When biographical accounts of a saint are not plentiful, turning to his works and their fruits is a sure-fire way to make great discoveries about his person.
In the case of St. Luke, the piety of the faithful would like to know who his parents were, how he spent his childhood, how he began his mission with Jesus’ disciples… But even though this information has not been handed down to history, exceptional traits of his soul and character can be discovered in the brief lines of his Gospel, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles, a writing attributed to him by the earliest Tradition.1
A disciple in the nascent Church
Did St. Luke know Jesus? Some, based on ancient authors and the affirmation of St. Gregory the Great,2 believe so and think he was one of the disciples of the encounter on the road to Emmaus.
His writings reveal facets of his soul and character, such as mercy, meekness and humility, all of which he was a magnificent example
In a second hypothesis, several exegetes consider him to be a disciple of the nascent Church, perhaps from the first hour, so to speak, after the Ascension of the Lord. They support this theory on the words of St. Luke himself in the prologue to his Gospel: “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” (Lk 1:1-2). With this statement, the Evangelist seems to exclude himself from the number of those who lived with Our Lord, and adds: “It seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account” (Lk 1:3).
It is believed, on the basis of exegetical studies, that he was a Gentile, a native of Antioch in Syria, but of Greek origin. St. Paul, whose companion he was in preaching and travelling, does not include him among those “of the circumcision” (cf. Col 4:10-11). However, in his writings he shows a deep knowledge of the Old Testament, which suggests he had a certain attraction to Judaism and must have dedicated himself to reading the Scriptures in his homeland, where there was a large Jewish community.
During the persecution of St. Stephen, the disciples dispersed to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the Word not only to the Jews but also to the Greeks (cf. Acts 11:19-20). It is therefore likely that St. Luke was converted on this occasion.
A perfect start, with his eyes fixed on Mary
St. Luke can be said to have been a man of fine and elevated perception. When he decided to write the life of Our Lord, he first sought out, among other eyewitnesses, the One who hid herself under the veil of humility.
What transports of enthusiasm did he experience when he first met Our Lady? Undoubtedly, her majesty combined with the simplicity of her person must have moved him. Who knows if in his heart of hearts, perhaps without knowing how to make it explicit, that disciple did not give himself to her as a slave of love, just as St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort would teach almost two millennia later? Moreover, legend or not, many attribute the first paintings of the Mother of God to him.
The motherhood of Mary attracted him, allowing him to hear disclosures from those immaculate lips which he registered in his Gospel
The supernatural, noble and chaste motherhood of the Blessed Virgin attracted him to a particular intimacy and thus allowed him to hear from those immaculate lips the confidences of the Angel’s Annunciation, the way in which the Incarnation of the Word took place and His virgin birth. All the marvels of grace worked through Mary in history and in the individual lives of men are due in no small measure to that angelic meeting, which St. Luke, docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, was able to convey well in his Gospel.
He also took care to learn about some of the preceding events, such as the birth of the Forerunner. And, so that in future times there would be no doubt about the soundness of his accounts (cf. Lk 1:4), he wanted to establish a parallel between supernatural events and the profane historical facts of the time, demonstrating his sagacity and depth of spirit.
Compassion and refinement of soul
God, however, being the main Author of the Bible, “chose men, and while employed by Him they made use of their powers and abilities so that, with Him acting in them and through them, they, as true authors, consigned to writing everything and only those things which He wanted.”3 So if the sacred books written by St. Luke reveal some particularities, this is due not only to the specific purpose and readership he had in mind, but also to the fact that his personality was more perceptive to certain aspects of the work of salvation.
In the so-called “great insertion of Luke,” which runs from verse 51 of chapter 9 to verse 28 of chapter 19 of his Gospel, we find some episodes and parables not told by the other Evangelists, in which we can contemplate some of his character traits.
The first of these is his propensity for mercy, which is also emphasized in other passages of his writings. This moral virtue, adjacent to charity, was practised very little – if at all – in his time. Since the system of grace purchased by the Redemption had not yet been established, the talion law, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Lv 24:20), governed society. In this context, the beauty and unconditionality of forgiveness was immortalized by the Evangelist in the parable of the prodigal son (cf. Lk 15:11-32).
St. Luke highlights many other dimensions that would henceforth be essential to Christian life, such as meekness and humility, sincerity, poverty of spirit, penance, joy, kindness towards one’s neighbour, persevering prayer, trust in Providence, the duty of avoiding scandal and the need for gratitude. And of all these virtues he would have certainly been a magnificent example.
Another characteristic of his personality was that he was no respecter of persons. His refinement of spirit, perhaps enhanced by his customarily being available to everyone on account of his profession as a physician (cf. Col 4:14), led him not to exclude children, the sick and women from his stories.
Although we do not know the details of his conversion, it is impressive to see how deeply the teachings of Jesus Christ penetrated his soul and how completely he adhered to the graces bestowed upon him. And, not wishing to keep for himself what he had received, he magnanimously passed it on to future generations.
A faithful companion at all times
St. Luke was also a tireless collaborator with the Apostle to the Gentiles.
It is probable that he joined St. Paul in Troas and went with him to Macedonia, because at this point the text of the Acts of the Apostles suddenly changes from the third person to the first person plural, indicating that the Evangelist had also become one of the protagonists in the events (cf. Acts 16:10).
After preaching in Macedonia and Greece, St. Luke continued alongside St. Paul. They both travelled to Jerusalem and Caesarea and stayed there for a long interval. It is believed that it was during this time that he collected the accounts of those who had lived with Jesus.
St. Luke, faithful companion of St. Paul, remained with him even in his imprisonment and was described by him as “the beloved physician”
At a certain point, however, the Apostle was arrested and, appealing to Caesar’s judgement, sent to Rome. Even in this situation riddled with contradictions and illnesses, the Evangelist did not leave him. During his second captivity in the Eternal City, St. Paul will tell Timothy that everyone had abandoned him except Luke (cf. 2 Tm 4:11) and, in the Epistle to the Colossians, he will record his esteem for such a faithful companion, describing him as “the beloved physician” (4:14).
St. Luke spent approximately fifteen years with St. Paul and, after the latter’s death, he continued to preach the Good News until the day he fell asleep in the Lord, having first suffered a great deal for love of Him.
Characteristics of his writing
His two books, the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, were dedicated to Theophilus, a name that may well not indicate a physical person, but the universality of the faithful, since, etymologically, the Greek term Théo-philos means friend of God or one whom God loves. “If you love God, it was written for you; and if it was written for you, welcome this gift from the Evangelist, keep this memory of a friend carefully in the depths of your heart,”4 St. Ambrose therefore exhorted.
In fact, the Lucan writings were penned with the aim of publishing salvation history and inviting all people of good will to participate in it (cf. Lk 2:14), whether they were Jewish or not. Fluent, clear and often full of detail, his narratives manage to captivate readers and make them feel that they are living the facts, which is undoubtedly due to the author’s unmeasured admiration for the Divine Master and the two main pillars of the Church, St. Peter and St. Paul – an admiration he managed to convey in his words.
Furthermore, the Evangelist endeavoured to use language that was elegant but accessible to the majority, writing in a popular version of Greek called koiné, rather than in the classical language, and avoiding the use of Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin expressions.
From Jerusalem to the ends of the earth
His works, which follow an impeccable logical thread, complement one another masterfully. The Gospel begins with a priestly offering (cf. Lk 1:8-9), and the entire subsequent text describes the Divine Master’s journey to Jerusalem, that is, to the perfect fulfilment of His mission: to redeem the human race. In the Passion narratives, he is the only one of the Evangelists to mention the sweat of blood in the Garden of Olives (cf. Lk 22:44).
In reference to his emphasis on the priestly aspect of Jesus’ immolation, St. Luke is often depicted alongside an ox or a bull, animals used by the Jews in the Temple sacrifices.
However, in dying on the Cross, Our Lord was victorious. For this reason, the Evangelist recounts the joys of the Resurrection and the Ascension, concluding his account with the priestly blessing that the disciples received from the Master (cf. Lk 24:51), which brings His mission on earth to a glorious close.
Although inadequate, the Apostles and disciples opened themselves to grace which sanctified them, and so their weakness overcame the world!
This ending is perfectly in keeping with the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, which consists in a more detailed description of the background to the Ascension: Christ’s recommendation that they remain together, without leaving Jerusalem, because they had to wait for the fulfilment of the Father’s promise (cf. Acts 1:4). He then describes how this was realized with the descent of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room, which impelled them to be “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
With a supernatural vastness of horizons, St. Luke united the Lord’s ascent to Heaven with the consolidation of the Church on earth.
Weak men who transformed the world
One of the remarkable details in St. Luke’s works is how patient he is with the weaknesses of men, aware that these are no obstacle to God’s action. For this reason, at the beginning of his chronicles on the expansion of the Church, he immediately inserts a promise of strength: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).
In several other passages, directly or indirectly, he presents weakness and spiritual littleness as factors that attract profuse graces from Providence. The most sublime example of all is found in Our Lady who, recognizing herself as nothing before the Most High (cf. Lk 1:38), received the greatest grace of all time: to be the tabernacle for the Incarnation of the Word.
Now, if on the one hand human misery is no obstacle to God, He requires, on the other, hearts that are humble (cf. Lk 18:9-14), repentant of their sins (cf. Lk 7:36-50) and willing to leave error behind in order to give themselves to Him without reserve, like Zacchaeus (cf. Lk 19:1-10).
St. Luke, as well as the Apostles and other disciples, were men who, despite their shortcomings, opened themselves up to grace and allowed Jesus to sanctify them. That is why their weakness overcame the world! Therefore, let us also open ourselves to the power of divine love and, without attachment to sin, but with a repentant and trusting heart, let us fight for the transformation of the face of the earth. The Creator himself will come down from Heaven to meet us and make the renewed world His glorious Kingdom! ◊
Notes
1 Cf. PONTIFICAL BIBLICAL COMMISSION. Quæstiones de evangeliis secundum Marcum et secundum Lucam: AAS 4 (1912), 463-465.
2 Cf. ST. GREGORY THE GREAT. Moralium. Præfatio, c.I, n.3: PL 75, 517.
3 SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL. Dei Verbum, n.11.
4 ST. AMBROSE. Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam. L.I, n.12: SC 45bis, 52-53.
