The Feast of Saint Luke

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Luke the evangelist and the story of St. Luke ought to encourage our hearts.

You see, Luke, like all of us, never saw nor did he personally interact with our Lord. St. Luke was Greek. He was from Antioch.

And today we would call him something of a Renaissance man because he was a physician, a historian, as is the father of newly baptized baby Luke.

And St. Luke was known to be an artist, like little baby Luke's own mother. As a matter of fact, according to the tradition of the church, St. Luke was one of the very first to paint an icon of Jesus with his mother, Mary.

It's really quite beautiful that little Luke Fisher was baptized and shares the name of this amazing saint that we celebrate today.

St. Luke was a close companion to St. Paul the apostle. He wrote his gospel, the book that bears his name, the gospel according to St. Luke and the acts of the apostles, which is a continuation of his gospel.

In the very opening words of his gospel, we read how Luke wrote to another Greek reader, setting out a detailed account of Jesus based upon his own research.

We read, Most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things that you have been taught.

St. Luke was acting as an investigative reporter, historian, seeking to uncover the truth of Jesus of Nazareth. And this truth of who Jesus is, that is the God who has come in human flesh, transformed the life of this Renaissance man, so much so that he became a devout follower and proclaimed the gospel, the good news of Jesus.

We heard of this good news from our Old Testament reading here in Isaiah chapter 52. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, your God reigns.

Your watchmen shall lift up their voices.

And all of the nations and all of the nations and all of the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Isaiah prophesies about the God who has come to his people.

And the people who believe this good news and then proclaim this gospel are those who are beautiful because they preach hope to a world that has become very ugly due to sin.

They proclaim that in Christ. They proclaim that in Christ. The authority and the power of God have now been made visible to all nations, both to Jew and Gentile alike in the person of Jesus.

Therefore, all the ends of the earth now behold the salvation of God in Jesus the Christ. St. Luke, who was transformed by this good news, became one of those faithful followers and preachers of our Lord.

He spent his life teaching, writing, painting, and bearing witness to Christ. As he primarily ministered to the people of the Greco-Roman world, known as pagans to the average Jewish person.

And he did this. He did this. Not because he himself saw, spoke, or touched our Lord. He did this because he saw, heard, and was touched by others who had been transformed by this gospel.

This good news that God has come in human flesh in the person of Jesus. St. Luke listened to the testimony of others, especially the apostle Paul concerning this Jesus born of the Virgin Mary.

And this God who became man, Jesus, taught, healed, and proclaimed that he is the life and the hope of the world.

Therefore, our destiny is not in the hands of some impersonal force or fate, believed by most of St. Luke's Greco-Roman audience.

No, our life has meaning because the creator of all things has come. He has come to this earth, setting this world on a new course. Which is one of peace and purpose for all of us, his dear children.

We witness this new life. We witness this joyous hope. This purpose. In the baptism of baby Luke Fisher this morning.

God claimed little Luke as his own, just as he did St. Luke the evangelist. And just as he has done for all of us, baptized children.

The purpose for little Luke's life is the same purpose for all of our lives. Which is portrayed beautifully by St. Luke the evangelist.

Though we might not be artists, painters, physicians, or great storytellers. We have a purpose and meaning in life that is filled with hope and peace.

And this meaning is bound to the good news that we have received in Jesus Christ. God so loved us. God so loved the world.

That he came to rescue the world from sin, death, and the devil. God so loved us. And we are now to use our mouths and our feet to proclaim this good news to the rest of the world.

Transforming the ugly into the beautiful. So in the midst of all the commotion. All the distraction. All the noise that bombards us.

Let us focus on Christ. Who is our comfort. Let us give thanks this morning for St. Luke. And for the many prophets, apostles, evangelists, and saints.

Who have witnessed and testified to us. The good news found in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Amen.