Jesus Biographers - Flipbook - Page 7
Luke
ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A GOOD DOCTOR is compassion. People need to know
that their doctor cares. Even if the doctor doesn’t know what is wrong or isn’t sure what to do, real
concern is always good medicine. Doctor Luke was a person of compassion.
Although we know little about his life, Luke left a strong impression of himself by what he wrote. In
his Gospel, he emphasizes Jesus Christ’s compassion. He vividly recorded both the power
demonstrated by Jesus’ life and the care with which Jesus treated people. Luke also highlighted the
way Jesus related to women. His writing in Acts is full of sharp verbal pictures of real people caught
up in the greatest events of history.
Luke was a doctor. As a companion of Paul, Luke had a traveling medical practice. Since the gospel was
often welcomed with whips and stones, the doctor was undoubtedly seldom without patients. It is even
possible that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was some kind of physical ailment that needed Luke’s regular
attention (see 2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul must have deeply appreciated Luke’s skills and faithfulness.
God also made special use of Luke as the historian of the early church. Repeatedly, the details of Luke’s
descriptions have been proven accurate. The first words in his Gospel indicate his interest in the truth.
Luke’s compassion reflected the compassion of his Lord. Luke’s skill as a doctor helped Paul. His
passion for the facts as he recorded the life of Christ, the spread of the early church, and the lives of
Christianity’s missionaries gives us dependable sources for building our faith. And he accomplished
all this while staying out of the spotlight. Perhaps his greatest example is the challenge to be great
even when we are not the center of attention.
Strengths and accomplishments
A humble, faithful, and useful companion of Paul
A well-educated and trained physician
A careful and exact historian
Writer of both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts
Lessons from his life
The words we leave behind will be a lasting picture of who we are.
Even the most successful person needs the personal care of others.
How we work when no one is watching reveals a lot about our concern for excellence and
our character.
Jesus’ Biographers: A look at the writers of the four Gospels.The inside story of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
