Forgiveness and God's mercy to sinners is also of first importance to Luke.
Forgiveness and God's mercy to sinners is also of first importance to Luke. Only in Luke do we hear the story of the Prodigal Son welcomed back by the overjoyed father. Only in Luke do we hear the story of the forgiven woman disrupting the feast by washing Jesus' feet with her tears. Throughout Luke's gospel, Jesus takes the side of the sinner who wants to return to God's mercy.
Luke highlights the mercy that God has shown us in Jesus Christ.
Only Luke, for example, includes the parable of the Prodigal Son
(15:11-32), which would be better entitled the parable of the Loving
Father. God's love for us manifest in Jesus is one of Luke's central
concerns. Luke indicates this by including incidents and details lacking in
the other gospels. Only Luke tells us of Jesus' compassion in raising the
son of the widow from Naim to life (7:11-17); only Luke notes that Jesus
healed the ear of one of the men who came to arrest him (22:51). Luke's
account of the crucifixion likewise includes statements of Jesus which
reveal his fathomless love and mercy: "Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do" (23:34); "Truly I say to you, this day you will be with
me in paradise" (23:43).
Luke has written eloquently about the mercy of God, he has also written
pointedly about those who think they have no need of God's mercy. The
hungry are blessed because in their need they turn to their Father in
heaven. The full are cursed because in their fullness they have no room to
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reveal his fathomless love and mercy: "Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do" (23:34); "Truly I say to you, this day you will be with
me in paradise" (23:43).
Luke has written eloquently about the mercy of God, he has also written
pointedly about those who think they have no need of God's mercy. The
hungry are blessed because in their need they turn to their Father in
heaven. The full are cursed because in their fullness they have no room to
receive what God would give them. The folly of putting our confidence in
material possessions is brought out in the parable of the man with the
overflowing barns (12:13-21). The foolishness of pride in our own
accomplishments is brought out in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax
collector praying in the temple (18:9-14). Both parables are unique to
Luke's gospel.
To borrow a well-worn phrase, Luke writes to comfort the afflicted and
afflict the comfortable. This theme is announced in the very first chapter
of the gospel, in Mary's Magnificat: God in his mercy has done great things
for Mary, looking on her in her lowliness. "His mercy is from age to age on
those who fear him. He has shown might with his arm; he has confused the
proud in their inmost thoughts. He has deposed the mighty from their
thrones and raised the lowly to high places. The hungry he has given every
good thing, while the rich he has sent away empty" (1:48-53). God's mercy
is on the lowly, the hungry, the reverent, because they are able to receive
his mercy. But those who are proud and mighty cut themselves off from his
mercy, because they think they have no need of it.
Luke writes for the proud as well as the lowly. He wants to shake the proud
out of their complacency so that they will be able to experience the mercy
of God. He wants to assure the lowly that God cares for them. He wants his
readers to recognize their sinfulness, because Jesus came to seek out the
lost and bring them salvation. Even as Luke's gospel proclaims woes for the
rich and self-sufficient, it also shows us Jesus repeatedly welcoming the
company of sinners, even to the point that proper people criticize him for
it. Luke would want both the Pharisee and the tax collector who prayed in
the temple in Jesus' parable to read his gospel: the Pharisee so that he
would realize his need for God's mercy, the tax collector so that he would
be assured of God's mercy for him.
Throughout the gospel, Luke calls upon the Christian disciple to identify with the master Jesus, who is caring and tender toward the poor and lowly, the outcast, the sinner, and the afflicted, toward all those who recognize their dependence on God (Luke 4:18; 6:20-23; 7:36-50; 14:12-14; 15:1-32; 16:19-31; 18:9-14; 19:1-10; 21:1-4), but who is severe toward the proud and self-righteous, and particularly toward those who place their material wealth before the service of God and his people (Luke 6:24-26; 12:13-21; 16:13-15, 19-31; 18:9-14, 15-25; cf Luke 1:50-53). No gospel writer is more concerned than Luke with the mercy and compassion of Jesus (Luke 7:41-43; 10:29-37; 13:6-9; 15:11-32). No gospel writer is more concerned with the role of the Spirit in the life of Jesus and the Christian disciple (Luke 1:35, 41; 2:25-27; 4:1, 14, 18; 10:21; 11:13; 24:49), with the importance of prayer (Luke 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:28; 11:1-13; 18:1-8), or with Jesus' concern for women (Luke 7:11-17, 36-50; 8:2-3; 10:38-42). While Jesus calls all humanity to repent (Luke 5:32; 10:13; 11:32; 13:1-5; 15:7-10; 16:30; 17:3-4; 24:47), he is particularly demanding of those who would be his disciples. Of them he demands absolute and total detachment from family and material possessions (Luke 9:57-62; 12:32-34; 14:25-35). To all who respond in faith and repentance to the word Jesus preaches, he brings salvation (Luke 2:30-32; 3:6; 7:50; 8:48, 50; 17:19; 19:9) and peace (Luke 2:14; 7:50; 8:48; 19:38, 42) and life (Luke 10:25-28; 18:26-30).