Many people have written several books, which if lined up would become a big, high mountain which burns in the flame of God’s anger, for all the words of men are worthless, boastful, and empty.
But the two books which Luke, the physician wrote, will shine in the Day of Judgment more brilliantly than the sun itself. They will never pass away, but will rise high before the throne of God, for Luke, the evangelist described in his first book the deeds and the words of Christ. He mentioned his deeds before his words, for Christ came not only a teacher, but also a Savior to the whole world. The evangelist wanted to glorify him, and he showed us how the sinners repented near Jesus confessing their sins, and becoming justified by their faith in the Lord’s grace, as the thief who was crucified with Jesus had experienced when he entered with Jesus into the blissful expanses of Paradise. Luke’s gospel is the book of the great joy, which the angel brought upon the birth of the child in the manger, for the Lord himself became incarnate to seek and save that which was lost. Today, we testify, thanking God, that many people have been saved through Luke’s gospel, and that the power of eternal life streams from its black letters into the minds and the hearts of the believers.
Theophilus, the high Roman official had experienced this wonderful salvation of Christ. So he entrusted Luke, the physician, his Greek friend, to gather all the details about the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and to record exactly the history of the gospel of salvation in the Roman Empire, for the Roman governor was not satisfied with the sentimental feeling, but wished for historical foundations for his living faith. The educated Luke wrote those two books and addressed them to his governor to establish him in his spiritual life, and to equip him, as a believer, for his office, as an important servant in the Roman Empire. He testified to him that there is no hope for our worried world except in the living Christ Jesus.
All the countries of our world will pass away, and all philosophers are unprofitable, even if they produced to us intellectual edifices of their genius minds. Christ did not build his kingdom on bright thinkers’ intelligence, nor did he rely on the power of mighty armies, but chose ordinary people, illiterate fishermen, and called them apostles. This choosing of the harmless means rejection of all the great, the strong, and the clever in the world, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
This is exactly in harmony with the designs of the Holy Spirit, who strengthens those that are not mighty, and gives life to those who pine away. Christ did not perform all his works separately, but at all times in the unity with the Holy Spirit, standing fast in the will of his Father, for God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Christ Jesus are a complete unity, which surpasses our understanding and knowledge. The Holy Trinity was determined from eternity to build his church in the midst of the lost world, and to spread heaven among the dead of the earth. The history of God’s salvation began with the call of the apostles whom Christ called, trained, and commissioned to preach men. Luke, the evangelist was the only one who described the movement of those runners, having recognized that the power of the love of God that dwelt in the harmless fishermen was the new miracle in the world, and the true hope for a better future.
In order to pave the way for this miracle, the resurrected Christ did not remain among his disciples in the world to manage, as a King, the spread of his kingdom in an organized, strategic way, but ascended to heaven. The Lord was not afraid of any mistake that might be committed by his disciples, for he knew that the Holy Spirit would dwell in them to complete his work. He ascended to heaven free from worry and fear, got up to his Father, and sat down at the right hand of God, as one with him, reigning with him, building his holy church in the evil world, overcoming all the powers against God, and saving millions of people. Luke was astonished at the miracle of the growth of the hidden kingdom of God on earth, and he described this movement in his second book from its start point in Jerusalem to its end: Rome.