Luke was a cultured and educated man. God always prepares His servants for their own unique contribution to His work. Luke’s style is elegant and his vocabulary rich. Legend says he was a painter; certainly he was an artist with words. In his gospel he paints in undying colours a wonderful portrait of the Lord Jesus. No wonder that even a sceptical writer calls Luke’s gospel the most beautiful book ever written.
Luke was deeply interested in individuals. His immediate aim in writing his books was to give Theophilus an accurate account of the ministry of Jesus on earth and its continuation after His ascension. He wanted to confirm Theophilus in his faith and thus help him spiritually. Luke’s portrayal of Christ stresses the Lord’s intense concern for the individual.
Luke had profound human sympathy. He delights to portray the Lord Jesus with a ministry for the whole world and not just Israel. He emphasises Christ’s care for the poor, the humble and the despised. According to Luke, the Lord had a special interest in outcasts and outsiders. Those marginalised in His day, like women and children, were not ignored by Him. Sufferers in mind and body were touched by the powerful, yet gentle, hand of Christ. Luke clearly was deeply attracted by the grace of the Lord to the underprivileged, and this shines through in almost every page of his gospel.
Luke was an accurate historian. He gives us one of the fullest accounts of the human side of the authorship of a biblical book. He had carefully investigated and accurately researched the whole course of the Lord’s ministry from the oral testimony of the eye witnesses and all written accounts which were available. Then, guided by the Spirit, he presented the results of his inquiries in an orderly way. The aim was to give Theophilus every confidence that the faith he had embraced rested on a sure foundation of historical fact. As we read Luke’s Gospel and the Acts, we can have the same assurance.
