This thesis aims to identify what message the Gospel of Luke conveys to Luke’s community. This is particularly in relation to the Roman Empire by employing both narrative criticism and social-science criticism methods. Among the four Gospels, only Luke mentions in several scenes that Jesus’ birth and public ministry are connected to the Roman Empire (Luke 1:5; 2:1–2; 3:1). The Roman Empire not only provides an important background for Luke’s story but also supplies significant elements within the unfolding of the narrative. This points to the deep impact the Roman Empire had on the community of Luke. In this context we examine the importance of the Nazareth synagogue sermon which points to the many real world issues faced by the community under Roman rule. As provincial subjects, their quality of life was very poor and the sermon speaks to the themes of wealth and poverty, which Luke deals with more extensively than the other Gospels. This thesis, will analyse what theological implications the “gospel” (εὐαγγέλιον) presented in the Gospel of Luke has, centred on the Nazareth synagogue sermon (Luke 4:16–19). It will also confirm that in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus did not embody the ideology of Pax Romana pursued by the Roman Empire, but rather showed a reversal and inversion of life and spiritual restoration. It will also analyse, from theological and historical perspectives, what connections Luke’s Gospel has within the development of the narrative. It is clear that Luke’s interest was directed not toward the established, but toward those excluded from society (such as tax collectors, prostitutes, the disabled, demon-possessed, women and children).

I will provide an in-depth reading of the “gospel” (εὐαγγέλιον) presented in the Gospel of Luke, and in particular will argue that the content of the gospel included in Jesus’ Nazareth synagogue sermon (Luke 4:16–18) is not the false peace provided by the emperor, but a completely different qualitative dimension of a new world called the “Kingdom of God.” The gospel proclaimed by Jesus aims to overcome and stand in solidarity even in difficult circumstances and under oppressive systems. Furthermore the “Kingdom of God,” which must be actively set in motion within the life of the community, must form its core. The horizon of this gospel points to God’s wide-ranging salvation that will extend beyond the boundaries of Luke’s community and toward the Gentiles. This vision is revealed more clearly in the narrative of Acts, the second volume authored by Luke.

My aim in writing this thesis is that Korean Christians living as disadvantaged immigrants in multicultural Sydney, Australia, can overcome the problems of poverty and marginalisation. Furthermore, by practicing the sharing of wealth, can realize the “Kingdom of God,” the central theme of Jesus’ proclamation, and that an environment can be formed in which they can give and receive courage and encouragement.

Key Words: Luke 4:18–19, Nazareth Synagogue Sermon, Gospel (εὐαγγέλιον), Kingdom of God, Pax Romana, the Poor (πτωχοί), Jubilee (יובל), Release (ἄφεσις), an ethics of sharing