St. Luke, 2022 (IDE Pastors’ Lutheran Confessions Study)

Rev. Thomas Van Hemert

St. Luke 10:1-9

Festival of St. Luke, Evangelist (Iowa District East Pastors’ Lutheran Confessions Study)

October 18, 2022

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Today the Church remembers and celebrates with thankful hearts, St. Luke, the Evangelist, who wrote two books of Holy Scripture—the Gospel that bears his name and the Book of Acts, which, as we all know, is really a continuation of his Gospel.

St. Luke was a physician. He was a doctor. He healed people of their earthly infirmities. And yet, he wrote his Gospel in such a way that shows Jesus to be the healer of souls. St. Luke also records Jesus performing many miracles and healing many people of their physical illnesses throughout His ministry. But Luke also records Jesus as the one who heals the world and sinful man from the inborn disease of sin. 

All of us are infected by sin. That’s why we suffer from physical ailments in this life. That’s why we must watch many of our loved ones—our spouses, our children, our parents, our family and friends—suffer in this life and even die. Sin is the cause. We suffer here and now because we are born into this fallen world with fallen flesh. The prognosis is always death.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” These are the words of Jesus recorded in Luke’s Gospel. Luke records this as a testimony about himself. Jesus is speaking directly to him. Luke, the physician needs his Heavenly Physician. And so it is that Luke also records these words of Jesus for us. Jesus speaks to us through Luke’s Gospel. We are all sick with the illness of sin, of which, we will one day die. We need to be treated, to be cured. We don’t need St. Luke or his earthly medicine. He is long gone. What we need is what his Gospel proclaims: Jesus. Luke points us to the Great Physician who heals our souls, who washes us and gives us the medicine of His Body and Blood, concealed in the earthly forms of bread and wine that heals our sinful infirmities. Luke points us to Jesus, who finds us on the side of the road broken and bleeding, who binds up our wounds, carries us to the inn, who pays for it all and promises to return. Luke points us to Jesus. That’s who Luke needed in his life; that’s who all the heavenly saints needed in their lives as well. That is who we need the most. Jesus is the Great Physician of body and soul who tends to us.

Out of all four Gospels, it could easily be argued that Luke’s Gospel has the most extensive record of Jesus’ life and ministry. Luke begins his Gospel with his dedication, then immediately moves to share the good news of the Savior’s birth. Luke also records historical events of Jesus as a child. Then, in chapter 4, Luke begins to record events that took place during the earthly ministry of Jesus.

Luke records the life of Jesus as a journey. It begins in the Jerusalem temple. This journey climaxes with Jesus teaching in the temple some 30 years later, and ends at the same temple after Jesus is crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended into heaven outside the city. This was the Lord’s purpose. This was His mission. He humbled Himself to the form of a servant and allowed evil and sinful men to take hold of Him and kill Him. Luke records that Jesus did all of this out of love for us—that everything written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms was about the forthcoming work of Christ, which is now fulfilled. It is finished.

Luke records all of this as a journey—of Jesus moving toward His goal of accomplishing salvation for men. Quite similarly, our lives in Christ Jesus may also be understood to be, quite literally, a journey. The life of a Christian begins here at the temple of the Church, at the baptismal font. We are washed clean of our sins and raised to new life in Jesus. Though we still struggle with sin—for it is our infirmity in this life—our journey continues here at the temple of the Church where we come to receive the healing medicine of bread and wine, Body and Blood, which further cleanses our mouths and our hearts from sin. We come here, Sunday after Sunday, week after week, to receive the healing medicine of the Great Physician who loves us and cares for us until the very end. Because here, in the Church, our earthly journey in this sinful life will come to an end.

We were born anew and brought to life in Holy Baptism and God-willing we will be laid to rest in the Church to rest from our labors. There we will await the return of our Savior who Himself was raised from the dead. Though in death we fall asleep in Christ and we rest from our journey, the journey doesn’t end there. God be praised! Jesus lives. So will we.

In +Jesus’ name.