The Different Phrase

Once again I am left off to finish the end of Jesus' story. The parts where he is punished on the cross for only preaching to the people his beliefs and what was right. The end was the same as Matthew, only the resurrection in Luke was a whole lot smaller than the explaining of it in the other Gospel I read.

What is different are Jesus' last words. In Matthew, Jesus' last words were asking why God was making Jesus suffer. In Luke, the last words of Christ were: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit". Instead of begging for mercy, Jesus said the complete opposite! He told God that he was willing to give himself up for sacrifice! Just how could two men get Jesus' last words completely different? Perhaps they were there at the cross at different times, therefore explaining the differ between the last words they caught at the end.

Then it goes to the resurrection of Christ. It says: "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke 24:39)

What had happened was Jesus had asked his Father, the Lord, to keep the holes in his hands and his feet to prove to the people that he was indeed God's son and was in fact Jesus. He proved to them that he was not a ghost.

Actually thinking about it, that's rather interesting. I never realized it before.

Lost Sheep

And so the story continues with more of the miracles Christ performs.

What I found interesting is that Luke does not mention Jesus walking on water. In Mark 6:45-56, John 6:15-24, and Matthew 14:22-36 it does. Luke is the only one missing the information of it happening. Does this mean the other Gospels have more truth or does this mean that Luke just forgot to mention the happening?

Luke also had many strange stories. Some of them were about people asking Jesus all these questions that sometimes couldn't be answered. One part of the Gospel tells about Jesus talking about a metaphor about lost sheep: "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing...I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentence." (Luke 15:4-7)

Christ is comparing lost sheep and the happiness of finding the lost sheep to that of heaven. Thinking about it I could never imagine Jesus or some other god-like-being sporting a metaphor comparing lost sheep to heaven. I'm sure you understand. It seems almost unruly of him to do so but yet him saying it made the comparison make sense. The quote says to us that the type of joy you get from finding your lost sheep is felt in heaven if you repent and do not sin. It says that more then ninety-nine people can repent and make it to paradise.

Starting Luke

We have to read another Gospel this week and I chose Luke.

I was shocked because I was thinking that all the Gospels were about different things. I didn't know that all four (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) were all about Christ. So starting to read Luke then finding out that it too was about Jesus, I was a bit surprised. I was wondering why my teacher would have my classmates and myself reading more than one Gospel. Then I found out why.

Even though all four are about the same thing, they are still all different. Different as in different phrases and wordings and even events.

Instead of Luke starting off from the very beginning of Jesus' life, in other words when Jesus was born, Luke starts from the time when John the-not-yet-but-soon-to-be-baptist was born. Luke then started going on about the how Mary and Joseph got together and how Jesus was born just like in Matthew. Later it goes on to talk about how John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in the River.

As I read on I realize that John may not actually not know who Jesus is. I am a little bit confused though because the text is making it sound like he did but he didn't know who Jesus is. What? It says: "And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were Christ, or not; John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the holy ghost and with fire." (Luke 3:15-16) So, I don't get it.

The Gospel of Luke tells of Jesus collecting his desciples and performing many more miracles just like in Matthew. It explains one of his miracles done: "...he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight" (Luke 7:21)

Even though there was proof of Jesus' miracles many others still doubted him which I found hard to believe. People can be so ignorant of things. It's either that or they're just ignoring what they don't want to see. But people still didn't want to have faith in him no matter what they saw with their own eyes.