Luke 1 and 2

Chapter 1

Luke is a physician and was born of gentile parents.  We don't know if converted to Judaism and then Christianity or if he went from being a gentile to being a Christian.  He was with Paul in most of his travels (that's where we first hear of him) and was with Paul in his second imprisonment in Rome.  He also wrote the of Acts and both of these were written to his friend Theophilus.  Luke and John are my two favorites of the Gospels.  They are filled with wonderful stories about the Savior.

I think there is an interesting contrast between Mary and Zacharias.  When the angel appears to Zacharias, and tells him his wife will be with child, he doubts.  When the angel appears to Mary and tells her she will become pregnant, but not by a mortal man, and on top of that, she will be pregnant with the Messiah, she says, Here I am, let the Lord use me as he wants.  Both of them ask how what is going to happen to them can be possible, but Zacharias must not initially believe it because the angel takes away his ability to speak.  I think Mary is marveling and wondering how this is will happen, but not doubting that it can.  Both Mary and Elizabeth must be amazing people.  I love verses 46-55.  They are beautiful.  They are sometimes called the psalm of Mary.  And the prophecy of Zacharias  in verses 68-79 is beautiful too.  You can sense the change in Zacharias' faith in these verses.

Chapter 2

The word taxed in verses 1-3 is actually a bad translation.  What is happening is that a census is required every few years and each person has to return to the place of their birth to be registered.  Have you ever wondered why the angels appear to the shepherds and not to other people?  I used to think that it was because they were humble and would be believing. And that's probably true.  But I also wonder if it isn't for symbolism.  The true shepherd of all sheep is now born.

There is an important verse in this chapter, it's 19.  The shepherds are telling everyone that the Messiah has been born, but Mary has told no one what has happened to her.  Only Elizabeth, Zacharias and Joseph know.  Think what would have happened to her if she had started telling people that she was going to give birth to the Messiah.  She would have been mocked, maybe stoned for blaspheme.  If it had become known she was pregnant and not by Joseph, she would have been stoned to death for fornication.  I think she wasn't so concerned about that as she was being sensitive to how sacred and important this was.  It would not be her responsibility to bear witness that her child was the Messiah. It was her responsibility to give birth to him.  It's like Emma.  She didn't see the plates.  The Lord didn't require her to be a witness.  The Lord required her to stand by Joseph.

I love the stories of Simeon and Elizabeth.  When we were in Jerusalem, we sat on the steps of the Temple Mount that Mary and Joseph would have climbed to take Jesus to the Temple to be presented to the Lord.  Multitudes of people would be coming to the temple everyday.  But out of all the multitudes coming to the temple, and the very many also bringing their children to be presented, Simeon and Elizabeth are able to recognize which of all those children is the Messiah.  They could only have done this by the Spirit.  It makes me wonder how much I miss in life because I'm not in tune.  It's interesting that Simeon tells Mary that a sword will pierce her soul.  He is alluding to the crucifixion.

In verse 46, it says that the Savior is asking the priests and doctors questions, but the Joseph Smith Translation makes more sense.  The JST says they were listening to him and asking him questions, not the other way around.  That's why they were astonished at his answers.