Daily Devotional • October 18
The Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist
A Reading from Luke 1:1-4
1 Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I, too, decided, as one having a grasp of everything from the start, to write a well-ordered account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may have a firm grasp of the words in which you have been instructed.
Meditation
How could we sing our favorite Christmas carols, from “Away in the Manger” to “While Shepherds Watched their Flocks,” if St. Luke had not written his gospel? On this day let us honor him — physician, historian, and evangelist.
As surely as St. Paul was called to preach to Gentiles, St. Luke was called to write the Jesus story for Greek skeptics and polytheistic Romans. He compiled an “orderly” account, “after investigating everything carefully from the very first,” foregrounding Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna in the first chapters. In his preface to Acts, Luke reminds Theophilus how Jesus “presented himself alive to [his disciples]”, and then, starting from Pentecost, explains how non-Jews became full members of the early churches.
In Acts 20:6 we learn — by the pronoun “we” — that Luke joined Paul and others at Philippi on their journey to Jerusalem. After Paul was imprisoned and transferred to Caesarea, Luke probably helped to supply his needs, including medical care (in addition to past hardships, Paul had been beaten by a mob). Two years later, when Paul defended himself before King Agrippa, Luke was still there, taking notes.
During those years, Luke had the perfect opportunity to travel to places where Jesus had taught and healed, and the early church was born. Local believers in Caesarea could have identified the centurion’s house where Peter had been invited to preach. In 57 AD, some eyewitnesses were still alive. Luke may have interviewed elders and tracked down Aramaic memoirs — “so that you may know the truth.” In keeping with his scientific training, he recorded precise details: names, times, places, relationships.
Thanks be to God for St. Luke! May we strive not only to cherish his wonderful books, but to follow his example, passing on the story of God’s faithfulness in our own time to a generation yet unborn.
Dr. Grace Sears is past vice president of the board of the Living Church Foundation and past president of the Order of the Daughters of the King, as well as former editor of its magazine, The Royal Cross.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Kampala – The Church of the Province of Uganda
The Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta