Book Of Luke Essay Research Paper Luke

Book Of Luke Essay, Research Paper

Luke 1: 26-52 The Annunciation When I read the Annunciation, I didn t understand Mary s reaction. The exact words were Mary was greatly troubled at his words [ Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you ]. She didn t show enough emotion. I mean, an angel appeared to her. If that happened to me, I d have created a me-shaped hole in the wall. I also don t understand why the angel Gabriel didn t punish Mary for questioning him like Zechariah did. Zechariah was silent for nine months for questioning Gabriel, yet Mary asked all sorts of questions and received all the answers. In the end, she said yes. A person who is about my age said she would have the Son of God. That just blows my mind. She would willingly take on such a grave responsibility without consulting with anyone, without sleeping on it, or even making a second thought. Me, I would be completely ambivalent. It made me keep thinking back to the Good Morning America story I saw about the 12-year-old girl that became pregnant, and had a baby. I think about how emotionally hard that must have been for her and what emotional state it must have put her family and friends in. Luke 2:1-20 The Birth of Jesus I have heard this story so many times, in so many contexts, that it is getting very old. I understand that is an awful thing to say, but its how I feel. It s like listening to your favorite new song on the radio for the first time. You absolutely adore it! You want to have the CD so you can listen to it forever. But as you hear the song time and again, it gets older and older to the point that if you hear it one more time you will just burst. That s the point I m at with the Nativity Narrative. Even though it has become very repetitive over the years, I still think the story of the birth of Jesus has a profound meaning. Even when he was a newborn in the manger, he was still revered as the Messiah. The shepherds saw him in a manger just as the Angel of the Lord said he would be, and automatically they knew he was special. They knew he would do something special that would change the world and began to glorify God for sending him. Luke 2:41-52 Jesus at the Temple In this passage, Jesus obeyed his parents. The Son of God was obedient and respectful towards his parents. He could have been a brat, saying, I m your Messiah! You can t tell me what to do! I m holier than you are! He instead followed the fifth of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12). He was lost for three days. Had I disappeared for three days, my mom would have gone totally insane. Then when she found me, I would have gotten the beating of a lifetime. Mary must have gone psycho when she couldn t find him that first night. But when she found him on the 3rd day, Mary probably threw a colossal temper tantrum. Imagine, Mary screaming her head off at the Son of God in a place of worship, and all the rabbis and priests are just staring in awe. This passage reminded me about the time that I lost my cousin in a Kroger. I was babysitting him one day in Arkansas while my parents, my uncle, and my aunt went golfing. He refused to drink anything besides lemon lime Gatorade, and threatened to hold his breath until he passed out. This was when I was 12 and extremely na ve. I put him in the shopping cart seat and turned my back for a second to find the right kind of Gatorade, and he got out and started wandering around the store. Matthew, my cousin eluded me for 15 whole minutes, and by the end of the first five minutes I was in a total frenzy trying to find him. For Jesus to disappear for three whole days must have been sheer torture for his parents. Mary mustn t have slept a wink the whole time. Luke 8:1-15 The Parable of the Sower I really like this parable. Out of all of Jesus parables mentioned, this is my favorite, mostly because it reminds me so much of the ministry of Tom Randall. Tom is a former member of the US International Basketball Team in Asia. During halftime, he would spread the Word of God to the thousands in the stands. Since a motorcycle accident made him retire, he took up the game of golf. He is sometimes the chaplain for the PGA. Tom talks about relationships with God and Jesus, just like the parable did. He is the one who brought me to Jesus and God. That s why I think of him every time I read this parable. What does this parable mean. I think it means that your relationship with God depends on the way you take His Word to heart. Those who have good foundations on which a relationship with God can root and grow are like the seed that falls on fertile ground. Those who have a foundation on stone (the seed that fell on rocky land) cannot root their relationship. Individuals, who let their bond with God develop among thorns (the seed on the thorns), have their bond stifled by the riches, pleasures, and worries of life. Lastly, seeds that fall on the road are like the people who let the devil take the word of God from their hearts. They can t have a relationship with God if they can t keep the Word in their hearts. I m not sure which category I would fall under. I think I would maybe apply to the seed that falls on thorns. I get so caught up in my problems on a day-to-day basis, that I forget to keep the Word of God in my heart. Luke 8:22-25 The Storm Calmed The Apostles lost faith. Faith is based on trust, so they really lost trust in God that they would be saved from the storm. I ve lost