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In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Prov 3:6 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Overview of the New Testament: The Gospels Bible Verse:Luke 1:1-4, 3:23-38, 8:1-3 (ESV) "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. * * * Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Eli, . . . the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God. * * * Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means." Message:
Luke’s two books are the only books in the Bible not written by a Jew. Luke was a physician, an early Gentile convert (possibly from Antioch), and was known for accompanying Paul on two of his missionary journeys and tending to him while he was at Caesarea. It would be going too far to call this the “Gospel of Paul,” although Paul no doubt felt considerable relief at its writing, since it took pressure off of him to do it. Paul was the missionary to the Gentiles, and Luke’s gospel is generally intended for them.
The gospel is also unique inasmuch as the author was not an eyewitness of the events. Rather, Luke was an historian of Christ. (He would later add “historian of Paul and the early church” to his credentials, by writing the Book of Acts.) He recounts his purpose in the opening verses, addressing the Gospel to Theophilus. This “Theophilus” might have been an actual person, but more likely it is a collective form of address for anyone who believes in Christ, as theophilos means “one who loves God” in Greek. Thus, the Gospel of Luke is addressed directly to us.
Luke Evangelist
Saint Luke
by Josef Kastner, 1906
Luke is the longest, most comprehensive, and most orderly gospel, and is written in the most educated Greek. Rather than being the “generic gospel,” however, it has a distinct character. The emphasis of Luke is parables; it contains more of them than any other Gospel (19 total) and is the sole source of the most famous ones: The Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. Women are noticeably prominent in Luke; it begins with long accounts about Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, and includes wonderful passages about the sisters Martha and Mary, Mary Magdelene, and others.
Another characteristic of Luke is its emphasis on the humanity of Jesus. Luke 2 gives us a unique perspective on Jesus’ birth and presentation at the Temple. It has the only account of Jesus as a boy — the story of him staying behind in Jerusalem when he was 12. The Jesus of Luke gets hungry and tired, sleeps, has friends, etc. Luke, more than anyone else, shows us Jesus as an actual human being.
Luke is well-rounded; like Matthew, it spends some effort to show Jesus’ role as the messiah predicted by the Hebrew prophets and his role as King. But Luke’s genealogy of Jesus (beginning at Luke 3:23), although it includes David, extends all the way back to Adam and God, making it meaningful to the Gentile as well as the Jew.
Possibly the most remarkable aspect of this humble physician’s gospel, however, is that it is the first half of a two-volume work. While scholars love to make names for themselves by bringing up new doubts about who wrote various books of the Bible, there can be no doubt that one man wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, a long and unique two-volume history of God’s salvation of humanity through Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Meditation : “Our bodies are prisons for our souls. Our skin and blood, the iron bars of confinement. But fear not. All flesh decays. Death turns all to ash. And thus, death frees every soul.” ~ from The Fountain, by Darren Aronofsky Prayer : Oh God, hold me in the palm of your hand. I pray that you will mold me into what you want me to be. May I joyfully fill the role you have given to me and feel your peace deep in my soul, today and always....Amen. |
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