Read: Luke 1-2:52
“Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us…I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you…”
The writer of the Gospel of Luke had read so much about this Jesus and it was the writer’s belief that he could write a more complete account of the life of Jesus. This tells us that from the beginning people had already written down their encounters with Jesus either from personal narratives or oral tradition. This writer, now understood not to be Luke, has a desire to tell a comprehensive interpretation of who Jesus was from the Prologue, foretelling of what was to come, to the ascension of the Christ. The writer of the Gospel of Luke is a storyteller and he weaves a compelling account that draws the reader deeper and deeper into the life of our Lord.
Later on in verse 19 after Zechariah was told by the angel of the Lord that his wife Elizabeth would conceive a child he wanted to know how he would know this was to happen and the angel of the Lord said, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”
“I stand in the presence of God.” The one who stood in the presence of God came with Good News. When I reflect on bearers of Good News in my life they have always been people who stood in the presence of God. That is, they have been people of prayer, people of hope and people I wanted to be with. To stand in the presence of God one must have a desire to be humble, willing to be open to God’s word and a longing to live God’s word in hopefulness and joy.
Who has stood in your presence that also stood in the presence of God? What good news did they bring? Who have you stood in front of to bring Good News?
During our journey together I will be using the Lectio Divina as a way to enter into the reading for the week. I encourage you to do the same or some other prayer exercise to prepare yourself to meet this Jesus daily. There are four steps to Lectio Divina:
1. Read the scripture slowly.
2. What word or phrase comes to you?
3. What is Jesus teaching you about you?
4. How will you live out Jesus’ call to you?
I look forward to hearing from you and to hear what you are hearing. May God bless all of us in our travels this Lenten season.
Blessings,
The Rt. Rev’d Morris K. Thompson, Jr.
Bishop of Louisiana