Luke 6 – Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Luke 6:1-11: Sabbath challenge & teaching    

A. Find Out:    

1. Who objected to what, when? v.1,2
   • One Sabbath Jesus was going through the cornfields, and his disciples began to pick some ears of corn, rub them in their hands and eat the grain. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, ‘Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?’
2. To whom did Jesus refer? v.3,4
   • Jesus answered them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.’
3. With what conclusion? v.5
   • Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’
4. What was the scenario on another Sabbath? v.6,7
   • On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shrivelled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath.
5. So what did Jesus do and with what result? v.8,10,11
   • But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shrivelled hand, ‘Get up and stand in front of everyone.’ So he got up and stood there. … He looked round at them all, and then said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
6. What probing question had Jesus asked? v.9
   • Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?’

B. Think:

1. Why do you think Luke put these two incidents together?
2. How did Jesus overcome opposition in the first case?
3. How did he do it in the second?

C. Comment:

Luke has been showing us the opposition Jesus had been having from the Pharisees and teachers, and so now he includes two incidents that involved the use of the Sabbath day of rest.

In the first, as he walked, the Pharisees saw the action of his disciples and claimed it was ‘work’ and declared that they were, therefore, breaking the Sabbath laws. Now they had made a career out of detailing rules of Sabbath use but Jesus was not going to be curtailed by man-made inventions. He simply reminds them, by reference to what David did on one occasion (see 1 Sam 21), saying that getting food and satisfying basic needs on the Sabbath is not unlawful.

In the second instance there, before Jesus, was a man with a physical need of a different kind – he had a shrivelled hand. Now the Pharisees knew that Jesus had the power to heal and so, in the synagogue, they are on the watch to see if he is going to perform this ‘work’ on the Sabbath. Jesus simply presents them with a very basic principle: if there is a need before you, it is quite satisfactory to heal or save life on the Sabbath. God didn’t make the day of rest for it to be turned into a funereal type of day governed by hundreds of rules. No, it’s a day of honouring God with blessing, joy and goodness! Jesus confirms this by word and by power.

D. Application:

1. Use of our Sunday? Do we invent Sabbath rules that detract from God’s goodness or do we joyfully use Sunday to remember the Lord and enjoy His provision?
2. Pharisaical Religion: Is our “religion” hard and oppressive or does it release blessing? Does the world find us an irritant or a blessing?

Passage: Luke 6:12-19: Jesus appoints the apostles      

A. Find Out:

1. What did Jesus do one night? v.12
   • One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
2. What did he do the next day? v.13-16
   • 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
3. Where did he next go and what happened? v.17
   • He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,
4. What happened there? v.18
   • who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,
5. What further happened and why? v.19
   • and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

B. Think:

1. What connection might there be between v.12 and verses 13-16?
2. What does verse 17 tell us about the progress of Jesus’ ministry?
3. What is obvious about his ministry?

C. Comment:

Luke now tells us about how Jesus came to choose his twelve closest disciples. It is clear from verse 17 that Jesus now had a large number of followers or disciples. But he feels it necessary to choose twelve of them who he will call “apostles”, or “sent ones”. It is time to train and send out disciples, so that it is no longer just he, Jesus, who is “doing the stuff”. So what does he do? He spends a night in prayer and then chooses them. Why pray for the night? Because he wants to hear what his Father in heaven thinks about who should be sent. For Jesus, knowing the Father’s will was the all important thing (see Jn 5:19).

When he comes down, he comes back to a large number of his followers there, together with many people who had just come to get healed. Note the difference between the two groups. First there are disciples, those who are there to learn to follow, to be and do the same as Jesus. Then there are the crowd, those who are there for purely selfish ends: they are sick and want healing and the wonderful thing was that the power of God, the power of the Spirit, was so with Jesus that you only seem to have to touch him to be healed.

Outwardly this seems a time of great success in Jesus’ ministry: he has many disciples, he is sending apostles, the power of God is with him, and many are getting healing. But perhaps we should wonder, is that all success is?

D. Application:

1. A Disciple? Are you a disciple or just a self-centred seeker? Am I seeking to receive to serve, or receive to get?
2. Guidance: Is prayer the thing WE do before making major decisions? Do I sense the need of Father’s guidance before making big decisions?

Passage: Luke 6:20-26: Luke’s Sermon on the flat       

A. Find Out:

1. What 4 states of blessing does Jesus give? v.20-22
   • Looking at his disciples, he said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor … 21 Blessed are you who hunger now … Blessed are you who weep now…. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil,
2. Why in each case is it a blessing? v.20-21
   • for yours is the kingdom of God. … for you will be satisfied….for you will laugh …because of the Son of Man.
3. How should we react under persecution and why? v.23
   • Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
4. What 4 states are matters of woe according to Jesus? v.24-26
   • ‘But woe to you who are rich….
     25 Woe to you who are well fed now….
     Woe to you who laugh now….
     26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
5. Why are they so? v.24-26
   • … for you have already received your comfort….
         for you will go hungry…. for you will mourn and weep….
         for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

B. Think:

1. How do verses 24-26 compliment verses 20-22?
2. Read Mt 5:1-10 What are the similarities?
3. Yet how are the Luke verses quite different?

C. Comment:

These are Luke’s equivalent to the Beatitudes of Matthew 5. Indeed what follows is similar to Matthew’s ‘Sermon on the Mount’ teachings that Jesus probably repeated numerous times around the area.

These are similar in that there are blessings, but different in that Luke also has woes. Matthew’s also seem more spiritual than the practical feel of Luke. Luke’s are simply “poor”, not “poor in spirit”. Luke includes “weeping” and only one about persecution to Matthew’s two.

Luke has complimentary woes. Blessing for the poor, but woe to the rich; blessing for the hungry but woe to the well fed; blessing for those who weep, woe for those who laugh now, blessing when hated for Gospel, woe when well spoken of.

And the reasons?   The rich have their comfort; the poor can receive the kingdom which will be open to receive them in their need. Those who are well fed now, if they don’t care for the hungry, will eventually go hungry themselves, but the hungry will be satisfied with God. Those who laugh now are carefree and confident in themselves, whereas those who weep will seek and find God and will be comforted by Him. If you are a disciple and are well spoken off by all, it means you aren’t communicating Jesus, for he was rejected, and so will we be (by some). We’re not to worry about rejection because that was how every messenger of God has been received by the unrighteous who refuse to hear. These blessings appear practical but they still have spiritual foundations.

D. Application:

1. Seekers in need: The person in need will be the person who seeks and finds the Lord. Have I sought Him out of recognition of my need?
2. The self-satisfied person will be content with hell: May I never sink into self satisfaction but seek first His kingdom.

Passage: Luke 6:27-31: Misc. Teaching

27 ‘But to you who are listening I say: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

A. Find Out:

1. Who are we to love and do good to? v.27
   • ‘But to you who are listening I say: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
2. What are we to do for those who curse and mistreat us? v.28
   • bless those who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you.
3. What is to happen if we are struck of have things taken? v.29
   • If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.
4. What are we to do when asked for things, or things are taken? v.30
   • Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
5. How are we to act towards others? v.31
   • Do to others as you would have them do to you.

B. Think:

1. How do these things speak about our attitudes towards people?
2. How do they also speak about our attitude towards our possessions?
3. What do we need to be able to do these things?

C. Comment:

These are tough verses! In fact without the love and grace of God within us they are positively impossible verses! Everything in us, the natural man, the self-centred man, will rebel against them.

First there is ATTITUDE TOWARDS PEOPLE, not nice people, but nasty people, people who are your enemy, people who hate, curse and mistreat you (notice the development there: attitude, words, actions). Our instructions are quite simple: we are to love, do good to, bless and pray for them!

• “Love” means having the heart of Jesus towards them.
• “Do good to” means put it into a practical outward expression.
• “Bless” means we are to desire good for them.
• “Pray” means we speak to God for their good.

What this does is release the Lord to release blessing on us AND on them so they perhaps cease to be our enemy-persecutor – but if they don’t, we keep loving etc.

Second there is ATTITUDE TOWARDS POSSESSIONS because these people, or indeed others not so aggressively against us, may come demanding or asking for what we have. So, says Jesus, if they ask for your goods, give and don’t expect back. We are to hold our things lightly. We are to love and bless others as we would want them to love and bless us – in all ways. They may not be behaving like that, they may but be loving and blessing us, but we are to love anyway, as we would wish to be loved.

D. Application:

1. My Attitude: We need Jesus’ love and grace to be Jesus to people. Am I loving, doing good to, blessing and praying for those who are against me?
2. Loving others means laying down self: Am I willing to give up my pride not to have vengeful thoughts towards those who are against me?
3. Holding my Possessions Lightly: Do I hold my goods lightly?  Am I willing to give to others to bless them?

Passage: Luke 6:32-36: Supporting encouragements       

A. Find Out:

1. What does Jesus say isn’t credit to you and why? v.32
   • ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.
2. What next does he say isn’t credit to you and why? v.33
   • And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.
3. What finally does he say isn’t credit and why? v.34
   • And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.
4. What 3 things does he say to do to your enemies? v.35a
   • But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.
5. Why? v.35b
   • Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
6. How are we to be and why? v.36
   • Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

B. Think:

1. What are the 3 things Jesus now speaks about?
2. How are we to go beyond sinners?
3. How are we to imitate God?

C. Comment:

Jesus has just spoken about loving, doing good to, blessing and praying for our enemies. He now chides his followers who may be happy to love the loveable but balk at the sinner.

Look, he says, it’s easy to love someone who loves you, it’s easy to do good to those who do good to you, it’s easy to lend to someone you know will repay you, but I want you to go beyond that. Even sinners love sinners, that’s not exceptional, but I want you to go beyond that and (implied) love those who don’t love you, do good to the person who probably won’t do good back to you, and lend to the needy person who probably won’t be able to repay you.

How can we do this? Well he gives us one motivating factor: God does it! If God does it and we call ourselves his children, then we ought to be just the same. If God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked, then we should be also. If our heavenly Father is merciful, then we should be also.

This whole section of v.27-36 really challenges the reality of our discipleship. In a day when it is expected you will get and get, to give without thought of return (whether it be love, kindness or gift) is quite alien, and we will need all the grace of God to be obedient to Jesus – but when we do, we will reveal we are his followers.

D. Application:

1. Loving the Unlovely: It’s easy to love the loveable, but Jesus says go beyond that. Do I need to pray to be filled with his love for the unlovely?
2. It’s easy to give when you expect return, but Jesus says go further: Have I received the grace to give to others without expecting return? Will I invite them for a meal without expecting a return invite?

Passage: Luke 6:37-40: Further teaching      

A. Find Out:

1. What 2 things are we not to do, and why? v.37a,b
   • ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
2. What 2 things are we to do, and why? v.37c,38a
   • Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you.
3. How was the extent of that described? v.38b,c
   • A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’
4. What did Jesus say couldn’t happen, and why? v.39
   • He also told them this parable: ‘Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?
5. Who is not above who? v.40a
   • The student is not above the teacher
6. Who will be like who? v.40b
   • but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

B. Think:

1. What are the negative attitudes Jesus warns about here?
2. What are the positive things he says for us to do?
3. What point do you think he’s making in v.39,40?

C. Comment:

Jesus has been speaking about practical love, especially towards enemies. He next takes two tendencies we might have towards such people:

• a) to judge or assess them and then,
• b) condemn them for what they are.

Instead, we are to forgive them their wrongs against us, indeed we are to give towards them without reservation (v.30) and we are then to trust God’s promises that HE will give back to us in real abundance. There is a freedom in Spirit required to be like this. It is necessary to have faith to be able to be this sort of person.

A traditional approach to v.39,40 suggests that Jesus is changing the subject and is now referring to the scribes and Pharisees who were spiritually blind, but let’s see it in the ongoing context of what he has been saying already. Your enemies are blind and if you respond to them in the same way they treat you, you’ll be declaring that you also are blind, and the result of two lots of bad behaviour is simply that you both fall into a bigger mess.

No, you who are a Christian should be able to see their real state and have pity and understanding for them, so that you respond to them in a good way. In that way, perhaps, you may be able to lead them to the light, to being able to see. If you are a disciple of Jesus you should be teachable, so that you become like your teacher and you do that by following these instructions of Jesus.

D. Application:

1. Light of the world: We are supposed to be the light of the world (Mt 5:14 ) but i won’t be that if I judge and condemn. Do i need to pray for grace?
2. Spiritually blind? Do I see my enemies in their true state, in a place of great need? Do I see myself with God’s love, there for them?

Passage: Luke 6:41-45: Even more teaching       

A. Find Out:

1. What did Jesus say they were doing and not doing? v.41
   • ‘Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
2. What did he say they went on to do? v.42a
   • How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?
3. What did he say they should do? v.42b
   • You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
4. What did he say about fruit trees? v.43,44
   •  ‘No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers.
5. What did he say comes from where? v.45a,b
   • A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.
6. What principle did he state at the end? v.45c
   • For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

B. Think:

1. What is the point Jesus is making in v.41,42?
2. What point is he making in v.43,44?
3. How does he expand on that in v.45?

C. Comment:

Moving on from speaking about right attitudes towards enemies etc., Jesus has started to say (v.39,40) that we need to be aware of ourselves and seek to learn, so we are not blind, and so we become more like him.  Now he takes that on further and warns about thinking that everyone else is wrong and we are right, while we fail to see the wrong thoughts and attitudes in our own lives, a very common temptation!

In v.41,42 he graphically says look to your own areas of blindness before you go criticising others. In v.43,44 he starts giving them further means of diagnosing themselves. Essentially he is saying that look at the fruit of your lives and it will show you the state of your heart. Is your life producing good fruit, say that of Gal 5:22,23? Is it producing say, patience, gentleness, self control? If it isn’t, it is an indication that there is a heart problem, a heart not fully surrendered to God!

In v.45 he takes the diagnosis a stage further: listen to the words that come out of your mouth because they, more than anything else, reveal the state of your heart. Do we constantly bring words of gossip, criticism, words that are negative, judgmental, or do we bring words of kindness, encouragement, blessing? Our words reveal our inner state, and it may be we need to have fresh dealings with God! Words reveal our heart, and perhaps our heart needs attention!

D. Application:

1. Self Assessment: Do I look to myself before I judge or criticise others. Do I rightly assess my own state?
2. What I speak: My words reveal the state of my heart. What are they like? I need the Lord’s help to watch them today.

Passage: Luke 6:46-49: Parable of two house-builders      

A. Find Out:

1. What contradiction does Jesus point out? v.46
   • ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say?
2. Who does Jesus speak about first? v.47
   • As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.
3. What picture does he paint of this person? v.48
   • They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.
4. Who does he speak about next? v.49a
   • But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation.
5. What picture does he paint of this person? v.49b
   • The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.’

B. Think:

1. What is the key issue Jesus points up at the start?
2. What are the long-term effects of being obedient to Jesus?
3. What are the long-term effects of not doing what he says?

C. Comment:

Jesus has been giving some very basic teaching on being one of his disciples. At the end of it all (and Luke indicates this is the end of it in 7:1),  he highlights THE most basic point of all: you cannot call Jesus Lord and NOT obey him.

If you call him Lord it is imperative that you DO what he has said. At the end of Matthew’s Gospel we find Jesus’ same command there (Mt 28:20) – “teaching them to OBEY everything I have commanded you”.

Jesus then goes on to show the effect of being obedient. He pictures a man building a house who puts down deep foundations. When upset comes the house stands firm.

Next he shows the effect of not being obedient. Again he uses the picture of a man building a house but he doesn’t put down foundations. For him, when upset comes, the house collapses.

The imagery is so clear we sometimes just focus on the pictures and forget the meaning. Very simply, Jesus is saying that the person who hears his words and follows them, putting into practice what he teaches, will find stability in life, especially when the pressures of life come upon them. The disobedient person who hears but doesn’t apply Jesus words will find that his life falls to pieces when the pressures of life come. Watch when a crisis comes – death, job loss, illness or whatever. Watch and see how the involved person copes.

D. Application:

1. Obedience: My obedience to what Jesus says brings guaranteed stability and blessing to my life.   Am I being obedient in all things?
2. The Long Term: Disobedience may appear tolerated, but will produce collapse in the long term. Am I fooling myself in the short term?