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Advent through the Eyes of the Gospels: The Gospel of Luke George B. Wirth Introduction We know that is so because Luke was the apostle Paul’s physician and traveled with him on his missionary journeys throughout Asia Minor to evangelize the Gentiles. Moreover, in Luke’s introduction to his gospel, he writes to a man he calls "Theophilus," who, more than likely, was an important Roman official. "It seems good to me," Luke begins, "to write an orderly account for you, Most Excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed." You see, Luke was a Gentile, writing to another Gentile, about Jesus. It is also interesting to note that in chapter 2, as Luke moves into his description of Jesus’ birth, he starts the story with the names of Caesar Augustus in Rome and Quirinius who was governor of Syria, both of whom were Gentile rulers. And if you were to turn the pages of Luke to the next chapter, you would discover that unlike Matthew, who traced the genealogy of Jesus back through the Jewish King David and on to Abraham, who was the patriarch of the Jewish people, Luke instead takes his genealogy all the way back to Adam, representing the whole human race (Luke 3:23-38). So Luke’s gospel was written for everyone in that first century A.D. And ever since, it has spoken in a particular way to people like you and me who are not part of the original covenant God made with the Jewish community long ago. So I ask you, "What difference could one person make - Luke, who was a Gentile trying to communicate to other Gentiles about a Jewish Baby born in Bethlehem?" Part 1 He was admitted to law school at Moscow State University in 1950 and showed great promise through his willingness to work hard and to excel in his studies. And early on, young Mikhail demonstrated a natural ability to lead others. He began his political career in 1956 as the secretary of the Komsomol organization for the city of Stravopol. He caught the attention of Soviet officials and was recommended to General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev in 1970 for further promotion as he worked with farmers to improve their productivity and to enhance the living conditions of people in rural sections of that region. Eight years later, with his wife Raisa and their daughter Irina, Gorbachev moved to Moscow where he was put in charge of all the Soviet Union’s agricultural programs and production. Then, in 1980, at the age of 49, he was made a member of the Politburo, the youngest leader ever to be brought into the party’s inner circle. And within five years, after the deaths of Brezhnev, Andropov, and Chernenko, Mikhail Gorbachev was appointed General Secretary and became the new leader of the Soviet Union in 1985. Now you may wonder why, on this Advent Sunday, I have told you about the background and early life of the man who became leader of the Communist Party. The reason is this. Soon after taking hold of the reins of his country, Mikhail Gorbachev began to make some radical changes. He brought in new young leaders who were open to a different future, and he quickly pursued a crackdown on corruption in the government, announced a national campaign against alcohol abuse and launched in 1986 an initiative he called "Perestroika," which literally meant the rebuilding of the Soviet society and economy. Moreover, he declared that "glasnost," the Russian word for candor and openness, had to be fostered in the mass media and in all of the governmental organizations. The following year, he came out in favor of Demokratizatisila, meaning democratization, of the entire Soviet regime. And although he met with resistance every step of the way, Gorbachev did not give up. He called for a critical re-evaluation of Joseph Stalin’s totalitarian rule. He had the Constitution amended to provide for the first competitive elections to Congress since 1922. He eliminated censorship of the press, eased restrictions on foreign travel, and amended the Constitution again to allow non-Communist parties to register for participation in the government. And then, on the 9th of November, 1989, after three decades as a symbol of the division and foreboding collision between the east, dominated by the Soviet Union, and the west, led by the United States - on the 9th of November, 1989, the Berlin Wall came tumbling down. And with it, largely due to the wisdom, courage, and bold leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Iron Curtain was soon torn asunder and Communism began to crumble. Last week, Gorbachev was here in the state of Georgia to speak to Americans about what happened back then and what can happen between the east and the west in the future. As you know, he was forced to leave office, and, as most of us are well aware, there are deep and difficult problems yet to be resolved in the region once called the Soviet Union. But I think it is important to remember that on the day he stepped up to the podium to speak to his people and then stepped down as the leader of the government, the former USSR and the reign of Communism officially ceased to exist. And that day was the 25th of December, Christmas Day, 1991. I have no idea what Mikhail Gorbachev believes about God or about Jesus Christ or about the church. However, if the story about his christening back in 1931 is true, it would appear that God has had a great deal to do with and through that man’s life ever since. Part 2 She was born on the 27th of August, 1910 in Skopje, Albania, one of the small and backward countries of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The next day, an Albanian priest poured water over her forehead and placed a grain of salt in her mouth, as was their custom. Her parents, Nikola and Drana, with great joy in their hearts, answered the question about what they would call their daughter. Her name was to be Agnes Gonxha Bejaxhiu, although that is not how the rest of the world came to know her. For she one day would become Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She was consecrated a nun in 1928. The following year, she volunteered and was sent to India, and then received special permission from the Pope to begin the Missionaries of Charity in 1949. So Mother Teresa, a small woman just four feet, eleven inches tall, went to Calcutta, one of the world’s poorest cities, where she would minister to the sick and suffering and dying people on the streets. During the nearly 70 years she lived in that place, Mother Teresa and her sisters reached out to the hungry and the homeless, to children gaunt like skeletons, to men and women who were helpless, and to older adults who were lonely and had lost all sense of hope. And not only did the Missionaries of Charity make a difference in Calcutta, they founded other, similar orders all across the world. When she visited Atlanta in 1995 to encourage her sisters who operate a home for women with AIDS, one person who met her said, "There’s just no question - you truly can see Christ in her eyes." (From an article by Gayle White, "You Truly Can See Christ in Her Eyes," The Atlanta Constitution, June 14, 1995) Although she did not seek fame, Mother Teresa became a Nobel Prize winner and one of the most recognized human beings in the world. And while she refused to receive any financial gains for herself, Mother Teresa did accept and also raised millions of dollars during her lifetime for the ministry to the poor. And when she died, on the 5th of September, 1997, all the world mourned as heaven rejoiced.Conclusion Mikhail Gorbachev and Mother Teresa answered in their own way, and we, all of us, have the opportunity to give our answer as well, through the way that we live and the service we give to others who are in need. Luke, the Gentile evangelist, answered with his gospel story, and nearly 2000 years later, we who are Gentiles can read his account with open eyes and open hearts and open minds. But ultimately, there is one life which stands out above all the rest. He was born in an obscure village. He worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. He then became an itinerant preacher. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn’t go to college. He had no credentials but himself. He was only thirty-three when the public turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. He was laid in a borrowed grave. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned have not affected the life of humanity on this earth as much as that (Author Unknown) His name is Jesus, He is the Christ, and He is still alive and at work in this world. That is what the Advent angel told those shepherds long ago, and so says the angel to all of us today, "Be not afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of Bethlehem, a Savior who is Christ the Lord!" (Luke 2:10-11) In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. |