Luke 1, 2, 3.

January 23, 2011

Luke 1, 2, 3

Overview:  Luke's account of the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus.  Also, Jesus goes to the Temple with his family when he's twelve and stays longer than they do.  Grown up John prepares the way for Jesus in the wilderness and Jesus begins his public ministry at thirty years old.

"I too decided, after investigating carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Throphilus."(1:2)   Luke makes this observation after noting that many have already undertaken to lay out an orderly account.  I find it telling that Luke intentionally states that he intends to write an orderly acount.    An orderly account seems to be exactly what he has written.  Details are everywhere.  Small details.    The explanation of how Zechariah's section of priests happened to be on duty and how he was chosen by lot to serve that particular day.  The specifics of context in Luke 2:1 and 3:1.  The reason behind Mary and Joseph's return trip to the Temple and the stories of Simeon and Anna.  The genealogy of Joseph at the end of Luke 3.
What I am getting to is the details make a difference to me.  They make a story that could easily have sounded like a fairy tale instead sound compelling, convincing and authentic.  Luke sets out to write an orderly account, I believe, so that there can be no doubt of his seriousness and no doubt about the authenticity of what he is sharing.  The Incarnation is not a "once upon a time" sort of story.  The Incarnation is a story of the very specific, very real, particularity of God in our midst.