24/02/12

Lucas

Luke -


Today the Lord wants us to study from the life of Luke.

Luke is not doubt a major contributor to the New Testament after Paul. He wrote the Gospel of Luke and also the book of Acts. He also is mentioned many a times in the letters of Paul. Luke was the closest companion of Paul, even when Paul was imprisoned in Rome Luke was there with him.

According to some historical records Luke is claimed to come from a slave background because of his name origin. He is recorded to be from Antioch and a gentile before he became a Christian. He is said not to be in the list of people who were direct eye-witnesses or on the 'seventy' list.

By profession Luke was a physician but his profession was not eminent to his ministry as much his calling gifting was. Luke is called by many as an Evangelist but had the calling of a Teacher and was blessed with immense wisdom. Among the 3 Gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke, Luke was written last and it complements the other two, all that was missing is found in the Gospel of Luke. He is also called a historian not because of his profession but because of his calling as a Teacher. Paul used his service greatly to understand scriptures and also all that the Lord showed him directly.

The Gospel of Luke is most accurate in sense that it is to the point although it was a second hand recording unlike Matthew and Mark (Jewish name John, Roman name Mark and lived in Jerusalem). Luke got all his information of Jesus from Paul and via Paul from the Apostles and people who were eye-witnesses to the events with Jesus.

Paul called Luke his son but respected him as his associate in Christ. Although Paul had a great personal relationship with the Lord yet he also depended on the services of Luke for his ministry as an Apostle.

Today the Lord wants us to learn from Luke. Even though we were unbelievers (we may have been Christians but did not know Christ) the Lord can use us like He used Luke. We may be successful in a profession and may think we will minister unto the Lord through our professional skills. The Lord is telling us He does not need our professional help. Luke was a physician but the Apostles did not use Luke's ability to heal people but laid hands and healed them. They used the Lord's ability. David too was a shepherd by profession but his shepherd skills did not benefit him but as a shepherd the Lord taught him to be a hunter and that skill benefited him.

We also need to learn to be humble like Luke who did not mention much about himself in his own records. We learn about him more from Paul's letters and not from his own records. He used the word 'we' more than the word 'I'. He worked as a team in the Body of Christ keeping himself totally in the background.

Let us work for the Kingdom of God like Luke did, not by our strength or our ability or for our glory but all by His strength, for His Kingdom and His glory.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, help us to learn from the life of Luke. We pray Lord that we may work for your Kingdom selflessly. Help us not to use our strength or our ability, but totally depend on You and your ability. May You alone be glorified in the works of our hands...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

Philemon 1:24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

Acts 16:11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

Acts 20:15 And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.

2 Timothy 4:11-13
11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments [skin used to write on mostly as rough drafts].

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)