URC Daily Devotion Wednesday 20th November 2024

St Luke 1: 1 – 4

Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us,  just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,  I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,  so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

Reflection

Mark launches his Gospel with “the beginning of the good news” Matthew takes us through a rather long, and confusing, genealogy whilst John gives us a dose of profound theology.  Luke gives us a little bit of methodology.  He tells us that “so many” have set down an “orderly account” of the events of Jesus’ life.  Only four of these accounts made it into the Bible; others that are around are rather odd.  We know that Luke had material that wasn’t in Matthew or Mark (the angel Gabriel appearing to Zecharius and Mary, the birth of John the Baptist, Mary’s visit to her cousin, the words of the prayer the Hail Mary, the shepherds in the fields) and some material that he shared with Matthew (much of Jesus’ ethical teaching) and used all of what we now call Mark’s Gospel.  We know that Matthew had some material that either Luke didn’t have or didn’t use (those blessed genealogies, Gabriel reassuring Joseph, the Magi and the Slaughter of the Innocents).  And we know that John’s Gospel has lots of material not in the other three.  

We shouldn’t be surprised, the editor of Luke tells us he is also setting out an orderly account.  He doesn’t say he’s using these other sources but we can read.  He also tells us why he’s doing this ‘so that you may know the truth..’  It’s one thing to see these ancient texts as things to be analysed and compared; it’s another to understand them as source material for what we know about Jesus, his life, and his teaching.  Academic biblical study will focus on the texts, their sources, type, influence, historicity, and the editing processes used on them.  Faith seeks to understand the texts as sources for a fruitful path of discipleship.  At its best, the Church tries to hold together the various academic understandings along with faith in Jesus, the living Word of God.  

Prayer

Dear God,
good students know their sources,
get their referencing right,
and learn to analyse to better understand.
Help us to understand You better
through the source material You’ve given us,
ancient words in the Bible, and your Living Word, Jesus Christ,
Amen.