May God give us the grace to welcome and forgive one another as Christ has welcomed and forgiven us. T his brings us to the second theme in Luke's gospel, the theme of forgiveness. Not only does forgiveness factor prominently in Jesus' ministry, it is intrinsic to his final commission to the disciples just before his ascension. We have heard so much about our Lord's Great Commission in Matthew that we have often overlooked the Great Commission in Luke. In Matthew Jesus tells his disciples to teach all nations and baptize them.
Many churches have excellent education programs and thrilling worship.
But many of these same churches fail to proclaim repentance and offer the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is not merely a matter of knowing certain information about Jesus. Neither is it only a matter of feeling inspired. Salvation involves daily repentance and daily renewal through the forgiveness of sins. T he third theme in Luke's gospel is eucharist.