Gospels of Matthew and Luke

The Gospel according to Matthew is written for Jewish Christians. This gospel wants to portray Jesus as the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, He is the Messiah prophesied by the Old Testament prophets. It focuses on the theme of Jesus being Emmanuel, God is with us.

Conversely, the Gospel according to Luke is written for Greek-speaking Christians of both Jewish and Gentile origin.  This gospel wants to portray God’s loving kindness to the sinners, His love to the lost, and those who lead astray, God welcomes them with an open arm. It focuses on the themes of salvation, joy, mercy, forgiveness, and prayer.

Luke’s gospel has two unique parables namely the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the Parable of the Good Samaritan. The former tells us the image of a Father who longs to see his lost son. He has a son who lavishly spent the inheritance of his father to the point that he realized that he has nothing on his own and so he longs for a home, a home that will once again satisfy his loneliness and so he decides to go back home with his father. Before coming back home, he thought to himself how wretched he was after all the things he had done. Upon returning, he already saw his father waiting for him. This parable inspires us because it reveals how the Father looks at us preciously and his son, it makes us appreciate how the Father loves us and calls us every moment to return to him whenever we fall.  The latter tells us about a Samaritan, who is an outsider and usually outcasted by Jews, who helps a beaten man on the side of the road. This story relates how Jesus extends his hands to help people despite their origins, religions, genders, etc. This is also a call for every one of us to see people as someone capable of loving and being loved.