Luke’S_Gospel_Empowers_the_Reader_to_Be_Actively_Involved_in_Social_Justice_Issues_and_Evangelisation.

In Luke’s Gospel Jesus teaches the two greatest commandments, loving God and loving others. Throughout Luke’s Gospel there is a major emphasis on social justice with stories of Jesus helping the outcasts, including Samaritans, lepers, the sick and women. As a result of Jesus’ visible concern and teachings throughout Luke’s gospel, the Church has always been actively involved in ensuring social justice. One of the issues of great concern to young people is bullying, which affects many people in today’s society. The Catholic Church reaches out to those in need because it follows what Jesus taught us through the teachings in scripture and in particular Luke’s Gospel. The Church has established the Catholic Social Teachings which is based on Jesus’ work and teachings. Jesus reached out to everyone, the sick, the poor, the homeless, the sinners and the women because he taught that the Kingdom of God is for everyone. The Catholic Social Teachings state that human life and the dignity of a person is sacred and can be protected by the way they are treated by the society. The teachings also say that society should put the needs of the vulnerable first, and that everyone has the right to participate in society. In Luke 13:12 Jesus sees a woman and says, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” In this scripture Jesus gives back these rights to the woman, curing her of her condition. In this example Jesus is reaching out to one of the minority groups He is concerned for. In Jesus’ time there were many outcasts who He reached out to and sought to help. These outcasts who were treated unjustly include, Samaritans, lepers, the sick and women. Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan to show that you should love your neighbour. Both a Levite and a priest, who passed by, would have been expected to help the hurt man. The Samaritan, who was outcast by society, took pity on him and unexpectedly helped him. In this story Jesus tells the message that you should love your neighbour as you love yourself. Both the priest and the Levite would have been expected to help the man, but they did not. The Samaritan would have been frowned on in society but he followed God’s message, to love your neighbour. In Luke 17:11-18 Jesus heals ten lepers. In Jesus’ time society treated the lepers as outcasts and ignored their cries for help. Instead Jesus talked to them and cured them. In Luke 18:35-43 Jesus heals a blind beggar. The blind man led a pack of men along the road and was shouting for Jesus to have mercy on him. Although being rebuked and told to be quiet the man kept yelling louder. Jesus noticed the man and restored his sight. Jesus again followed the message that you should love your neighbour as yourself, and brought back the man’s sight. In Luke 8:42-47 Jesus helped a sick woman and a dead girl. Jesus was being crowded by many people when he felt someone touch him; although he did not mind being touched he asked who it was. Any other person in society would have been ashamed to be touched by a sick woman, but not Jesus. He praised her for her faith and healed her. All of these scripture passages include outcasts who were rejected by society. Jesus helped all of them by either curing them and enabling them to fit in with society, or preaching to society about the unjust treatment of them. In Jesus’ time outcasts were bullied by the rest of society, and times have not changed with many people still being victimised. Bullying is not limited by age, gender, sexuality, cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, or physical appearance with 1 in 6 children getting bullied weekly. The many forms of bullying include verbal, physical, social, sexual, psychological and cyber. “Often a bully will have a low self-esteem or has been a victim of bullying themselves and they are using bullying as a way of making themselves feel more powerful” (Reach Out, 2009). Bullying is a major example of people turning their back on Catholic teachings and is still a major concern today. Although there are organisations out there to help reduce the effects of bullying, Christians can follow Jesus’ teachings and reach out to help the victims of bullying. These include being friendly towards others, being tolerant of other people’s differences, treating others with respect and courtesy and getting active in the school community to promote acceptance of others. Followers of Christ are taught to love their neighbour as themselves, so instead of turning their back on a victim of bullying they could reach out. If Jesus saw this injustice happening he would help the victim, and so too should a Catholic. Throughout Luke’s gospel Jesus taught that loving God and loving others were the two greatest commandments. Jesus’ teachings were focussed on the idea of social justice for all members of the society. Jesus’ teachings raised awareness within the Church, which still continues to show concern for and helps all members of the society. The Church is especially concerned about those treated unjustly, which include those who get bullied. The Church has helped carry on Jesus’ message that the Kingdom of God is for everyone. Bibliography: Bullying! No Way, N.D, viewed 18 September 2009, http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au/ Bullying-What is it', updated 17 September 2009, viewed 18 September 2009, http://au.reachout.com/find/articles/bullying-what-it-is Field, E.M. Bully Blocking, N.D, viewed 18 September 2009, http://www.bullying.com.au/ The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version Bible, Catholic Edition, 1993, Catholic Bible Press. Singer-Towns, B. 2004, The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, Christian Brothers Publications, United States of America