Luke--Christ the Son of Man, the Savior

Luke--Christ the Son of Man, the Savior This is the Gospel for the sinner. It brings out the compassionate love of Christ in becoming Man to save us. It was probably written for the Greeks. It traces our Lord’s descent back to Adam, and shows Him as the Son of Man and the Son of God, the Savior for the whole human race. The “Son of the Highest,” and the Son of the lowly virgin.

Instead of the visit of the Magi, Luke tells us of the humble shepherds to whom was announced the tidings of peace to all people, “to you is born a Saviour,” and there, among the cattle, the Savior’s first guests would feel themselves at home.

“Mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation,” said the aged Simeon, as he took the Holy Child in his arms. And Anna “spoke of Him to all that looked for Redemption in Israel.”

Here, in His baptism, we see Him taking His place among the multitudes; Luke omits the words with which Matthew proclaimed Him as the coming Judge. Again, instead of the words, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” we find Him beginning His ministry by taking His place in the synagogue at Nazareth, and applying to Himself the gracious words of Isaiah which proclaimed His ministry of mercy to the broken-hearted.

Luke records his compassion to the Widow of Nain, and the depths of His mercy to the woman that was a sinner; the story of Zaccheus with the murmuring of the Pharisees because He had gone to be a guest with a man which was a sinner. The 227parables of this Gospel bring out in the same way His compassion and His saving power. They generally begin “a certain man.” Such are the Good Samaritan, the Pharisee and the Publican, the Importunate Widow, and, above all, the three parables of the central chapter, Luke 15:1-32, the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son, in which His joy over the lost found is so marvellously represented. In the parable of the Great Supper it is Luke who records the Lord’s command to go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in. And the words “Yet there is room” has been the Gospel motto through all the ages.

Luke alone tells us that when our Lord beheld the city He wept over it; of the bloody sweat in Gethsemane; of the Lord showing mercy to the dying thief even in His agony, and gathering from the very Cross the first-fruits of His sufferings. Luke alone tells of the walk to Emmaus, he himself, very possibly, being one of the two disciples. He tells of our Lord deigning to eat the piece of broiled fish and of the honey-comb, in order to show us His perfect humanity even after His resurrection; of His leading them out as far as to Bethany, and that, as He lifted up His hands and blessed them, He was parted from them.