A Simple Guide to Luke

by Paul J McCarren SJ

Overview

The Gospel writers state they aim to tell the story of Jesus in a clear manner, but throughout Paul McCarren’s years in ministry, he has seen that these simple and important messages are too often missed. In his Simple Guides to the Gospels series, McCarren provides a new translation of each Gospel book, leading readers chapter by chapter through the text. Each section includes scripture and a brief, engaging commentary about how readers can relate to the material. The Simple Guides introduce readers to life in early Christianity, describe points of controversy, and show how each section fits with those that went before. The Simple Guide to Matthew highlights many of Jesus’ compelling sayings, stories such as the Sermon on the Mount, and key themes of Jesus’ ministry, such as trust.

The books in the Simple Guides to the Gospels series are available individually or together as a complete set.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442218833
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/14/2023
Series:	Simple Guides to the Gospels , #4
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	174
File size:	801 KB

About the Author

Paul J. McCarren, SJ, works at Loyola Retreat House and at St. Ignatius Church, both in Maryland, while continuing to write Simple Guides to the Bible. A Jesuit priest, he has spent many years in both parish and campus ministry.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Who Needs a Simple Guide to Luke's Gospel?
A Simple Message
Some Big Questions Answered by Luke's Gospel
Acknowledgments

The Gospel According to Luke
Chapter 1 - Preparation for the Birth of Jesus
1:1-4 - Prologue
1:5-17 - How the birth of John was announced
1:18-25 - How Zechariah and Elizabeth reacted to the announcement
1:26-38 - Mary is asked to be the mother of Jesus
1:39-56 - Mary visits Elizabeth
1:57-66 - Reaction to the birth of Elizabeth’s child
1:67-80 - What Zechariah said in his blessing of God

Chapter 2 - Jesus is Born, Named, and Instructed
2:1-14 - Jesus is born and his birth is announced
2:15-21 - The announcement of Jesus’ birth causes wonder; he’s named
2:22-38 - Presenting the child Jesus
2:39-52 - Jesus grew up in God’s care

Chapter 3 - John, Preaching Righteousness, Baptizes Jesus–Which is Pleasing to God
3:1-9 - John preaches repentance
3:10-22 - John reviews the Commandments, tells good news, and baptizes Jesus
3:23-38 - Where did Jesus come from?

Chapter 4 - Though Tempted to Seek Power and Glory, Jesus Seeks to Serve
4:1-13 - Jesus is tempted
4:14-30 - Jesus addresses people’s need for the good news
4:31-44 - Jesus continues to teach and heal

Chapter 5 - Jesus Invites Others to Join Him in Brining the Good News of Healing
5:1-11 - Jesus calls Simon and others
5:12-26 - Reaction to Jesus’ healing is tumultuous
5:27-39 - Jesus invites a sinner to follow him - He defends rejoicing

Chapter 6 - Jesus Discusses the Law, and Explains its Implications
6:1-11 - What is the Law of God?
6:12-19 - Jesus asks twelve to share his mission, then demonstrates it
6:20-36 - Jesus teaches how to accept God’s blessings
6:37-49 - Jesus’ disciples must learn forgiveness—and keep learning it

Chapter 7 - Healing, and What It Means
7:1-10 - A Roman officer asks Jesus to heal a slave
7:11-17 - Jesus is moved with pity for a widow and her dead son
7:18-28 - John the Baptist' disciples ask about expectations; Jesus answers
7:29-35 - More about expectations
7:36-50 - Repentance seeks forgiveness

Chapter 8 - Jesus Travels, Teaches, and Heals
8:1-10 - Taking to the road, telling stories
8:11-21 - Jesus prods his listeners to trust God’s word
8:22-26 - A lake crossing reveals a lack of faith
8:27-39 - Most Gerasenes reject the Good News; one proclaims it
8:40-56 - Two people seek healing, and receive it

Chapter 9 - What it Means to Follow Jesus
9:1-9 - Jesus sends out the twelve whom he commissioned
9:10-17 - The twelve returned from their mission with much still to learn
9:18-27 - Jesus explains what it means to follow him
9:28-36 - Some disciples see Jesus glorified
9:37-50 - Examples of misunderstanding Jesus
9:51-62 - It’s time to be taken completely into the Father’s care

Chapter 10 - Traveling Towards Jerusalem, Jesus Teaches about Discipleship
10:1-12 - Jesus asks many to proclaim the nearness of the Kingdom
10:13-24 - How woeful to reject God’s word; how satisfying to take it in
10:25-42 - Learning from Jesus

Chapter 11 - What to Expect From God, your Father
11:1-13 - What is prayer?
11:14-26 - What’s evil?
11:27-36 - What is happiness?
11:37-54 - What is selfishness?

Chapter 12 - Making a Choice Between the Spirit of God and the spirit of the times
12:1-12 - God’s Spirit inspires candor and calm
12:13-32 - This world inspires worry
12:33-48 - How to choose God’s spirit
12:49-59 - Not everyone will want God’s Spirit

Chapter 13 - Now is the Time for Repentance
13:1-9 - What is sin? - How patient is God with sin?
13:10-21 - Whose deeds should we admire, ours or God’s?
13:22-35 - There’s only one way to enter God’s Kingdom

Chapter 14 - Jesus Presses His Hearers to Make a Choice
14:1-14 - Jesus asks the religious authorities to consider what they want
14:15-24 - A parable at the Pharisee’s dinner
14:25-35 - Following Jesus means abandoning all else

Chapter 15 - What Happens to Those Who Get Lost on the Way to the Kingdom?
15:1-10 - How do you feel when you find something that was lost?
15:11-32 - A parable about the relief repentance brings

Chapter 16 - Do You Know What You Want?
16:1-18 - Where’s your heart?
16:19-31 - A parable about deciding what you want

Chapter 17 - Still on the Way to Jerusalem; Still Teaching about Repentance
17:1-10 - The disciples continue learning abut repentance and forgiveness
17:11-19 - God’s Kingdom won’t look like other kingdoms
17:20-37 - Jesus tells his disciples how to watch for the Kingdom

Chapter 18 - How do you Pray; What do you Pray for?
18:1-14 - Two parables about praying
18:15-30 - Do people know what they want?
18:31-45 - How does one receive God’s life?

Chapter 19 - Why Is Jesus Going to Jerusalem?
19:1-10 - A chance meeting on the way
19:11-28 - We are invited to share God’s power
19:29-40 - Arriving at Jerusalem
19:41-48 - Grief, dismay, and danger

Chapter 20 - Arguments in the Temple about God’s Power to Save
20:1-8 - Can you be saved if you think you’re already righteous?
20:9-19 - A parable about ignoring God’s plan to share his Kingdom
20:20-26 - Do you have to oppose earthly power to serve God?
20:27-40 - Whose plan will God follow in order to save us?
20:41-47 - What are people hoping the fulfillment of God’s plan will look like?

Chapter 21 - Teaching in the Temple about Expecting God’s Kingdom
21:1-4 - A widow places everything in God’s Care
21:5-19 - What will happen while you wait for the Kingdom?
21:20-38 - Preparing for the immediate future; preparing for redemption

Chapter 22 - Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples - He is Arrested
22:1-13 - Two different preparations for the feast
22:14-23 - Jesus explains his desire to his disciples
22:24-38 - Jesus tries to explain power to his disciples
22:39-53 - Jesus prays, and is arrested
22:54-71 - Denial; condemnation

Chapter 23 - Arranging and Achieving a Death
23:1-12 - Some administrative fun
23:13-25 - Condemning the innocent
23:26-38 - Carrying out the sentence
23: 39-56 - One more encounter before dying; death and burial

Chapter 24 - Jesus, Risen, Preaches Repentance, then is Taken into Heaven
24:1-12 - The disciples can’t find Jesus
24:13-31 - Jesus teaches two fleeing disciples about trust
24:32-43 - Jesus confronts the doubts of his disciples
24:44-53 - Jesus proclaims his message once more; He is taken up to heaven

Index

Editorial Reviews

Rather than follow the standard form of Bible commentaries, which often don’t reproduce the passages under consideration, Father McCarren presents each of the four Gospels piece by piece, accompanied by his helpful explanations to the texts. With a Simple Guide to the Gospels, readers will be able to make their way through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in order, along with the author’s insights on every page. Reading these books is like studying the Gospels with a learned, literate, and lively guide who will help you better understand the most important books ever written.

James Martin SJ

Father Paul McCarren’s simple guides to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke are exactly what their titles claims they are, clearly written guides to the four canonical Gospels that makes them accessible to the everyday reader. Drawing on the best critical resources of New Testament scholarship, McCarren introduces the Gospels without encumbering the reader with an excess of technical exegetical details. These valuable guides may be profitably used for ones' s own spiritual growth and prayer life, or in group study of the Gospels at the parish or catechetical level. They may also serve as a preparation for further exploration of the Gospels.

Alan C. Mitchell

This volume presents McCarren's fresh translations of each pericope in Luke's Gospel along with an exposition focused on how readers might relate to the material. His simple guide explains the history that the Gospel writer aimed to provide and how the details build toward the themes of salvation and inclusivity.

New Testament Abstracts

With many years of background in ministry, Jesuit author Paul McCarren has simplified each gospel for readers to understand the important messages that often go unnoticed.. .. McCarren provides commentary to each gospel writer’s style, how each is engaged in the reader’s life today, and how the sections in each gospel relate to each other.

U.S. Catholic

Written in a lively style with fresh translations and original insights, this guide should appeal to a wide spectrum of contemporary readers and especially to those teaching the Gospels. Readers will be stimulated to think creatively about familiar texts.

John R. Donahue