Divine Mercy: The Heart of the Gospel

18 Divine Mercy: The Heart Of The Gospel Three Gospels, in which the Gospels are published in an event sequence with these similarities written, side by side, or parallel, instead of sequential.6 This synoptic problem presents us with a tool for use in re-studying the Gospel of Mercy: there is a certain amount o f material in Luke’s Gospel that is unique to him and not found in Matthew or Mark. The amount of material can range wildly from 'A to over V 2 o f Luke’s Gospel depending upon which scholar’s proposal you choose to follow. I personally ascribe to just under V 2 o f Luke’s Gospel material as unique to him (approximately 520 verses out o f 1150).7Appendix A is an out­ line o f this material. Why is this material so important to our re-studying o f Luke? Luke’s Gospel is the only Gospel composed in two parts: what we know as 1) the Gospel o f Luke, and, 2) the Book o f Acts. Luke is the only author8who tells us why he is writing, that he did his research, and that he was familiar with other authors, all which point to a methodical, scholarly, prepared presentation following an orderly plan. Luke begins his work with these words: Seeing that many others have undertaken to draw up accounts o f the events that have reached their fulfillment among us, as these were handed down to us by those who from the outset were eye­ witnesses and ministers of the word, I in my turn, after carefully going over the whole story from the beginning, have decided to write an ordered account for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may learn how well founded the teaching is that you have received (Luke 1: 1-4).9 In the second part o f his Gospel, Acts, Luke gives emphasis to his original plan. In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven (Acts 1: 1-2).10 Therefore, our tool for our re-study is to look at the material unique to Luke in order to find out why the Gospel of Luke is uniquely the Gospel o f Mercy.