DAY TWO: A Careful Writer

In our first meditation on Luke 1.1-4, we saw Luke's claim that the content of his Gospel is credible. The message about Jesus is grounded in public facts, proclaimed by trustworthy eyewitnesses. In the same passage, Luke also discloses how he wrote—he wrote as a careful historian and author.

We see his concern for historical accuracy in the statement, "I investigated everything carefully." Luke did his homework, which, according to the text, apparently included reading other accounts about Jesus, talking to those who had written them, interviewing eyewitnesses and listening to the proclamations of those who were taking the Jesus message around the world. Luke was careful to give us accurate accounts of what happened.

Luke was also a careful writer. He tells Theophilus that he put together an “orderly” or systematic book. The idea of this word is that Luke's Gospel is a record of Jesus' life and ministry that has logical and literary coherence. Readers of Luke have long noted its eloquence and quality as literature. Luke makes his case with integrity, skill and style.

As we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth, isn't it good to know that we have a book like the Gospel of Luke to tell us his story—not only an inspired book, but also one that has been rigorously researched and thoughtfully written?