Saturday, February 14, 2026

PT-2 “Luke The Theologian and Pastor” (Luke 1:3b-4)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 2/14/2026 6:46 PM

My Worship Time                                               Focus:  PT-2 “Luke The Theologian and Pastor”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                   Reference:  Luke 1:3b-4

            Message of the verses:  “to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” (NASB)

            In last evening’s SD I had to stop before I got through a paragraph because of the many verses that I wanted to quote, and so I begin this evening’s SD by quoting John MacArthur as he finishes this paragraph.  “Luke wanted to make it clear that the wonderful reality of God’s saving purpose included Gentiles (e.g., Luke 7:1-10; 14:15-23).”

(e.g., Luke 7:1-10; 14:15-23)

“1 ¶  After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2  Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3  When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4  And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5  for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue." 6  And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7  Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8  For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it." 9  When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10  And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.”

“15 ¶  When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16  But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17  And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18  But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19  And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20  And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21  So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22  And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23  And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”

“He himself was a Gentile and he wrote to Theophilus, also a Gentile (Acts 1:1).  In fact, Luke viewed the gospel not only as being for all ethnic groups, including Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles, but also for all categories of individuals within those groups, including women (even prostitutes), outcast (including lepers), those possessed by demons, even tax collectors (cf. 7:36-50; 10:25-37; 15:11-32; 16:19-31; 17:11-19; 19:1-10).  Luke’s emphasis on the gospel’s universal appeal can be seen in his genealogy of Jesus.  Unlike Matthew, who began his genealogy with Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, Luke traces Christ genealogy all the way back to Adam, the father of the entire human race.”

            I am not going to quote all of the verses in listed above because there are just too many verses to do at this time.  Next I want to add some of my comments about the genealogy of Jesus in both Matthew and Luke.  My thoughts are that Matthew’s genealogy was from Luke’s genealogy, and Luke’s was from Mary’s background.  I have to say that I know that one of the kings in Matthew’s genealogy had some problems and therefore was not included, but from Mary’s genealogy which goes through Nathan who was David’s son too, but not in the kingly line. 

            I certainly will try and finish this section which conclude this first chapter in MacArthur’s commentary on Luke tomorrow.

2/14/2026 7:11 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment