Reformed Evangelical Synod of America

Posts Tagged ‘new testament’

(Note: Normally celebrated on the 18th of October, St. Luke is transferred this year due to falling on a Sunday.)

Luke wrote one of the major portions of the New Testament, a two-volume work comprising the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. In the two books he shows the parallel between the life of Christ and that of the Church. He is the only Gentile Christian among the Gospel writers. Tradition holds him to be a native of Antioch, and Paul calls him “our beloved physician.”

Luke appears in Acts during Paul’s second journey, remains at Philippi for several years until Paul returns from his third journey, accompanies Paul to Jerusalem and remains near him when he is imprisoned in Caesarea. During these two years, Luke had time to seek information and interview persons who had known Jesus. He accompanied Paul on the dangerous journey to Rome where he was a faithful companion.

COLLECT
Almighty God, you inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son. Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

READINGS
Isaiah 43: 8-13 or Isaiah 35: 5-8
Psalm 124
2 Timothy 4: 5-11
Luke 10: 1-9 or Luke 1: 1-4; 24: 44-53

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

Colossians 2: 8-10, 20-23 (ESV)

We live in the culture of the self-help guru. Someone, with some kind of experiential background, has come to a realization about some aspect of life, and needs to share it with us. They publish countless books, have a television show, go on a speaking tour. They are well known, and appear on all the fashionable talk shows. Their advice seems sound enough, and they obviously have benefited in some way from their experiences, so they must have some idea of what they are talking about.

Certainly there is nothing wrong with the Christian choosing to listen to someone who might fit the description above, but as a Christian, we have a solemn responsibility to evaluate the choices of our lives (and the advice of such individuals) by the light of the unchanging Word of God.

Christ has freed us from worldly wisdom and has given us, in his holy Word, a wisdom rooted in his mercy and compassion. He has not abolished laws and guidelines for the believer (the New Testament is replete with examples of how God expects us to live and conduct ourselves), but he has made it clear that it is a part of our responsibility as his people to evaluate wisdom by his standards, and to make our stand where Christ directs.

This does not mean that every self-help strategy is ungodly or a bad choice for the Christian – hardly so! Many people enter into such a profession in order to share the wisdom that God has shared with them. The problem comes when we uncritically follow down the garden path of anyone and everyone claiming a degree of wisdom in a matter. We must evaluate their counsel, and we must take upon ourselves the responsibility of calling on the Spirit for guidance as we consider moving forward with plans, decisions, choices in life.

May the Spirit guide us in right paths and decisions for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.