St. Luke/ Trinity XX

 This year the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist falls on the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. On traditional prayer book calendars, the feasts of gospel writers or evangelists are major feasts.  So this week we focus on this important early Christian.

Luke was a Gentile Christian, maybe from Antioch in Syria. He was a friend of St. Paul, and was a physician (Colossians 4:14). In the Book of Acts, he was with Paul at Philippi in Macedonia, and a few years later went with Paul to Jerusalem. When the Romans arrested the Apostle, Luke stayed near him in Palestine, and later went with him to Rome. This faithful companion stayed with Paul when other friends scattered in different directions (2 Timothy 4:11).

Luke wrote a significant portion of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke was probably the only Gentile Christian among the New Testament writers and appears to have been well-educated. He had a classic Greek style and seemed to be a reasonable thinker who made special effort to learn and organize historical facts.

Luke' personality may be reflected by some of the emphases of his Gospel. The Gospel according to St Luke has been called the Gospel of Mercy. Luke emphasizes Jesus' compassion and patience with sinners and the suffering. He shows special interest in Samaritans, lepers, tax collectors, soldiers, public sinners, uneducated shepherds, and the poor. 

Today we remember and give thanks for St. Luke, and we hope to follow his good qualities. Like him, may we be characterized by dedication to truth, loyalty to Christian friends, and compassion for all- especially, the weak, the poor, and the sick.

Trinity XIX- Ephesians 4:17-32; Matthew 9:1-8

 At first glance, the Epistle and the Gospel for the Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity share the theme of walking. In the Epistle from Ephesians 4:17-32, the Apostle Paul speaks in a figurative way of walking; it is pursuing a certain way of life.  He exhorts his readers to live faithful and holy lives befitting those joined to Christ through the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel selection from Matthew 9, Jesus heals a paralyzed man and enables him to walk physically.  

Yet, on closer examination, the deeper theme that connects the Epistle and the Gospel is not walking but forgiveness. In Ephesians 4:32, the Apostle points out that living a Christian life is rooted in the divine forgiveness that comes through Christ. Likewise, in Matthew 9:2, Jesus heals the paralyzed man by first forgiving his sins. The scribes or scholars of the law react negatively because they believe that only God can forgive sins. In one sense, the scribes have a point. Ultimately, forgiveness or pardon for sins comes from God, and Jesus has the right to forgive sins because He is God the Son incarnate. With Christ's incarnation, a new era has begun. He is divine grace personified. The good news of divine mercy and forgiveness of sin is fully proclaimed by Jesus. 

Later in the Gospels, Jesus Christ commissions His disciples, His Church, to continue His gracious work. The Apostles and other disciples are the living Body of Christ in the world, and Christians have continued to proclaim forgiveness through Word and Sacrament. Grateful for God's mercy toward us, we share His message of mercy and forgiveness with others through our words and the ways we live.

Trinity XVIII- Matthew 22:34-46

The Gospel for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity is from St. Matthew 22: 34-46. This selection contains two short conversations between Jesus and the Pharisees. Both conversations show ways in which Christ both continues and transcends the Old Testament. In Matthew 22:34-40, we see the basic principles of the Law. Jesus, like some other teachers, finds the purpose of the Law in two great commandments: to love God above all and to love one's neighbor. These two commandments summarize the principles of the Hebrew Scriptures, and Jesus embodies both kinds of love in His person. His public ministry manifests His application of these basic principles in various situations. 

In the second part of the Gospel selection, Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus points to His fulfillment of the Old Testament. He applies rabbinic methods of interpretation to Psalm 110. Jesus implies that He is the Messiah (or the Christ). He points out that the Messiah is unique. He is far greater than His ancestor David. In fact, this interpretation implies that Christ shares divine majesty. This powerful claim will continue to be developed in the rest of Christ's earthly ministry and throughout the New Testament. Jesus is both a great teacher and the greatest descendant of King David. Yet, He is much more: He is God the Son incarnate, the unique mediator and redeemer!