In my last post I pointed out four traits about Luke, the writer of the Gospel that bears his name, as well as the book of Acts. In addition to Luke's humility, professionalism, writing, and missionary concern, there are four other traits that we should consider. These characteristics are discussed by Michael Green in his book Thirty Years that Changed the World.
5. His care for disadvantaged people
"When quoting Isaiah 40:3, the theme song of John the Baptist to which all the synoptists refer, Luke alone gives the last part of the quotation, 'and all mankind will see God's salvation.' (Luke 3:6). Luke alone tells us that, 'the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost' (Luke 19:10). Those two hints give us insight into Luke's concern for 'left-over people', a concern that he displays constantly throughout his two books." In his Gospel, Luke shows that salvation is available to all: rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, beggars and nobles, prostitutes and religious leaders. In Acts the gospel goes out to Gentiles, Samaritans, the untouchables, the poor and outcast, soldiers and sorcerers. "To preach good news to the poor, the disadvantaged, the left-over people, the women, that is the glory of the gospel, and it is important to Luke. When churches really care about the poor, society sits up and takes notice. People are surprised."
6. Prayer and praise
These traits occupy Luke. "His two books are full of them. This may seem ordinary and obvious. But it is not. There are not many churches where prayer is a power, and where praise takes off." Luke says a lot about the prayer life of Jesus, whose example inspired his disciples to pray. "In Acts prayer is crucial. When the Christians pray, the Spirit comes, prison doors open, the place of worship is shaken, they speak with boldness." Pray occurs in prison, in the home, on the beach, and in the temple. Furthermore, the phrase "'praising God' occurs more times in Luke's writings than the whole of the New Testament.... Luke's Gospel begins and ends in the temple with people praising God (1:9; 24:53), and that atmosphere is carried into the Acts." Green rightly concludes, "There is a tremendous power in praise: we often rob ourselves of its potency because our offering of praise to God is too contingent on how we feel, or on our circumstances. We do not sufficiently honor him for who he is and for his astounding mercy to us in adopting us into his family. A church where praise is a way of life is a church that exhibits the beauty, and the impact, of the Lord."
7. Luke's loyalty
"This man had courage and stickability. He had determined to give his life to working with this missionary Paul, and he did. 'Only Luke is with me' (2 Timothy 4:11). His loyalty stood out." Surely this character trait of loyalty played a crucial role in the impact of the early church. "Their loyalty to each other, to Jesus Christ, to the calling he had given them, forged them into a mighty task-force. By contrast, in many parts of the world today the church is only visible on Sundays." Yet in other parts of the world, "the church manifests the same power as it did in the first century. In God's book there are no prizes for marginal commitment."
8. His spiritual expectancy
"The Holy Spirit is mentioned five times in the Gospel of Matthew, four times in Mark, and fifty-three times in Luke-Acts! That says it all. The start of the Gospel is a continuous narrative of the Spirit at work." Luke "is fascinated with the work of the Spirit, in the church." There is a constant spirit of expectancy as to what God will do. "That is the sort of climate when God can work -- when his people are experiencing and trusting him to do so."
Which of these eight traits in Luke do you find the most striking and significant for you personally? Are there other traits you see demonstrated in the writings of this remarkable man? I would love to read your comments!
5. His care for disadvantaged people
"When quoting Isaiah 40:3, the theme song of John the Baptist to which all the synoptists refer, Luke alone gives the last part of the quotation, 'and all mankind will see God's salvation.' (Luke 3:6). Luke alone tells us that, 'the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost' (Luke 19:10). Those two hints give us insight into Luke's concern for 'left-over people', a concern that he displays constantly throughout his two books." In his Gospel, Luke shows that salvation is available to all: rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, beggars and nobles, prostitutes and religious leaders. In Acts the gospel goes out to Gentiles, Samaritans, the untouchables, the poor and outcast, soldiers and sorcerers. "To preach good news to the poor, the disadvantaged, the left-over people, the women, that is the glory of the gospel, and it is important to Luke. When churches really care about the poor, society sits up and takes notice. People are surprised."
6. Prayer and praise
These traits occupy Luke. "His two books are full of them. This may seem ordinary and obvious. But it is not. There are not many churches where prayer is a power, and where praise takes off." Luke says a lot about the prayer life of Jesus, whose example inspired his disciples to pray. "In Acts prayer is crucial. When the Christians pray, the Spirit comes, prison doors open, the place of worship is shaken, they speak with boldness." Pray occurs in prison, in the home, on the beach, and in the temple. Furthermore, the phrase "'praising God' occurs more times in Luke's writings than the whole of the New Testament.... Luke's Gospel begins and ends in the temple with people praising God (1:9; 24:53), and that atmosphere is carried into the Acts." Green rightly concludes, "There is a tremendous power in praise: we often rob ourselves of its potency because our offering of praise to God is too contingent on how we feel, or on our circumstances. We do not sufficiently honor him for who he is and for his astounding mercy to us in adopting us into his family. A church where praise is a way of life is a church that exhibits the beauty, and the impact, of the Lord."
7. Luke's loyalty
"This man had courage and stickability. He had determined to give his life to working with this missionary Paul, and he did. 'Only Luke is with me' (2 Timothy 4:11). His loyalty stood out." Surely this character trait of loyalty played a crucial role in the impact of the early church. "Their loyalty to each other, to Jesus Christ, to the calling he had given them, forged them into a mighty task-force. By contrast, in many parts of the world today the church is only visible on Sundays." Yet in other parts of the world, "the church manifests the same power as it did in the first century. In God's book there are no prizes for marginal commitment."
8. His spiritual expectancy
"The Holy Spirit is mentioned five times in the Gospel of Matthew, four times in Mark, and fifty-three times in Luke-Acts! That says it all. The start of the Gospel is a continuous narrative of the Spirit at work." Luke "is fascinated with the work of the Spirit, in the church." There is a constant spirit of expectancy as to what God will do. "That is the sort of climate when God can work -- when his people are experiencing and trusting him to do so."
Which of these eight traits in Luke do you find the most striking and significant for you personally? Are there other traits you see demonstrated in the writings of this remarkable man? I would love to read your comments!