daily morning devotional and I am meditating on this question my devotional through the Gospels: "How are the Gospels all similar? (what is the common thread?) How are the Gospels all different? (what is unique about each Gospel).

Well, the simple answer to the first question would be Jesus is the common thread. However, the second question I believe is more difficult to answer. So for today's blog, I will try to share some of my thoughts about the Gospel of Luke being different from Matthew and Mark.

First, the Gospel of Luke really emphasized the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel through the life of Jesus. In my earlier post on Mary, Luke shares the beautiful song of praise from Mary from Luke 1. In Mary's Magnificat, Jesus is the promise and fulfillment of God's promise.

Second, Luke also shares a lot about "the Spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus]". After Jesus return from the temptation in the wilderness in Luke 4, Jesus right at the beginning of His public ministry declares, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor...to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor".

Third, there is a distinct message that the Good New of Jesus in Luke is to liberation, freedom, and justice. There are many passages in Luke that echoes Isaiah's message that Jesus will break the bonds of oppression and injustice. Jesus brings life to all people especially the poor and needy.

That's my summary so far of Luke, I will continue to write out my thoughts on all the Gospels as we move into John, the Gospel most known for the author's focus on love. I also hope to give a brief summary of Matthew and Mark when I get a chance. Thanks for reading and God bless!