Luke

Last night I was sitting around, not playing games, and decided to begin looking into the Bible study that we are doing as a church. We are going to be covering the book of Luke over the next 6 weeks together. Our Pastor took the time to develop a reading plan along with insights and notes to go with it. Today is the first day of reading, but last night I broke out several of the reference books that I have laying around and looked into what we were getting ready to read and found out some interesting things about Luke. Many of you have heard him called the "Great Physician" so you already know that he was a doctor, but did you know he was the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament and possibly the entire Bible? Here is another one...it is fairly common knowledge that he spent a lot of time going on missionary trips with Paul and spent time in prison with him and was even there at Paul's death more than likely, but did you know that he was not actually around for most of the things that he wrote about? Instead, he used his travels with Paul to interview people that WERE there. I also found out that it is entirely possible that he was able to interview Mary, THE Mary, as well as Jesus brother. How cool would that have been to get insight into Jesus' life by talking to his mother and brother?

Luke has been called one of the most beautiful books ever written. It is the first half of a whole that is finished in Acts. All four gospels seem to have a somewhat specific audience. All four of them tell the same story, although each of them have some new insights. Luke was written to speak to the Greeks. Although it was sent to a high ranking Roman official. The Greeks of this time were interested in culture and beauty and it seemed that Luke was directing his take on the story to them. I find it funny that he was a doctor writing for the upper echelon of people for that day, while sitting in prison (at least that is what many believe). Talk about rising above challenges. The only Gentile in the midst of a group of Jews sitting in prison while writing for some of the most critical people of his time. Kinda puts a new spin on what we consider an underdog.

I am looking forward to getting a fresh new look into Luke and I will more than likely be posting more about it as I go.