Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received.
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.
He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Gospel Trivia:
The gospel is divided into two parts:
- The first is an introduction by Luke himself to the gospel he has written. He emphasizes the accuracy of his narrative: it is based on eyewitness accounts that have been passed on and he has investigated these accounts for accuracy. (It is dedicated to Theophilus, who probably was a patron of Luke and took care of the reproduction of his work).
- The second is an introduction to the ministry of Jesus. It is directed to the poor: prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed. These were, and up to today, the marginalized sectors of society.
This is the theme of Luke's gospel -- a preferential option for the poor. When in doubt on what ought to be done, opt for that which favors the poor. The gospel is not for personal salvation but the social liberation of all people, particularly the poor. This is the gospel according to Luke.
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), p. 303-304.
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