Excerpt from The Gospel According to Luke

(1st c. CE)

Luke 2:1-7; 5:27-32; 6:20-7:10. The Bible. New American Standard Version.

At the same time that Augustus and his heirs were establishing an imperial government in Rome, religious controversies in the eastern Mediterranean province of Judea were beginning to focus on the teachings of an itinerant teacher named Jesus. For several centuries many Jews had come to believe that the coming of the Messiah (anointed one) promised in the Hebrew Scriptures was immanent. The Messiah would be a descendant of David and a savior of the Jewish people. Exactly what kind of savior was open to debate. Some expected the Messiah to overthrow the Romans. Although Jesus discouraged resistance to the Romans, his followers believed him to be the Messiah. And while Jesus was executed by the Romans at the request of certain Jewish leaders, his followers claimed to have seen Jesus three days after he had been killed. His followers, called Christians, began making converts among both Jews and non-Jews. Today, more than two billion people claim to be Christian.

The Gospel According to Luke is one of many accounts of the teaching and active ministry of Jesus in the three years before he was executed and one of four to be included in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament). The Gospel is actually the first part of a history of the early Christian movement. The second half, known as the Acts of the Apostles, is also included in the Christian Scriptures. According to Christian tradition, Luke was a physician who traveled with the Apostle Paul. While not a modern historian, Luke was concerned with using reliable eyewitnesses and sources in composing his history. The following selection contains the Sermon on the Mount, the classic statement of Jesus' ethical teachings. It also contains passages that highlight the presence of Rome in Judea.

Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem

2 NOW it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Call of Levi (Matthew)

27 And after that He went out, and noticed a tax-gatherer named Levi, sitting in the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me." And he left everything behind, and rose and began to follow Him.

29 And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and other people who were reclining at the table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes ran grumbling at His disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

The Beatitudes

20 And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and cast insults at you, and spurn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.

27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. And just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way. And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?

Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

39 And He also spoke a parable to them: "A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit? A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit; nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Builders and Foundations

46 "And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

Jesus Heals a Centurion's Servant

7 WHEN He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

2 And a certain centurion's slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. And when they had come to Jesus, they earnestly entreated Him, saying, "He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue." Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and to another, 'Come!' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that was following Him, "I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith." And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

Glossary

Pharisee

The Pharisees were one of several important factions among Jews during the time of Jesus. Pharisees (which means separated ones) emphasized strict adherence to the Mosaic Law as a defining characteristic of Jews. They considered other Jews who did not separate themselves from the pagan world or strictly adhere to the Law as ritually unclean or sinners.

Tax-gatherer

The Roman Empire used private contractors to collect taxes. Under the contract the tax-gatherers were obliged to send a certain amount on to the provincial governor, who then sent on a fixed portion to Rome. At each phase a significant amount was kept as a way to build wealth. This system encouraged the tax-gatherers to extract as much as they could from the subject peoples.