Luke is the gospel text used most often during lectionary year C. John’s gospel is included during the seasons of Easter Advent and Christmas and Lent where appropriate.
The Gospel of Luke is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension. The author is traditionally identified as Luke the Evangelist.
The author, writing from a Gentile perspective, is characteristically concerned with social ethics, the poor, women, and other oppressed groups. Certain popular stories on these themes, such as the prodigal son and the Good Samaritan, are found only in this gospel. This gospel also has a special emphasis on prayer, the activity of the Holy Spirit, and joyfulness. Donald Gutherie claimed, "It is full of superb stories and leaves the reader with a deep impression of the personality and teachings of Jesus."
The author intended to write a historical account bringing out the theological significance of the history. The author's purpose was to portray Christianity as divine, respectable, law-abiding, and international Scholarship is in wide agreement that the author of Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. In fact, "the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles originally constituted a two-volume work." In some editions of the Bible, Luke-Acts has been presented as a single book. Both Luke and Acts are addressed to Theophilus, and there are several theories concerning why .
... Like the rest of the New Testament, the gospel was written in Greek. Like Mark (but unlike Matthew), the intended audience is Gentile, and it assures readers that Christianity is an international religion, not an exclusively Jewish sect.
Return from Lectionary Year C to
Seasonal Devotions.