My scripture professor used to stress how blessed we were to have four gospels. Each of the evangelists tells the story of Jesus in his own way. Each evangelist writes not to provide us with information but to bring others to faith. In addition, not only do we hear what Jesus said and did in the gospels, we also can infer something of the community that remembered what Jesus said and did in the fifty or so years between the events themselves and their being written down. Take, for example, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Only St. Luke tells that story and yet how essential it is in our understanding of the message of Jesus. St. Luke’s community remembered the story and he recorded it because it spoke to them of how Jesus was present in their midst. “This son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Maybe this parable is beloved in our time because we too feel lost and are relying on the Father’s loving embrace welcoming us home.
