Lucas (Book of the Bible) . It is the third and most extensive of the four canonical gospels of the Biblical New Testament . It relates the life of Jesus of Nazareth , focusing especially on his birth, public ministry, death, and resurrection. It ends with an account of his ascension.
Gospel according to Saint Luke
Saint Luke was a Christian from the early days of the Church. He accompanied Paul on many trips to preach the Gospel of Jesus and found Christian communities. As he had the qualities and preparation of a historian, Luke wanted to “investigate” everything related to Jesus Christ and “expose them in an orderly manner” so that the “authenticity” of the teachings of the Christian faith could be understood. The events that are narrated are well founded on this and, at the same time, its message has been very well thought out based on the experiences lived in the community of Jesus’ disciples.
The greatness of the Virgin Mary and the events of the childhood of Jesus occupy a prominent place in the story that Saint Luke narrates.
Many stories show, above all, the tenderness of God towards all men, without exception, especially the poorest, children, and the sick. There is great respect and great regard for women and foreigners, and above all, God’s great mercy towards sinners.
The city of Jerusalem appears in this gospel not only as a geographical capital, but also as a sacred place where the great events that have to do with the salvation of Humanity and the arrival of the Kingdom of God are fulfilled. From Jerusalem the apostles will leave to bring Good News of the Gospel throughout the world.
Content
The Gospel of Luke contributes news that does not appear in the other Gospels, such as the early years of Jesus’ life . It also contains quite a few details about the preaching of Jesus in the regions of Galilee, Samaria, Judea and Perea.
It contains a reduced version of the so-called Sermon on the Mount , known as the Sermon on the Plain. Also exclusive to this gospel is the account of the parable of the prodigal son. His account of the appearances of Jesus after the resurrection is particularly detailed, in particular the appearance before the so-called Emmaus pilgrims.
According to Jaroslav Pelikan, the Gospel of Luke is primarily aimed at Christian readers of non-Jewish origin, such as the Theophilus mentioned at the beginning. One of his objectives, in the opinion of this historian, would be to demonstrate to the Roman authorities that neither Jesus nor his followers posed a threat to the Roman Empire .
According to Anderson HR, the Gospel of Luke is addressed to Theophilus ben Annas, a Sadducean high priest between the years 37 – 42 , Caiphas’ brother-in-law, and therefore to a Sadducean audience.
