Regarding Luke, how do I apply this to myself?
Luke was not an eyewitness of Jesus when Jesus was physically on earth. Likewise, I have never physically seen Jesus. I have been baptized by Jesus with the Holy Spirit. I do know Jesus in my heart. Thus knowing Jesus requires faith, yet it is not abstract faith, rather faith based on the testimony of the writers of Scripture.
Regarding Luke, how do I apply this to my community?
Luke did not ever physically see Jesus as I said. Luke wrote a history based on what eyewitnesses had seen. Jesus said to His disciples after He was resurrected, "You are witnesses of these things"(Luke 24:48 NIV). Yet even they needed to wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high"(Luke 24:49 NIV). All disciples of Jesus need the Holy Spirit to be able to witness to the miracles of Jesus, which sometimes are challenging to explain. The Holy Spirit is who I must rely on to be a witness to people about what Jesus has done in my life.
Hunter Irvine