EVANGELIST LUKE

In some ancient church calendars, the days commemorating the twelve apostles were distributed in such a way that at least one of them was commemorated in each month of the year. If this tradition had taken hold, it could have been a remarkable replacement for the signs of the zodiac, similar to how in ancient times the constellation Ursa Major was once renamed after the seven youths of Ephesus and their dog, which, according to one version of the lives of these saints, also fell asleep for a long time during the persecution and was then brought back to life during peacetime. The fact that the day of remembrance of St. Luke the Evangelist according to the Julian calendar falls on the last day of October makes it very easy to remember this date.

1 On October 31, the Orthodox Church, which follows the old Julian calendar, celebrates the memory of the Apostle and Evangelist Luke. In the Symbol of Faith, the Church is called Apostolic. This means that special attention should be paid to the memory of those who passed on the Faith to us.

2 The Apostles and Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—went down in history and into the memory of the Church because they left behind the Gospels. The Church believes that the Gospels are divinely inspired. Divine inspiration is, first and foremost, conformity to historicity. In this case, historicity means what the Lord Jesus truly said and actually did.

3 While adhering to historicity, each of the Evangelists added his own unique, personal touch. The Evangelist Luke was a writer, historian, and theologian. His Gospel contains amazing details.

4 First, it explains how the Lord, being called Jesus of Nazareth, according to the prophecies about Him, came from Bethlehem. The Lord’s parents did indeed live in Nazareth. But, because of the census that was taking place at that time, they went to Bethlehem, because “Joseph was of the house and lineage of David” (Luke 2:4).

5 This emphatic mention of the former “census throughout the whole world under Caesar Augustus” (Luke 2:1) meant that, according to Luke, from now on the Church and the Universe would oppose each other as equals, in cooperation and in contradiction for all time. In sorrow and in joy, in wealth and in poverty, in sickness and in health, until death separates the City of Man from the City of God. “For the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night; the earth and everything in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

6 Secondly, Luke’s Gospel account of the trial of the Lord Jesus contains a very important episode filled with deep meaning (Luke 23:1-12). It is a strange and ambiguous account of how Pilate, not wanting to condemn the Lord Jesus himself, handed Him over to Herod. Herod, in turn, handed Him back to Pilate, doing exactly the same thing. This is such a familiar human trait, combined with the silence of political power… It will always accompany the Church throughout history. When, at decisive moments, the word of truth is not spoken, the Lord will reconcile enemies without blessing them.

7 Two irreconcilable enemies, Pilate and Herod, suddenly “became friends” after they had judged Christ one after the other. The Gospel never says anything by accident. By His very silent presence, the Lord Jesus reconciled two former enemies, but this reconciliation did not benefit either of them. The Lord reconciled two villains without saying anything to them. Such reconciliation and blessing from the Lord turned out to be a real curse.

8 The celebration of the memory of Luke the Evangelist is the Church’s expression of gratitude for the Gospel he wrote. It is, in essence, a prophetic reminder of our entire Christian history, a biblically futuristic reminder of how we have often been unable to discern spirits and see the signs of the times in our existence. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (cf. Hebrews 4:12-13).

9 The tradition of the Eastern Church has preserved the memory of Luke as an iconographer. In the apostolic epistles, Luke is mentioned as “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). Something deeply iconographic and healing for our souls has been preserved in his Gospel.