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o f those Greeks who turned to the Faith;” Gregory Nazianzen—“ Luke wrote . . . for the Greeks.” In Luke, Christ is not the Messiah o f the Old Testament, or the Servant o f God, so much as the Saviour o f all mankind, the Satisfier o f humanity’s need. Much that would be hostile to the Gen tiles is omitted (cf. Matthew 7 :6 ; 10:5, 6 ; 20:16; 22:14). The Christ o f Luke is the “ Light o f the Gentiles.” It is the Gospel o f Christ’s humanity, as John is the gospel o f His deity. Christ’s genealogy is traced back through Mary’s ancestry, through Adam (ctr. Matthew: Joseph, David, and Abraham—promised and Kingly line). Considerable space is given to the birth, infancy, and early train ing, showing that Christ is a man possessing the sinless, human infirmities o f the race. The Greeks worshiped man; they made their gods in the likeness o f men. Here was a perfect Man, a human as well as divine Saviour who was worthy o f their acceptance, faith, and worship. Luke gives us the gospel presented in such a way as would effectively appeal to the Greeks, who idolized humanity. For this reason Luke has been called the gos pel of the humanity o f Christ. The gen ealogy o f the Saviour is not traced through Abraham or David, but through, Adam ( 3 :37). There is no Jewish exclusivism here: Jesus Christ is Sop. of Man. Much is made o f the birth, childhood, and growth o f Jesus. The human attributes and characteristics o f His person are made prominent. He is the ideal Man, the per fection o f manhood, a son o f man, yet The Son of Man. Christ is here presented in the largest human relationships, Luke, in describing the transfiguration, tells us that while' Christ prayed the fashion o f His countenance was altered, thus emphasizing the human element in the Master’s life. Matthew makes the simple statement that Christ was transfigured before the disciples. The Greeks stood for the universality o f humanity. This thought is prominent in Luke, for the pedigree o f Christ is
traced back to Adam, the father o f the race (3:38). “All flesh” shall see the sal vation o f God ( 3 :6) . Christ is enrolled as a citizen o f the Roman empire (2:1-7). He is a “Light for the Gentiles” and His salvation is for “all peoples” (2:31, 32). The Seventy are sent to the Gentile nations, as the Twelve were sent to the Jews (1 0 :1). Elijah is sent to a heathen widow (4:26). Naaman, the Syrian, is cleansed (4:27). The gratitude o f the Samaritan is recorded (17:17, 18). The parable o f the good Samaritan is found here (10:28-36). The publican is accepted, and the Pharisee rejected (18:9-14). E. CHARACTERISTICS OF LUKE’S GOSPEL (Compare “ Luke” in Cambridge Bible). I. A Gospel of Contrasts. Jesus and Satan (10:18; 11:14-26; 22:31-34); Martha and Mary (10:38-42); doubt and faith ( 1 :5-23 with 26-38) ; self- righteous Simon and the sinful woman (7:36-50); woes and blesseds (6;20-26) ; rich man and Lazarus (16) ; Pharisee and publican (18) ; good Samaritan and Levite (1 0 ); prodigal and elder brother (15) ; penitent and impenitent thief (23). . 2 . A Gospel of Womanhood. The Jews looked down upon women, and, in their liturgy, the men thanked God that they had not been made women. Note the space given to the song o f Mary and Eliza beth ( 1, 2) ; the spiritual perception of Anna ( 2 :36) ; the ministering women: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna (8:13) ; Mary and Martha (10) ; the daughter of Abraham bound (13 :16); the widow o f Nain (7 :1 1 ); weeping women (23:27). 3 . A Gospel of Prayer. The real humanity o f Christ is set forth by His prayerful dependence upon the Father. Luke records Christ praying at His baptism (3 :2 1 ); in the early dawn (4 :4 2 ); after cleansing a leper (5 :1 6 ); before choosing the Twelve (6:12, 13) ; at the transfiguration (9 :2 9 ); in the garden (22 :39-45) ; on the cross, for His enemies (23 :34). The two great parables on prayer
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