Learning more to share more: taking Luke’s mission as our own
By Dean Collins
I wonder what would happen if we decided to be more like Luke. I imagine if you are reading these devotionals you have also read some or all of the Gospel accounts that are the first four books of the New Testament. But perhaps you haven’t thought much about the author of this third of the four narratives.
His name was Luke, and he was intent on gathering details of the story of Jesus from those who knew him best. His sources were the disciples and apostles who had seen Jesus, listened to Jesus, traveled with Jesus, and had been transformed by Jesus. Luke opens his Gospel telling us explicitly that he took this project on to compile a narrative of the things that Jesus accomplished or fulfilled when he walked on earth.
Luke’s important project
There is a lot we don’t know about Luke, but we know enough to understand the importance of the project Luke took on and how it might become a model or example for us to follow. None of us needs to write another gospel. The Gospel records in our possession have stood the tests of time for a couple thousand years. They have been analyzed and studied by well-educated scholars over and over again. Countless commentaries exist on these Gospel records, but none of our scholars have access to match Luke’s. Luke actually spoke with the people who knew Jesus best.
Luke was not of Jewish descent. He wrote his Gospel and its sequel, Acts of the Apostles, to inform a man named Theophilus who was either a Greek or Roman citizen and was likely a ranking government official. Luke might have met Theophilus while traveling with the apostle Paul. We don’t really know how or when they discovered each other, but it appears that Theophilus was either a believer who needed some assurance or was someone considering Jesus because of the impact he was having in the world around him. Some suggest Theophilus financially sponsored Luke’s expenses to write Luke and Acts so that there would exist a reliable and thorough narrative of Jesus and later of the early church.
What struck me as I read the opening of Luke’s Gospel today was that Luke spent hours and hours, likely over months or even years, to help Theophilus have an accurate understanding of Jesus. He was determined to build the confidence of Theophilus in his knowledge about Jesus so that it might deepen his faith and participation in the work of Jesus in the world.
Would we invest so much?
What if we all invested that kind of time and energy in helping just one person have a deep and abiding knowledge of Jesus? Who is your Theophilus? Is he a child? Is she a grandchild? What about a friend or colleague? What if God wants you to build a relationship with a government official or community leader for the purpose of introducing Jesus and helping them to understand more about Jesus?
What Luke doesn’t do in writing he certainly did in living. Luke must have lived a credible and full life of faith himself to be seen by Theophilus as a reliable source. This can be our challenge as well. Is our walk with Jesus so clear and attractive that those around us might see Jesus in us? Is the love of Jesus so strong in us that someone might pause to ask us about the one we have chosen to follow?
An old hymn, “More about Jesus,” expresses the heart of one who has taken up this challenge: “More about Jesus would I know, More of his grace to others show.” How many of us could make this our theme song?
Our purpose in knowing more about Jesus is not to become experts on the details of his life. Our deepening knowledge is about continued transformation and continued demonstration of the love and grace of Jesus to those around us.
Your time with God’s Word
Luke 1:1-4 ESV
Photo by James Coleman at Unsplash.com
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