Miracles of Jesus in the Book of Luke - Research Paper Example

? Miracles of Jesus in the book of Luke Introduction There is no dispute as to whether Luke the of the book of Luke, a synoptic gospel account. The general view of scholars is that this book was written between 59 A.D. and 70 A.D. He is viewed as a unique writer because he was a gentile. The gospel according to Luke is one of the four gospels in the bible. It is the third book in the New Testament. Luke was an associate to Apostle Paul and has also authored the book of Acts of the Apostles (which is the fifth book in the New Testament). Luke was a doctor and most likely very well educated going by his writing style and the structure of the book of Luke. It’s worth noting that the book of Luke is a specific address to a single individual known as Theophilus. Gospel according to Luke illuminates the history and the story of Jesus Christ from birth to crucifixion. It also focuses on the teachings of Jesus on salvation and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies with regard to the coming of Messiah. Apostle Paul references the author of this book in Colossians4:14. Literature review Luke portrays Jesus as very passionate, compassionate and full of mercy. Jesus comes out as someone who loves everyone and believes that everyone should share equal treatment (Luke 18:1-8). Jesus Christ is seen as our savior and lord and is referred to as the ‘son of man’ in Luke 19:10. ``For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.’’ This becomes the point of reference of Jesus’ purpose and many view the same as His mission statement. Jesus is portrayed as one who reaches out to the marginalized. The fact that Luke himself was a gentile shows as how impartial Jesus was. In Luke 4:18-19 ‘’ the spirit of the lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor’’. This statement clearly shows the intention and the doctrinal basis of the activities of the Lord Jesus while on earth. From the same statement we can learn that Jesus was empowered by the Spirit of God to show mercy and compassion to those who were incapacitated. Luke is careful to show as that Jesus had a deep sense of purpose and that he was aware of what was expected of him. This was why he confined himself to his purpose. Jesus Christ is portrayed as a miracle worker in the book of Luke. This account goes ahead to detail some of the miracles that Jesus did from Luke’s perspective as a doctor and a non Jewish person. The book of Luke has got a total of eleven parables that Jesus gave. We have the parable of the two debtors in Luke7:41-43 where Jesus stated that since we have been forgiven freely we must freely forgive others. This again shows that Jesus believed in equality. The story of the Good Samaritan is one of the most popular parables. It can be found in Luke10:30-37 where we see a Samaritan, (Samaritans were despised by Jews) helping a Jew who had been attacked by robbers and left for dead. The parable of the rich fool who thought of how he was going to have a bountiful harvest and was just obsessed with more and more wealth. Jesus warned against having wealth where moths and rust can destroy. This is in Luke 12:16-21. In Luke 13:6-9 we see Jesus rebuking a fig tree just because it was barren showing that Jesus was fully results oriented and couldn’t put up with people who won’t practice his teachings and give results. He –Jesus- in chapter 15 of Luke verse 8 to 10 gave a parable to the effect that one lost coin can cause the owner to go out of his/her way so that he/she can regain it. He compared himself to that owner and implied that he could do the same for any lost soul. In Luke 15:8-10 Jesus gave a parable known as ‘the prodigal son’. In this story we see a passionate father remaining restless until his lost son traces his way back home. We also see a very colorful reception being given to the lost but found son. All this revealed to us that Jesus had been sent by his father so he was not acting of his own. Secondly we learn that he came to seek the lost with an aim of reuniting them to His Father who was to become their Father too. He also showed that He would do anything to win mankind back to God and his Father. In some of his missions Jesus is clearly seen interacting with people who were considered as sinners and social outcasts. The ‘Pharisees and scribes’ who were very knowledgeable on the law could not challenge His love for the destitute although they tried on many occasions. In Luke 15 we have an episode, concerning the Pharisees and scribes who “began to grumble, saying, this man receives sinners and eats with them.”Jesus Christ performed many miracles so that He could illustrate his mission statement. The miracles revealed the extent of his mercy and love. In Luke 5:1-11 we see a large catch of fish, Luke7:11-17 a widow’s son raised from the dead, Luke13, a woman healed of infirmity while Luke 17:11-19 we see ten lepers cleansed. Later we see a high priest’s servant healed in the ear in Luke 22:50. In conclusion, all these cases reveal a merciful lord moved by love to bring solutions to all and sundry. We see Jesus resist opposition and hatred from His critics to demonstrate His power and love. In a way He was earning His Lordship among people by using the power of miracles. Jesus shows that His doctrine in more that rhetoric. It’s about power, love and mercy. It’s about inclusivity and not exclusivity as the Law of Moses taught. Reference Gospel of Luke. (n.d.). http://Good News Translation Bible, GNT. Retrieved August 15, 2012, from http://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/ Read More