Thoughts for the Day

* Note the symbol for Luke is a winged ox (above) which reminds us of the priestly character of our Lord and His sacrifice made for us.

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I am just old enough to remember funny men in outlandish costumes putting up posters advertising a local circus in the village where I lived. In the days before everyone had a television, and few people had phones, let alone mobile ones, this was a good way of getting the news out. For Jesus sending out 70 apostles ahead ensures that the people will be ready to receive him, and will ensure good numbers come to listen. Luke is the only Gospel that has this story though the other Gospels have something similar, sending out the 12 disciples.

Today we remember Luke, and rightly call him an 'Evangelist'. Evangelists did not have the authority of an apostle, nor the gift of prophecy, nor the responsibility of pastoral supervision over a congregation. They were often preachers, with a special function to carry the gospel to places where it was previously unknown. All four writers of the Gospels are known as Evangelists.

I love Gospels for different reasons, but Luke has always had a special place in my heart. As a Gentile whom Paul describes as "the beloved physician", he has a special care for women, and outcasts. Think of the stories that we know only from his Gospel, among them, the Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37) and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15.11-32), and the healings, like that of the Ten Lepers (Luke 17.11-19) with its emphasis on another good Samaritan, and the Widow of Nain's Son (Luke 7.11-17). Without his account of the Nativity stories of Jesus and John the Baptist, as well as the account of the new Church in the Acts of the Apostles, our understanding of Jesus would be much poorer. Today we could perhaps spend some time re-reading some of these stories, and thanking God for His servant Luke.

Collect

Almighty God,
You called Luke the physician,
whose praise is in the gospel,
to be an evangelist and physician of the soul:
by the grace of the Spirit
and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel,
give Your Church the same love and power to heal;
through Jesus Christ Your Son our Lord.
Amen.