Poetry of Truth Part 4 - MP3

The author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke, is traditionally known as a sophisticated non-Jew Hellenist and perhaps a physician. He was an early convert to the Christian faith, most likely through the preaching of St. Paul.  The stories in Luke's gospel are vivid and distinctive among the synoptic gospels. 

 Gil Bailie begins the forth part of the Poetry of Truth CD/MP3 series with a reflection on the theme of ‘the remnant’ – these are those followers of Jesus who just could not put the two ideas of Jesus’ suffering and glory together. Luke portrays Jesus as coming to accept this situation as something that will not change prior to the crucifixion and resurrection and so he begins to prepare his followers to be ‘the remenant’ who will, after the events of his passion, come to recall Jesus’ words and understand their meaning. Another aspect of this preparation is the sending of the disciples out to preach the good news of the kingdom of God, to heal and cast out evil spirits. The disciples will in this endeavor experience what Mr. Bailie calls a homeopathic dose of social rejection; in a sense inoculating them against the hostility of the post-crucifixion/resurrection milieu – preparing them for the work of evangelizing the world.