Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist and Companion to Paul
“Where the heck did that bull come from and can you ask it to leave?"
Written by Jeff Bisgrove
Saint Luke the Evangelist by Valentin de Boulogne
October 18 is the Feast of St Luke The Evangelist and Companion to Paul. I love being able to do the write-ups for these feast days; it provides an opportunity to learn more about the people God has used to reach his creation. God speaks in all His peoples’ stories.
Luke was a very unique person. He got to write not only one of the four Gospels, but he was the only gospel author to write a sequel - the book of Acts. Digging further, we learn more - Luke was the only New Testament author who was not a Jew. He was a Greek Gentile, born in Antioch (in present-day Turkey). He did not meet Jesus in person, but instead began following him soon after his ascension, thereby eventually mixing with the Apostles like Paul. His family was well-off, and Luke was extremely well-educated. Paul referred to him as a physician. And the beautiful Greek he used in the writing of both his Gospel and the book of Acts indicates he was indeed well-trained. Luke meticulously researched his work - his Gospel is considered the most chronologically accurate one and he is known to have interviewed many people for his work (including Mary, the mother of Jesus). Luke was -by first-century standards - incredibly well placed by family position and education to live a life of wealth, privilege, honor and status. As they say - the world was his oyster.
So how did Luke handle this “oyster"? He spent his life following after a poor crucified rebel from Nazareth. I expect this did not endear him to his parents. And what did this all get him? Some accounts say he was martyred, some say he lived into his 80s and died in Thebes Greece. Whichever is the truth, Luke lived an austere life of poverty. He had no groups of adoring fans nor was he held in esteem by the Roman powers that controlled these lands. He wrote about Jesus, spoke about Jesus and accompanied fellow Jesus-followers as they did the same. Paul referred in his later writing (2 Timothy 4.11) as having only Luke with him as an encourager and 2 Timothy is widely considered the last Epistle Paul wrote before his death. At that time Paul was in jail, soon to be executed by the Roman authorities. I suspect Luke's parents did not brag to their friends about their son hanging out with a criminal in a Roman jail. They probably saw Luke’s unusual lifestyle as all just being for a guy from an obscure unpopular religion — a reality totally different from the comfortable one in which Luke had been raised.
I reflected much on Luke as I investigated him more. Luke was the incarnation of the model man in Jesus' parable of the “pearl of great price”. This is the parable where when a man found a Pearl of great price (The Kingdom of God), he sold all he had so that he could buy and obtain it. Luke did just that. He left the trappings of the “good life” to follow Jesus and made it his life work to make sure Jesus would be known to the entire world. Luke sacrificed his own life that others might encounter the life of Jesus.
This rattles around in my head in an uncomfortable way. I could say I identify with Luke in that I have given up the lifestyle of wealth and comfort to follow God. I am highly educated and made a lot of money when I worked for a pay check. Since then, I believe I have made progress to understand more of where God puts His value. But the real source of my “discomfort” is still the bull (see the picture below). The sacrifice. Following Jesus involves sacrifice. And this year God has been teaching me more than I want to know about the cost of that sacrifice. I really do not like that bull; I wish someone would come and take him back to his pasture. However, God is impressing on me that no path to Him is free. So I pray God fortifies me for the work to be done and the sacrifice that this will entail. I can do nothing without God.
This is a painting of St. Luke by Valentin de Boulogne (French artiste 1591-1632 AD). I like this version for a few reasons. I love the painting style, with its Italian influence. It is dark. Luke is focused on his writing. That is where his attention goes. Not the trappings of wealth or adoration of people. His writings that will share Jesus with billions of people after his death. There is nothing else to Luke than his work. On his desk is a picture of Jesus and Mary - some traditions maintain he painted this. Whether this is true or not, what is clear is that Jesus was his focus for his entire life post-conversion.
Finally, we see the bull. There is the bull— that representation of sacrifice, a reminder that Luke gave up his life of privilege to know and share Jesus with the world. Whether Luke was martyred really matters not. The reality was he gave the entirety of his life as a sacrifice to Jesus so that Jesus might be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth. I also find it interesting that Luke is totally at ease with that bull standing next to him. He is not focused on it - only on his work. Luke was comfortable with the bull in the room. Sacrifice was no big deal to him, but rather it was an expected given.
Prayer:
Lord, we thank you for another day in your Kingdom. We thank you for the people and blessings you bring to us to help us transform more into the image of your son Jesus.
Please help us focus on you and not the bull, not the cost. Help us maintain our focus on you as the pearl of great price and not the other myriad distractions of this world. Help us focus on what you are doing and will do through us. Guide us in the application of our gifts so that they work to your glory.
Without you, God, there is no health in us. Please be close to us. Amen.
Questions:
The world conspires to distract us from God. Where might the world be focusing your gaze instead of on God?
God uses all for His work. The Jews never expected a Gentile doctor with good Greek writing skills to help share their Messiah. What surprising gifts has God been growing in you that could help the Kingdom?
Do you focus more on the bull (the sacrifice) or the work (what God has for you)? Where might you need to change your focus?