THE YEAR OF LUKE

Mark Biolo

Which Gospel do we hear in Year C?

Liturgical Cycle C is the "Year of Luke". But before we look at Luke’s Gospel, it is important to refresh our memories with some thoughts on the Gospels in general. (You may want to look at the article on our website entitled "Readings" to review a few things about the synoptic Gospels before you go too much further here.)

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are, as you may recall, called the synoptic Gospels because there is great agreement (though not entirely so), both in content and sequence, among them. (One could line these Gospels up along side each other and easily note the similarities. This method of comparison is a synopsis.) In the synoptic Gospels Jesus is very busy establishing His reign and teaching His disciples what it means to live and work toward building that kingdom. Thus, there is little time for proclaiming a theology about Himself. John’s Jesus, on the other hand, provides us with a refined Christology. In the three-year cycle of readings, Matthew is featured in Cycle A, Mark in Cycle B, and Luke in Cycle C. John’s Gospel is reserved for special times of the Church year in each of these cycles, primarily Christmastime, the Triduum, and Eastertime.

Each Gospel was formulated from the vantage point of the community for which it was written. There was a significant difference in the way a story was told depending on the economic and class status of the listener. The stories were told with the community in mind, according to their needs and life situation. Since each evangelist was writing for his own community and from his own perspectives, each Gospel is marked by the distinctive personality and specific agenda of its author. It is important to note that the Gospels are documents that assume an existent faith in the people. They were not written in order to prove that Jesus was the Son of God. It was already assumed that the people knew, accepted, and believed that fact. There was no intention of providing a historical accounting of Jesus’ life. However, there is factual, historical material in each Gospel.

As the Greek-speaking world became Christianized, the original biblical texts were translated into Greek. Translation from one language into another automatically involves interpretation. Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Greek. Each Gospel was interpreted not only in a new language but in a different cultural system and worldview as well. By the time the Greek texts were compiled, Christian culture had already embraced the Greek philosophical thought that colored the translations. And very often there are no words that capture the complexity of meaning of the original language, so the translator opts for an approximation. For sure language is limited! Yet, it need not shake our faith too greatly that the synoptic Gospels are not always completely consonant with each other. Sometimes they even contradict each other. For example, Luke’s Jesus dies on the cross with a sense of peaceful confidence whereas Mark’s Jesus cries out in desolation.

Each evangelist has his own perspective and all draw upon the corporate memory of their different communities. New Testament scholarship recognizes that the Gospels themselves are not histories of Jesus but the record of how communities remembered Jesus and taught new generations what and how they remembered. None of the evangelists were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life and ministry. They all relied on oral accounts of his life.

On to Cycle C, "The Year of Luke"! During this liturgical year, beginning with the First Sunday of Advent, most (over 60%) of Luke’s Gospel is proclaimed. In addition to being the last of the synoptic Gospels to be written (circa 85 AD), Luke’s is the longest Gospel. Interestingly, Luke’s is the only Gospel with a preface that tells what the Gospel is about. (Even though the infancy narratives appear at the beginning of the Gospel, they were not added until the very end.) Luke was not as concerned with the history of the Christ event as he was with the meaning of it.

The New Testament indicates that Luke was a physician, an associate of St. Paul’s, and the author of the Acts of the Apostles. In fact, one can think of Luke’s Gospel as being Part I of a two-part book, Part II being the Acts. It is possible that Luke was not a Jew since there is little attention paid to Jewish issues in his Gospel. His community was made up of Antiochan Jews and Gentiles. It is a mixed group. Some are wealthy; some are not. And his writing addresses both groups. His Gospel is a bit of a travel narrative – its natural organization is according to the geographical sites and locations of Jesus’ ministry.

Luke begins his narrative as an exhortation to the catechumen, Theophilus. Luke proclaims to Theophilus and the first-century world that Jesus was everything His followers believed Him to be and more. Luke presents Jesus as a prophet who was misunderstood. He was not accepted as a prophet and was falsely accused of the charges against Him. Luke’s version of the Good News insists that behavior is a key element of Christian life. To be a believer, one’s actions must reflect his or her belief. He does not give us a set of precepts or detailed rules but he suggests concrete principles of action. Luke also insists that disciples must provide for the poor and the needy. In Luke’s gospel the "have-nots" will have access to the kingdom of God while the "haves" may be left standing at the door. Indeed, Luke is "Mr. Challenge" for the rich and powerful and "Mr. Compassion" for the lowly and downtrodden. In fact, Luke’s Gospel has often been called the "Gospel of the Outcasts". God’s revelation was, after all, announced to shepherds and women, society’s lowest. Indeed, women appear in Luke more than in any other Gospel.

Luke’s Gospel is also known as the "Gospel of Prayer" as Jesus is repeatedly depicted as praying. Luke’s community was facing an identity crisis. Persecutions were taking place, both from within and from without, and considerable time had distanced the community from the actual death/resurrection of Jesus. They were vacillating in their faith and questions abounded. Perhaps their prayers for the coming kingdom had been useless. Was the risen Christ still in their midst? Luke wrote his Gospel in order to deal with these serious faith questions. Perhaps a new understanding of the life and mission of Christ would help them appreciate the value of prayer in their own lives.

Fellowship is also very important for Luke. Jesus is often portrayed as eating and meals seem to be the privileged place for Jesus’ teaching. Luke’s Jesus revealed a great deal about the counter-cultural reign He had come to establish through the meals He shared and through the often shady and questionable dinner companions He entertained. The God Jesus proclaimed was not going to be placed in the box of expected societal norms. God’s grace was perfectly, freely given to all. All were to be included in the great banquet. No one was to be excluded except those who chose not to eat.

So there you have it, a bit of background on the Gospel for liturgical cycle C, "The Year of Luke".