Bulletin Column: The Gospel of Luke

Welcome to the First Sunday of Advent! As many of you know, the readings for Sunday Masses are organized into three, year-long cycles -A, B, and C -with each cycle focusing on one of the three synoptic gospels (A-Matthew; B -Mark; C -Luke). Readings from the gospel of John are interspersed throughout all three cycles. 

The reason for this cycle of readings is so that you get the opportunity to hear proclaimed at Mass a large portion of the Scriptures, not just the same few readings over and over. Last Sunday, on the Solemnity of Christ the King, we concluded cycle B, and now on this first Sunday of Advent (the beginning of the new liturgical year), we switch to cycle C, which means we will be hearing primarily from the gospel of Luke. To help us all prepare for this new cycle, I would like to share with you some basic information about this particular gospel: 

Who wrote it? While the text of the gospel makes no mention of the writer, from early in Church history, the authorship of this gospel has been attributed to St. Luke, a Gentile (non-Jewish) physician and a companion of St. Paul. 

When was it written? Biblical scholars believe the gospel of Luke to have been composed in either the 60s or the 80s AD. There is strong evidence to suggest an earlier dating (60s) due to the fact that St. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles as a follow-up to his gospel and Acts abruptly ends with St. Paul under house arrest in Rome. We know that St. Paul was martyred sometime in the mid- 60s, so it seems strange that Luke would leave out this detail in Acts if he was writing his two-volume work in the 80s. 

How is it structured? Luke's gospel is laid out in a very orderly way. He begins by recounting the infancy narratives of John the Baptist and Jesus, then describes the events that prepare Jesus for his upcoming ministry. When Jesus' public ministry begins after his baptism in the Jordan River, Luke organizes the stories of Jesus' ministry in a systematic way, starting with Jesus in Galilee, then on his way to Jerusalem, and finally in Jerusalem. Luke concludes his Gospel with the stories of Jesus' passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, the key events of our redemption in Christ. 

What is the theme? The essential theme of Luke's gospel is the universal message of Salvation. He stresses the fact that Jesus has come to earth to reunite a// of God's lost children back into the family of God-this is why Luke traces Jesus' genealogy all the way back to Adam, not just to Abraham like Matthew does. This means that Jesus' message of salvation is not just for the people of Israel, but for all nations, and this especially includes the poor and the lowly.

Want to learn more? Registration is now open for our Winter Bible Study, a deep dive into Luke: The Story of Salvation Fulfilled, with Jeff Cavins and Dr. Jeffrey Morrow. The study will be on Tuesday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, beginning January 14, and the cost is $40, including materials and on line video access. Learn more and register by December 31 at stmcatholicchurch.org/bible-studies. St. Luke, pray for us!