Gospel of Luke Part 2: Luke’s Influence on US History

Class Date: September 28, 2022

Luke’s influence on the course of western values and institutions took place over a long period of time. Last week, we saw how the way in which Luke told the Christmas story eventually influenced the development of democracy in the west. One thing that scandalized Roman society at the time of the rise of Christianity was the way slaves were treated in the same way as the wealthy, because the Bible in general said that all people were created in the image of God.

When writing the American Declaration of Independence, Jefferson included a phrase that has become one of the ideals that has shaped American identity, namely, “All men are created equal and are endowed with certain inalienable rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Because slavery had always been common in virtually every civilization, and because Paul in his letter to Philemon was the only New Testament writer who considered this inconsistent with the Christian faith, the institution of slavery was not necessarily considered unchristian. Furthermore, slavery was integral to the Southern economy. It was, however, the Christians who agitated for the abolishment of slavery, believing that slavery was entirely inconsistent with the Christian faith. The conflict between these two points of view set the stage for the American Civil War. When the states of the states in the deep south began to secede from the union, they did so because Lincoln had given many speeches against slavery.

While it could be argued that “all men are created equal” is a biblical principle in general, nowhere is this seen to be more obvious than in the gospel of Luke. Examples abound. Jesus reaches out to the poor and distressed. He treats women equally. He even makes a hated Samaritan the hero in his parable about what it means to love your neighbor. In Jesus. the lowly are exalted and the proud laid low.