No doubt all the men and the women who heard Jesus teach and witnessed his miracles were busily telling everyone they met about their experiences with Jesus. The widow from the town of Nain must have told and re-told the story of how Jesus interrupted the funeral procession for his son, touched the coffin, and raised him from the dead. The man covered with leprosy who queried Jesus’ willingness to heal him must have given his joyful witness many times over despite Jesus’ direction that he not tell anyone. This woman and this man represent the “many people” that told about Jesus, his power and his compassion.
Dr. Luke acknowledges the reality and the importance of these many witnesses. But he explains that he will do something different. He will write! After hearing from these many witnesses, after inquiring over details, he will write in an orderly way so people can be assured of the truth about Jesus.
What if Dr. Luke had not written? What if he had been content simply to repeat in brief fashion a word or two about Jesus that he heard from others? It’s easy to talk about things. But it’s much more demanding to write about the same things.
I praise the Lord that the students of African Bible University desire to write. They want to write regularly. So they have begun a magazine. They desire to communicate with people who are both known and unknown to themselves about the wonders of God’s truth as it is revealed in his world and his word. Like the sower in Jesus’ parable, they want to sow the seed of God’s word all across this country and this world.
May the Lord himself transmit your blessings to the lives of others by the words you write. May the Lord’s Spirit inspire and enable you to write words to his glory and for the spread of his gospel.
