Proper 24C’25 {St. Luke’s Day transferred}
19 October 2025
Luke 4.14-21
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
For Luke, beloved physician, {evangelist, and artist,} all praise, whose gospel shows the healer of the nations, the one who shares our woes. Your wine and oil, O Savior, upon our spirits pour, and with true balm of Gilead anoint us evermore. Amen.
-Horatio Bolton Nelson, The Hymnal 1982, p232
Happy St. Luke’s Day! Yesterday was the actual day on the Church calendar but we celebrate it as a congregation on the Sunday closet to the actual date. So, St. Luke, who was he?
Luke was a Gentile, originally from Antioch, Syria; who unlike St. Paul who had a rather dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus, Luke’s was more of a slow burn. Through his encounters with early believers and by sifting through eyewitness accounts and interviews he eventually became a follower of Christ. He was an excellent writer with the most polished Greek to be found anywhere in the New Testament. With the eyes of a detective, the ears of a journalist, and the heart of a true believer, he proceeded in writing both the gospel that bears his name as well as the finest history of the early church written in his book, the Acts of the Apostles. He is the only Gentile author in the entire Bible. His authorship on one of the four gospels qualified him as an Evangelist writing and telling out the Good News of Christ’s salvation of the entire world.
He was also a travelling companion with St. Paul and active in his missionary journeys. Paul referred to him as a beloved physician, and there is a long-standing tradition in the Orthodox Church claiming that Luke was the first to paint the image of the Madonna holding the Christ-child in the form of an icon. {you can see an example of this in your bulletin}.
Beginning in the 2nd cen. based on the Apostles creed that states “I believe in the communion of saints” a Church calendar featuring holy days in memory of saints and martyrs started and this led to something called “patron saints,” and named as supporters and protectors of causes, nations, diseases, and churches like St. Luke’s.
Today we remember and honor Luke, our patron saint and all other parishes bearing his name as well as the patron of physicians, surgeons, and artists, particularly painters. Clearly his patronage was closely related to his ministries while he was alive. As we take a closer look at his gospel, we can find St. Luke to be a strong supporter of the healing ministry of Christ. He included 8 stories/parables that aren’t found in the other three: The prodigal son, The raising of the widow’s son at Nain. Healing a crippled woman on the Sabbath the healing of ten lepers, with a Samaritan the only one returning to say ‘thank you’ to Jesus for the gift of his healing. The resurrected Jesus appears to two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the conversion of the dreaded tax collector, Zacchaeus, Healing the ear of the high priest’s servant that Peter cut off. The promise to the “good thief” on the cross next to Jesus, that he would be with Jesus in paradise. The Christmas Narratives: The Annunciation to Mary, the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah, the song of Mary: The Magnificat that lifts up the humble and humbles the proud; The adoration of the shepherds, (just think there would be no “Gloria” to sing without Luke’s account) The Grinch would have literally stole Christmas without Luke’s detailed accounts telling about the coming of Emmanuel, God with us. The presentation of Jesus the Christ child at in the temple, the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple who confounded the Jewish teachers, The story of Mary and Martha, A listing of prominent women who supported Jesus’ ministry.
Social outcasts: Poor, lepers, women, tax collectors and Samaritans, those with disabilities. Luke places a stronger emphasis on personal prayer than the other three, both in Jesus’ life, and that of his disciples. Luke paints a portrait of Christ who has a heart for the underdogs.
In today’s reading Jesus is asked to read in a synagogue service and gets the passage from the prophet Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord to is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
What did he mean, the scripture you’ve just heard is fulfilled today? This passage Jesus read from Isaiah perfectly explained his mission to all the children of God. He brought with him the Good News of God’s forgiveness for all, eternal, life to all who would repent. To set free all who are bound in both literal and metaphorical prisons, performing healing miracles like helping the blind to see, again literally and figuratively, taking up the cause of those within our culture that are being oppressed, looked down upon and treated unjustly. To declare a year of jubilee where debts are cancelled and forgiven and a fresh start is there for anyone willing to reach out and accept it.
For 71 years now, St. Luke’s has been lifting up the light actively seeking to be a safe place for all people to find the living Christ, to be a safe place of welcome, worship and service; an oasis from political divisions, to look through the gospel lens to see the bigger picture by finding the common ground that we all share as Christians. Like never before people are hungering for the gospel medicine that St. Luke’s has to offer – a place of acceptance and healing love. Believe it dear friends – receive it dear friends – and share it! Amen.