Year of Luke

One glorious spring day I took a walk in a park with an artist. Through the eyes of that artist I saw things that I had never seen before. What a marvelous experience to see nature’s radiant beauty with new eyes. Luke, artist and theologian, writes his Gospel to get people to open their eyes to see the true and deep meaning of Jesus, Messiah and Lord. How does Luke use the theme of sight at every major part of his story?

From the opening two verses of Luke’s Gospel we catch a glimpse of Luke’s concern about seeing. He tells us that he is basing his gospel on the “eyewitnesses,” who saw into the deeper meaning of Jesus’ words and deeds as the fulfillment of God’s promises in Scripture.

Luke’s Christmas Gospel features simple shepherds, who return from seeing the baby Jesus in the manger and give praise and glory to God “for all they had heard and seen” (2:20). In the lowly Jesus lying in the manger they have seen the Savior, Messiah and Lord (2:11) and invite others to see this revelation through their eyes. And just a few verses later Luke depicts the elderly Simeon who has been waiting a long time to see the Lord’s Christ. In Simeon’s prayer, which resounds down the ages at Compline, the church proclaims: “My eyes have seen your salvation” in Jesus, born of Mary (2:30).

Jesus commences his public ministry in Nazareth, reads from the prophet Isaiah and announces that he will fulfill Isaiah’s promises, which includes sight for the blind (4:18). When John the Baptist sends two disciples to see whether Jesus is the one to come or not, Jesus performs many miracles in their presence and tells them to report these to John. Among these miracles is the gift of sight to the blind (7:21–22).

The only narration of Jesus’ granting of sight to a blind person occurs as Jesus is completing his journey to Jerusalem. During this journey Jesus’ chosen disciples have frequently manifested their blindness in comprehending what Jesus is about. Against their blindness Luke pits the persistence and faith of a blind beggar (18:35–43.) Bucking the crowd that tries to silence him, the blind beggar twice pleads that Jesus, son of David, have mercy on him. Jesus asks him: What do you want me to do for you? The blind man asks for his sight, and Jesus replies: Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you. Verse 43 contains the punch line: “He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God.” This beggar knew what he wanted, and in faith asked for it. He sees and follows Jesus on the way of discipleship, which is the way to Jerusalem and the cross of self-sacrifice.

Given what Luke has already said about seeing and sight, we would expect him to dwell upon this theme at the crucial point of Jesus’ death on the cross. Luke does not disappoint us. I translate Luke 23:47–49 and highlight the frequent occurrence of our theme: “When the centurion had seen what had happened, he gave glory to God and said: ‘Truly this man was righteously innocent.’ And all the crowds who had gathered together for this spectacle, when they saw what had happened, beat their breasts and returned home … . And the women, who had followed him from Galilee, saw these things.” A straightforward answer to what the centurion, the crowds and the women saw would be the events of Jesus’ death on the cross. But when you consider that it was dark because of the eclipse of the sun, you can begin to note the Lukan theme of seeing. Like the shepherds and the blind beggar, the centurion glorifies God for the gift of Jesus, Savior. The crowds realize their role in Jesus’ condemnation and beat their breasts in repentance. Jesus’ faithful women disciples start to see that death cannot hold him and prepare themselves for resurrection morning.

In Luke’s beloved story of the two disciples on their journey to Emmaus (24:13–35) we find Luke’s final statement about sight. When the risen Jesus breaks bread, the disciples’ eyes are opened, and they recognize Jesus who had inflamed their hearts earlier with his interpretation of God’s promises. In the breaking of the bread the disciples, then and now, see and comprehend Jesus anew as the promised Christ, their Savior and Lord.

Robert J. Karris, OFM, is a professor at St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, N.Y., and a New Testament scholar. His latest book is St. Bonaventure’s Commentary on the Gospel of Luke Chapters 1–8 (Franciscan Institute of St. Bonaventure University, 2001).