Thoughts for the Day

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

Today we remember St Luke the Evangelist, the friend and companion of Paul, and the writer of the 'Gospel according to Luke', as well as a second work, 'The Acts of the Apostles'. An educated Greek he was a physician, and was likely to have written his Gospel for gentiles, to tell the stories of what God had done.

Luke shows us Jesus as a perfect human, who is yet our Saviour and God, but he gives special emphasis to certain things:

• Prayer - Jesus is actually praying when God speaks at his baptism; he goes off to pray in solitude; he prays before choosing the disciples; and near the end of his life he prays for Peter and for those who will crucify him.
• Miracles, particularly those of healing - Jairus' daughter; the man with dropsy; the woman with an issue of blood; the ten lepers; a blind man; and even the High Priest servant's ear.
• Angels - an angel appears to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist; also to Mary; and to the shepherds.
• Poor and outcast - the stories of the Good Samaritan; the Prodigal Son; the Rich Man and Lazarus are examples of this.
• Women - the widow of Nain; Martha and Mary; and the mention of the women who travel with Jesus.

Luke shows us a God who became perfect man to show His love for us, and who invites us to identify with Him whether we are rich or poor; male or female. He shows us God's compassion for all who are outcast, or sick, or sinful. That is the God we worship!

Lord Jesus Christ,
You called Luke to be an Evangelist -
to tell the people about You,
and in doing so to rescue
the sick, the lost, the poor, and the outcast.
Through his writing he taught
us what it is to be Your follower.
May we continue the good work
started by him and others
over the centuries,
so that all will know about You.
Amen.