Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Why are Luke’s messages relevant for today?

The Gospel of Luke is known as the gospel of the Bible that focuses on the physical as well as the spiritual needs of humans, and it shows a particularly strong concern for social justice. For example, while one beatitude in the gospel of Matthew reads that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled, the similar beatitude in Luke says that those who literally hunger will be filled. Further, Luke adds "woes" to the beatitudes that Matthew does not include, such as:

Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. / Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.

Luke also includes the Magnificant, Mary's song of praise to God for blessing someone as humble as she is to be the mother of God. She calls herself "the lowliness of his handmaidens." She also praises God because

He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek. / He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.

This message is relevant for today because the world is still filled with poor and hungry people who are often oppressed by the rich. This gospel says God is concerned for them and wants justice for them.
Luke also promises an end to time as we know it, which is a teleological vision of salvation. The second coming of Christ to earth will usher in the kingdom of God on earth. The story of history will have a happy ending. This is relevant for today as it offers a strong message of hope in a world that often seems full of violence and despair.

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