Luke opens his gospel with one of the most elegant sentences in the New Testament – and one of the hardest to translate for Greek learners! The name “Theophilus” means God (Theo) – Lover (phileo). Is Luke writing the story of the good news of Jesus of Nazareth to a particular person, or to all people who love God and seek to follow the Lord?
Luke writes to tell Theopholis of Jesus. He writes with his narrative objectives and telling us a bit about how he composed and put the story together so that Theophilus, and us by extension, might learn of the teachings of Jesus and follow in his footsteps.
Luke is thought to also have written the book we call the Acts of the Apostles. In fact some scholars think that the two book might possibly form one gigantic book, with the resurrection of Jesus in the middle, as opposed to the conclusion of this amazing invitation to faith. Here’s how he starts that telling of Jesus:
1In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning 2until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen….” Acts 1:1-2
Some call the gospel the greatest story ever told. How have you experienced that to be true? How have you found truth in the gospel account of Jesus?
Some are offended to hear the gospel called a story. For them it’s history, or more than a story – a word which can have connotations of fable, myth, legend – untrue. And yet when we look at the larger picture – and really wrestle with the word “story” it seems to me to be perfectly a propos.
I think part of what Luke is trying to get at is more than just a literal telling of a story, an account, or a retelling. He’s writing and retelling, speaking and proclaiming that our stories are interconnected with each other, as well as entirely part of the larger story of God moving in creation. In that sense it’s not just hearing someone else’s story, but also simultaneously hearing our own story – my story. When I’ve been existentially bowled over while reading the Bible, or the book of Mark (my favorite) it’s been just that sort of experience.
Questions for Reflection:
*What word, phrase or image strikes you in the passages?
* How have you found truth in the gospel account of Jesus?
*What’s your life story?
*What is the overall story of the Bible? The gospel?
*How does the story of God intersect with your life story?