Luke is the only one with me. (2 Timothy 4:11)
There are so many things that could be said
about St. Luke. He was a loyal companion and fellow worker with St. Paul
to the end of his life. Between his Gospel and the Book of Acts, he
contributed more to the New Testament than any other writer. He was an
educated man and a dedicated evangelist who traveled hundreds of miles
to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. There are so many good things to
say about Luke, but let’s focus on one of his most endearing—and least
mentioned—characteristics today: his love for God’s complete and
unconditional mercy.
Luke’s parables and stories, especially the ones that don’t appear in
other Gospels, paint vivid portraits of God’s patience with sinners.
Some of them startle us as we see God reaching out to marginalized
people and welcoming them into his kingdom. Here are a few examples:
The parable of the Good Samaritan shows us an enemy of the Jews
demonstrating mercy (Luke 10:30-37). Then in Luke 17, ten lepers are
healed, but it’s the Samaritan who returns to thank Jesus. God isn’t
concerned with labels; he just loves to see an open heart.
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector presents another
surprise—someone as obnoxious as a tax collector can be justified (Luke
18:9-14). And then there’s Zacchaeus, the repentant tax collector, who
receives a dinner invitation with Jesus in chapter 19.
The parable of the prodigal son again provokes us with our heavenly
Father’s forgiveness of even those most “unworthy” (Luke 15:11-32). And
in chapter 7, a sinful woman anoints Jesus’ feet while a Pharisee looks
on in judgment and disbelief.
God is eager to extend his mercy to anyone. Luke wanted to get this
point across to every person he reached. So when you pray today, let
that truth sink into your heart. Let Luke convince you of the mercy God
has showered on you and on everyone else. Let him assure you that
there’s no sin God won’t forgive. And let that assurance help you when
it comes time to show compassion to the people around you.
“Lord, I believe that your mercy is for everyone. St. Luke, pray that I can be an instrument of God’s mercy, just as you were.”
from wau.org
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