Luke sees Jesus as the one who develops our true image. He refrains from constantly describing men and women as sinners. Human beings have a divine nucleus. But they are alienated from this divine nucleus. So Jesus comes down from heaven to recall them to their divine dignity. Luke's positive picture of human nature would be good for our Christian preaching today. For too long we have thought that we first had to do men and women down so that they accept the grace of God. Luke doesn't adopt such an approach, which ultimately devalues us. He sees human beings as they are, in their dignity, but also with their hurts and wounds. So he depicts Jesus as the true physician who heals our wounds and teaches us the art of healthy living. Jesus is the physician who raises us up to our true dignity when we are turned in on ourselves and cannot see beyond our narrow horizon.
— Anslem Grun, Jesus: The Image of Humanity by Anslem Grun, John Bowden, translator