The Compassion of Christ (Luke)
Once again, we will look at the entire gospel of Jesus. Our goal is not to learn everything there is to learn but to get a big-picture perspective of this book. We want to know why Mark wrote this book so we can understand everything we study from the proper perspective.
As I have stated during the other three gospel studies, we have multiple accounts of Jesus so that we can understand him from different perspectives. Matthew writes a gospel to help Jews believe in Jesus and understand him in a Jewish context. Mark is much more focused on the Roman reader, who needs to see Jesus’ power and authority to submit to him. John was written so that you may believe. He describes many signs that reveal Jesus as the Messiah, intending to increase our faith in him.
What about Luke? Luke is the longest of all the gospels. It is the longest book in the New Testament. It doesn’t seem that way because it’s only 24 Chapters, but each of those chapters contains a lot of verses. The first chapter has 80 verses. Others have as many as 70 verses. This makes it longer than the 28 chapter book of Matthew and even longer than Acts. It’s jam-packed with information we will not find in any other book in the Bible.
Why Write Luke?
The book of Luke is full of similar information as the other gospels. It paints the same picture but in a different way. Why is Luke writing this? What does he hope to accomplish? To understand that, let’s study the first four verses of the book.
Luke 1:1--4 (ESV) --- 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
Notice that Luke describes what this book is to Theophilus. He wants to compile a narrative of the things Jesus accomplished to give him certainty about what Theophilus has been taught. The words in this book are intended to confirm prior teaching for a man Luke calls “Most excellent.” That’s an interesting title. It resembles the title given to the governor of Judah, Festus, in Acts 26:25. We don’t know who Theophilus is, but it may be that he is a man who was a judge or ruler for Paul, like Festus. But this man seems to have been converted. Luke will also write his second volume to the “Most Excellent Theophilus.” It ends with Paul being on house arrest in Rome. Could it be that Luke wants Theophilus to understand Jesus and the kingdom better so he can live the Christian life as a Roman official?
This is especially interesting when we open up the book of Luke and start to study it. The overall impression of this book is that Jesus was compassionate and merciful, qualities a Christian official would need to put on. Luke includes many stories that give hope to Gentiles. Consider one teaching from John the Baptist on what baptized people must do.
Luke 3:10--14 (ESV) --- 10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
This is like many other texts throughout this book, commanding compassion, and righteousness in whatever situation we find ourselves in.
The Story
Let’s briefly run through Luke’s gospel and understand what it contains.
The Detailed Beginning & Purpose (1-3)
He begins earlier than any other gospel by bringing up John the baptist’s miraculous birth. Evidently, he has taken great pains to find out all the information directly from the sources and has taken the time to write it eloquently. The first chapter contains both the announcement of John and Jesus as angels visit the father of John and the mother of Jesus. These announcements tell us the purpose of these men. John has come to turn the hearts of the men to the Lord with the spirit and power of Elijah. Jesus will be established on God’s throne forever. These announcements are mind-blowing. The promises of the Old Testament are coming true, but Luke doesn’t explain any of that. Likely, Theophilus wouldn’t care so much. Chapter 1 also contains two songs about the birth of the Messiah, one from Mary and the other from Zechariah (John’s father). These songs tell us that Jesus coming is the working of God to save his people.
Luke 1:76--79 (ESV) --- 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
All of this Chapter gives us a picture of the hope Jesus offers. The sun is starting to rise to bring salvation and forgiveness of sins.
In Chapter 2, we read about the birth of Jesus and the interesting events that Mary treasured in her heart. We get the feeling that Luke has been talking to Mary. Then, we learn about his entrance into adulthood at 12. His parents lose track of him for three days and find him teaching in the temple.
Chapter 3 gives us more information about John the baptist than any gospel. Then, we read about Jesus’ baptism and his Genealogy from Joseph back to Adam.
Jesus’ Compassionate Ministry (4-9:50)
Chapter 4 begins to reveal the ministry of Jesus. Like the other gospels, it starts with his trials in the wilderness. From there, we jump to Nazareth, where he tells them that he is the Messiah but will reject him because they don’t have faith. They respond by wanting to throw him off a cliff.
After this event, we read various stories about Jesus casting out demons, healing, and selecting disciples. Each story is unlike the related story we read in the other gospels because Luke wants us to see the proper response men ought to have to the truth. In Chapter 5, we read about Peter recognizing Jesus as the Messiah after a tremendous catch and asking Jesus to depart, for he is a sinful man (5:8). This humility is precisely what Jesus is looking for. Do you think Theophilus needs to hear this? Luke often brings up examples of humility like this.
Chapter 6 has an altered version of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus would likely say the same ideas and present them in different ways. Chapter 6 is a very condensed version of Matthew 5-7. Other parts of the Sermon on the Mount are also found throughout the book. It seems like they are added in to fit the different situations. The main thing he pulls out of the Sermon on the Mount here is that God wants us to be humble and compassionate toward our enemies. Our goal is not to judge people harshly. This is (again) a recurring theme of this book.
In Chapter 7, Jesus points out that a centurion has more faith than anyone in Israel after believing Jesus can command sickness to leave without being near the sick person. Then, we read about Jesus showing compassion to a random widow who lost her son. he raised her son from the dead. Followed by a sinful woman who “loves much because she is forgiven much.”
In Chapter 8, he heals a man with many demons. Then, he heals the daughter of a synagogue ruler and a woman bleeding. The synagogue ruler is fascinating because the leaders are typically Jesus’ enemies. He shows the man compassion.
Chapter 9 is a transitional Chapter where Jesus reveals his death and “sets his face to go to Jerusalem.” He also calls for those following him to take up their cross, revealing his glory to the disciples in the transfiguration.
The Light Comes To Jerusalem (9:51-19:48)
In the next major section, Luke opens our eyes to many new events that took place in the life of Jesus. He explains his rejection. This is something that every author does. Luke explains the rejection of Christ by explaining the difference between what Christ taught and how the people thought. He gives us a lot of parables that go against the grain of society. These parables are unique to Luke’s gospel.
Two Debtors - 7:41-43
Good Samaritan - 10:25-37
Unwilling Friend - 11:5-8
Rich fool - 12:13-20
Barren Fig Tree - 13:6-9
Lost coin - 15:8-10
Lost son - 15:11-32
Unrighteous Manager - 16:1-9
The rich man and Lazarus - 16:19-31
Unjust Judge - 18:1-8
Pharisee and Tax collector - 18:9-14
All of these parables mixed in with different stories, bold rebukes for the proud religious leaders, and a rare example of compassionate healing help us put the puzzle pieces together. The world values money, success, power, and selfishness, but Jesus calls for submission and obedience to the will of God. Of all the parables and examples, I feel like a tiny section represents what I’m talking about in this section.
Luke 11:27--28 (ESV) --- 27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Consider how the different teachings of Jesus would help Theophilus to be sure about the things he has been taught. Learning about Jesus in this section helps us as well.
Concise Judgment For Jerusalem (20-21)
Chapters 20-21 give us a rundown of what happens in Jerusalem that leads to his death. Jesus goes toe to toe with the leaders, but he never changes their hearts. They are stubborn and refuse to submit, so he promises punishment and destruction for the city.
Again, this doesn’t have much to do with a Roman official, but it does help him understand the justice aspect of Jesus’ reign. He is not compassionate to the point of being evil.
Killing Jesus (22-23)
In Chapter 22, we read about the last night of Jesus and the plot of the religious leaders to kill him. This chapter contains the establishment of the Lord’s Supper, his prayer in the garden and arrest, the denial of Peter, and the Jewish trial.
Chapter 23 shows how Jesus was traded from Pilate to Herod and how Pilate wanted to set Jesus free. It almost casts the official in a positive light, which is interesting. Then, it goes into the crucifixion and death of Jesus.
Resurrection Jesus (24)
The book ends with Jesus’ resurrection. We see him escaping the tomb and appearing to the men on the road to Emmaus, where he explains how Christ must suffer and die for them. Then, these men bring this news to the disciples, and Jesus appears to them to let them touch and know that he is alive from the dead. The text lays the foundation for his next book by saying that Jesus opened their minds and gave them an understanding of the Scriptures (24:45).
What Do We Learn?
The book of Luke is full of the compassion of Christ toward the weak and humble. His message about Jesus cuts a cold heart deeply. If you consider Jesus to be about rebuking the Pharisees (Matthew) or demonstrating his power (Mark), Luke’s perspective is a fresh and welcomed change. It’s nice to be reminded that our Lord is compassionate and merciful toward people from all backgrounds.
We can see why Luke would do this if Theophilus is, in fact, an official who is recently converted to the faith. Luke is writing him a handbook on showing compassion like Christ in this volume. The next volume will continue by showing how Jesus continued to be compassionate through his apostles. We will overview Acts next month.
Application
So what does this do for us? How do we use this information to change our lives?
This makes Luke an excellent resource for us to grow in our compassion and mercy toward other people, but that would require a deep dive and a lot of self-reflection as we work through this book. If you are someone who struggles with anger or gets distracted by things that don’t matter, this is the book for you to help you grow in love with others. Luke helps us understand Jesus; the more we understand Jesus, the more we can develop our character to look like him.
Do you struggle to show compassion to strangers, the lost, or even your enemies? Jesus tells us to show compassion toward others because we recognize that we need tremendous compassion. We can go to God in prayer and find help with this or anything else that is going on in our lives because he is compassionate and merciful. He is a good Father who wants to bless and not curse us.
Remember: He who is forgiven much loves much. He who is forgiven little loves little.
But Jesus also tells us that those who fail to do this will be shown no mercy or compassion. Remember the Levite and the priest in the story of the Good Samaritan. We don’t want to be like them. Also, remember the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son. Don’t resist showing mercy to one who is in real need. Jesus calls for us to love our neighbors as he has loved us.
Conclusion
If you haven’t seen the compassion of Jesus, I want to encourage you to read through this book very slowly. I would be happy to read through it with you. Please don’t hesitate. Jesus is compassionate and merciful. He will forgive all who will come to him and submit their lives. A life lived in service for him is better than any life we could imagine. His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. Let us know if we can help you accept his blessing today.