The Gospels are written on several levels. At the core, of course, the gospels relate what Jesus said and did. But since Jesus did not leave any written record, the Gospels reflect the memory of the followers of Jesus who passed on the stories and reflected the message of Jesus. When these memories were written down, the individual evangelist shaped the story in order to bring others to the Faith. For example, St. Luke reports Jesus saying: If you then know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Where St. Luke says “the Holy Spirit” St. Matthew writes “good things.” On the level of the evangelist, St. Luke wants us to understand that the Good Things of God come with the presence of the Holy Spirit.
