Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Luke sets the tone for the rest of the book in a lot of ways. It’s detailed and long, and includes as much background information as the good doctor can find.

Once again, the book is addressed to the enigmatic Theophilus (see the discussion of Acts 1 for more about this character). Short version: We don’t know if this is an actual name, a title or a generic name for a reader (it means “one who loves God”, so it’s not all that descriptive).

As to the narrative itself, Luke goes back further than the other Gospels. I mean, WAY back. Mark and John both start with the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, and Matthew begins with the conception and birth of Jesus; but Luke goes back before the conception and starts with Jesus’ cousin, John (aka John the Baptist).

We track John’s life from before his conception. It turns out that although she was much older than Mary, Elizabeth (Mary’s relative) acted as what we might today call a “belly buddy” for Mary. And that would have been very greatly needed. Not much is recorded of the family’s response to Mary’s claim that she was pregnant with God’s Son, but despite Joseph’s willingness to go ahead with the marriage, it seems likely that she’d have been viewed AT BEST as a scarlet woman, a woman who couldn’t stay chaste until she was married; and Joseph would have been tainted by association.

Meanwhile, we see Mary begin her pregnancy and visit her cousin; and thus we get to read on of the most beautiful poems in the Scriptures – the “Magnificat[1]”. Also coming at the end of the chapter is another poem, the “Benedictus” in latin.

Finally we have the birth of John, together with the story of his father’s miraculous healing from being struck mute.

This story is so familiar as to almost be a cliché. Yet it is so important. What I notice immediately is the courage required of Mary.

Picture this – you’re praying and minding your own business, when God asks if He can use your body for His greatest ever work.

How would you respond?

I’m not sure if I could manage Mary’s calm poise at this moment. Hats off to her.

[1] In the latin, the first word of this poem is “Magnificat”. The usual pattern for naming prayers in the earliest translations of the Scriptures is to simply give them the name of the first word appearing in it.