The Gospel of Luke
The Gospel for everyone — Jesus' compassion for the poor, the lost, and the outsider.
Overview
Luke, a careful historian, wrote an orderly account of Jesus' life with a special eye for the overlooked — the poor, the sick, women, outsiders, and sinners. It holds some of the best-loved parables, including the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan.
Its heart is the mercy of God reaching the very people the world writes off. Jesus, Luke insists, came to seek and to save the lost.
Key themes
Compassion for the outsider
Luke highlights Jesus' care for the poor, the marginalised, and the forgotten.
The lost sought and found
Its parables celebrate a God who searches for the lost until they are found.
Joy and prayer
Luke is full of rejoicing and shows Jesus often at prayer.
Key verses from Luke
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
The mission statement of the whole Gospel.
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
How to read Luke
Read the parables in chapter 15 slowly — they reveal God's heart for the lost.
Notice who Jesus stops for; it's usually the ones others ignore.
Let the Christmas story in chapters 1–2 be read fresh, not just at Christmas.