Gospel of Luke
Luke's compassionate, forgiving, and merciful Jesus
Images unique to the gospel
The Holy Spirit.
A "universal" savior.
Mary the mother.
Mary is the model disciple in the gospel; who hears and does the word of God as she has accepted God's will in the Annunciation scene. Luke's Gospel provides the basis for the immense devotion we show for Mary. When she is asked to be the mother of God she said, “may it be done to me according to you Lord.” Showing her true discipleship.
The Church's "animal"
The Church’s animal depiction of this gospel is a winged ox; an animal used in sacrifice, seen in the beginning of the gospel.
About the Author
Luke was a Greek Gentile Christian that some might think of him to be a disciple of Paul.
What about his audience?
Luke’s audience was very unique because it is the only gospel written from a Gentile to Gentile Christians suffering persecution in Rome and it is also unique because dedicated "theophilus," meaning "one who loves God."
Fun Fact!
Jesus' complete self in the Gospel of Luke!
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is portrayed as compassionate and merciful with a special concern and interest for poor people, women, and non-Jews and is extremely forgiving.
A unique story in the gospel is Luke's infancy narrative, with an emphasis on the “elaborate parallelism between Jesus and John the Baptist. In each case Jesus is greater than the Baptist.” (RG.401).
Low Christology
Women
A different Jesus
In the gospel there is a special focus on prayer; the Jesus Luke shows us is a prayerful one. (See chapter 3) Every time he does something important, like a miracle, he prays.