An Outsider's Perspective
Oct. 18: Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Tradition has it that St. Luke was a physician1 before he became an evangelist. He’s also the only New Testament author who was (probably) a gentile. It’s why his Gospel, as well as Acts of the Apostles, make allusions to classical Greek literature, like Homer, Aesop, Epimenides, Euripides, Plato, and Aratus.2
As an educated gentile, it makes sense that Luke set out to create a well-researched and comprehensive history of the Jesus’ ministry, examining other Christian writings and obtaining eye-witness testimony. In fact, he likely scored the greatest interview in human history—a one-on-one with the virgin mother Mary. Matthew writes about Jesus’ genealogy and parallels to the Jewish hero Moses; Luke, by contrast, uses details that could only have been provided by someone who was there, like the manger being used as a crib. Plus, Luke is the only Gospel that tells us about Jesus’ childhood—the presentation at the temple and later being lost for three days.
These are details only a mother would remember: “His mother treasured all these things in her heart.”3 And thanks to Luke, we have them forever.
Reading 1
2 Tm 4:10-17b
Beloved: Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry. I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching.
At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.
Luke traveled with Paul on his second and third missions. (In the equivalent passaged from Acts, Luke uses “we” and “us.”)4 Here he is at the end in Rome, just before Paul’s martyrdom.
Paul doesn’t resent the others who’ve abandoned him, though. He follows Jesus’ example at Golgatha and writes, “May it not be held against them!” He shows us that that level of forgiveness isn’t reserved for the divine person of Jesus, but even mere humans can do it, too.
But note the warning Paul leaves regarding Alexander—Paul may forgive him, but he doesn’t want Timothy or his church to be hurt, too.5 “Forgive” does not imply “forget.” We have a duty to ourselves and to God to forgive those who harm us, but we also have a duty to others to warn them against harm if we can.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Making known to men your might
and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
The psalmist calls on everyone who believes in God to also spread His word, so that everyone can believe. Luke obviously took this to heart, and wrote one of the most important books in history. He knew that the Kingdom of God wasn’t just for his generation, but “for all ages,” and one that “endures through all generations.”
Alleluia
See Jn 15:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Luke wasn’t an obvious choice, as a Gentile physician, but God had a plan for him to go and bear fruit.
Gospel
Lk 10:1-9
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this household.' If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, 'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"
It’s possible that Luke was one of the seventy-two disciples sent in this reading, although he doesn’t write “we” like he does in Acts, so it’s doubtful.
None of these disciples are named, but there are a whole lot of them, so it’s more likely that Luke meant this to be a group later Christians (i.e. us) can identify with. This group made specific preparations for Jesus to travel to Jerusalem, but we can interpret it more broadly.
Yes, we should spread the Gospel, but we can’t just stand on the street corner, waving a repent sign.
That’s not going to convert many people. We have to prepare them, by living the Gospel in our every day lives. When people see you living a good life, being a good person, they start to wonder why and how. That’s when you can hand them the Gospel of Luke.
Unlike Matthew, who spends much of his time putting Jesus in the context of the Old Testament, assuring his Jewish audience that Jesus is the messiah they’ve been waiting for.