“Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed” (Luke 1:1-4).
This is how Luke begins his account of the gospel of Jesus Christ, addressing “Theophilus,” a name that means “Lover of God.” There are days when I almost wish I could forget everything I know about Jesus. Then perhaps I could read the gospel of Luke in the spirit in which it was written, as an “orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us…,” as late-breaking news about God’s activity, something fresh and surprising, something the likes of which I had never heard but about which I would certainly want to know more.
While I can’t really forget the gospel, I can treat it with the same excitement that Theophilus must have, with the same hunger to know more. I can be drawn deeper into the story, listening for the voices of “eyewitnesses and servants of the word…investigating everything carefully from the very first…” Indeed, the gospel is too vital to be taken lightly or set aside for long periods. It deserves our attention on a regular and on-going basis. When we open ourselves to its power I believe we can more readily feel the excitement of what God is doing in our world still.
Luke’s words, written hundreds of years ago, are no longer current, and yet by the Holy Spirit they remain as relevant as ever, telling a story that remains fresh and profound. If we let them, Luke’s words will pick us up and carry us along until we feel a closer bond to Theophilus, until our love for God becomes more and more integral to our identity.
Prayer: Lord, help us to hear your word as though it were new to us so that we may feel again their power to change lives, including our own. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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