be filled with a sense of the
divine compassion of Jesus, and thus he relates the facts which prove
the reality of the grace, the undeserved lovingkindness, of God to man.
Rightly did the poet Dante call him "the scribe of the gentleness of
Christ." (3) Corresponding with this human character of the incarnate
Son of God, we find the offer of _universal salvation_. St. Luke
alone--for the words are wrongly inserted in Matt.--records the tender
words of Jesus, "The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was
lost" (xix. 10). St. Paul knew no distinction between Jew and Greek,
rich and poor, but taught that to be justified by God is a privilege
which can be claimed not by birth but by faith; and what St. Paul
enforces by stern arguments which convince our minds, St. Luke instils
by the sweet parables and stories which convince our hearts. It is
here that we find kindness shown to the _Gentile_ (iv. 25-27; xiii. 28,
29), and the _Samaritan_ (ix. 51-56; xvii. 11-19); here we are told of
the publican who was "justified" rather than the Pharisee (xviii. 9),
the story of the penitent {72} thief who had no time to produce the
good works which his faith would have prompted (xxiii. 43), of the good
Samaritan who, schismatic though he was, showed the spirit of a child
of God (x. 30). Last, and best, there is the parable of the Prodigal
Son (xv. 11), and the story of the woman who was a sinner (vii. 37).
To her Christ says, "Thy faith hath saved thee," and to His host He
says, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved
much"--words which no one but the Son of God could dare to say of any
"woman who was in the city, a sinner." In recording these words, St.
Luke proves that Jesus Christ Himself taught the Pauline doctrine that
man is saved by faith; and yet not by an empty faith, but by "faith
working through love" (Gal. v. 6). In this Gospel Jesus is especially
the Refuge of sinners, and the teaching of our Lord may be best
described by the happy phrase which records His address in the
synagogue of Nazareth: "words of grace."

It is important to notice that in no Gospel do we find such an especial
sympathy shown for the poor. The poverty of the holy family (ii. 7, 8,
24); the beatitude on the poor[2] (vi. 20), with the corresponding woes
pronounced upon the rich (vi. 24 ff.); the parable of Dives and Lazarus
(xvi. 19), the invitation of the poor to the supper of the King (xiv.
21), show this sympathy. In c