Not Fake News

One of the big debates in our world today concerns what news sources we can trust to deliver the facts. The term “fake news” has been coined to describe any number of phenomena – a biased selection of facts to shape a story, the insertion of the writer’s opinion into a news story, or in some cases, outright lies.
 
In the first century, I am sure that there was some “fake news” circulating about Jesus along with the truth. As Jesus’ original followers left Jerusalem to escape persecution, as others were executed, and as still others moved out into the world to spread the Gospel message, the early church wanted and needed to preserve their eyewitness accounts in writing. Bear in mind, because of the skill and expense required, only things of value and importance were written down. A written document is a big deal.
  
Mark and Matthew wrote primarily for Jewish audiences, showing how Jesus’ teaching intersected with Jewish law and how the writings of the Jewish prophets, especially concerning the long-awaited Messiah, pointed to Him.
The Gospel of Luke is directed primarily to the non-Jewish audience of his day. He emphasizes that Jesus came for all people, not just the Jews. As the news about Jesus and His resurrection spread, Gentiles (that is non-Jews) came to accept Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God. They believed in Him and sought to follow His teaching. There was a great debate in the early church if believers had to become Jews before becoming Christians, and thankfully for us pagans today, the answer was “no.”

Luke was a physician who travelled with the missionary extraordinaire, Paul. Paul established churches throughout what is now Turkey, Greece and Italy and wrote most of the letters that comprise the New Testament. He was executed by Nero in the mid-60s AD. With Paul and in his other travels, Luke probably met most of the major players in the early church. Like the historian he is, Luke investigated, talked to these eyewitnesses and those who knew them, read their writings and wrote his own account of the life and teachings of Jesus. He also wrote a history of the early church, The Acts of the Apostles.


Luke’s Gospel begins this way:


“Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus, so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught.” (Luke 1:1-4)


My prayer this week is that as you read Luke, “you can be certain of the truth.” This isn’t – as it is so popular to say these days - “my” truth or “your” truth. There is no such thing as “my” truth or “your” truth. There is only “the” truth. The truth about our human nature. The truth about Jesus. The truth that is Jesus. Luke’s Gospel is not fake news. Check it out:


   https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/…


Heavenly Father, help us to see the true Jesus and the truth that He teaches us. It is in His name that we pray. Amen.