FIVE COMMENTS
Here are five comments about the Gospel of Luke on his feast
day.
It’s the longest of the four gospels: 19,482 words - and then add The Acts of the
Apostles - another 18,450 words. I add Acts because it’s often attributed to Luke.
Now that’s a lot of words from Luke in the New Testament.
Matthew has more chapters - 28 - than Luke - who has 24.
However, the chapters in Luke are longer. Matthew has 18,345 words. That’s 1,037 words
less than Luke. Mark is 16 chapters and the shortest of the gospels - 11,304
words. John has 21 chapters and 15,635 words. Obvious those numbers depend on the
translation and the language of the text in hand.
So that is one point: Luke is the longest of the gospels and
then add The Acts of the Apostles which many credit Luke as the author of.
Second point: scholars
stress the Gentiles - non Jews - are the target audience for Luke.
Scholars - not all - many see Luke as a Gentile - perhaps from Syria. Suggestion:
just read Luke and compare it to Matthew. You should come up with the same conclusion about
Luke’s audience - being non-Jews. Of
course while reading Luke notice his concern for the poor - and judge whether
he’s heavier than Matthew and Mark with this.
Point Three: Luke is good with geography and doesn’t make
too many mistakes with mention of places in his gospel as well as in The Acts
of the Apostle.
Fourth Point: Luke is one of the synoptics - the 3 Gospels
being seen as following a similar pattern.
I read a commentator saying Luke
might have had the outline Matthew had for his gospel which we no longer have.
However Luke has additional stories and
stuff - for example, the Emmaus story and the Infancy Narrative especially the Mary stories. Then there are the unique parables
of the Prodigal Son, and Good Samaritan etc.
Fifth and Last Point: Luke is the most polished writers of the
gospels. As you know the Sunday Gospels run on 3 year cycle: Matthew, then
Mark, then Luke. You listen. Which of
the 3 are you most at home with and you feel is speaking your language? As they
say on the weekend retreats here - Luke has the reader eating with Jesus -
going to eat with Jesus or leaving a meal with Jesus. Eat Luke up! Digest Luke. Let him become you.
This document is 426 words.
[Picture on top: Book of Kells, Folio 27v, Luke is the calf with wings.]
