Luke's Gospel Notes
Background and Context
- Luke was a Gentile (non Jewish) convert to Christianity. He writes his Gospel
sometime between 80 AD and 90 AD.
- Luke became a disciple of St. Paul and did a great amount of traveling. He encountered
many different kinds of people and portrays Jesus in a way that many Gentiles (non
Jewish people) can relate to.
- Luke tries to present Jesus in a way that everyone can relate to, since he worked with a
mixed community of people in the Roman Empire from many different backgrounds.
- Luke tries to downplay the role of the Romans in Jesus crucifixion. He wants to
convince people that Christianity can fit in and work well with Roman culture.
- Luke also writes another New Testament book called the Acts of the Apostles which
details the life of the early Church after Jesus' Ascension into heaven. His Gospel is the
first part, while this book is the second.
- Luke greatly emphasizes Jesus' reaching out to the vulnerable and marginalized people
in society. Jesus has great compassion for women, sinners, outcasts and the poor who are
invited to be disciples.
Luke's Gospel Themes
1) Jesus is the Universal Savior. He has come to save all people and is not just for the
Jewish people. He worked with a Gentile Christian community and was heavily
influenced by the Roman Empire.
2) The importance of the role women. Luke shows that many women were very faithful
and had important roles as disciples. Jesus also treated women with dignity and respect
which was uncommon during this time.
3) Importance of forgiveness and conversion. Many people of different backgrounds
with troubled pasts turn towards God and become important disciples. Conversion is
ongoing change that happens throughout life. It's not just the moment or event where a
person changes but also includes the ongoing effort that it takes to keep up this change.