St. Luke constructed his gospel with a definite turning point at 9:51. Jesus turns his face toward Jerusalem according to the evangelist and proceeds resolutely toward the events of this passion, death and resurrection. The gospel leads up to the events of Easter and then in the Acts of the Apostles shows the ever expanding mission of those first followers of Jesus in spreading the message of salvation. St. Luke sees these events as part of salvation history, as the plan of God unfolding in the world. The lesson for us: realize that we too are part of the plan of God for the world. Things that happen to us are not random but God uses the good and the bad to bring about the Kingdom.
