Luke 6: Conflict, choosing apostles, teaching

• v.1-11 Contention about use of the Sabbath
• v.12-16 The Choosing of the Twelve Apostles
• v.17-26 Blessings and Woes
• v.27-36 Love for Enemies
• v.37-42 Judging Others
• v.43-45 A Tree and Its Fruit
• v.46-49 The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders

v.1-11 Contention about use of the Sabbath

v.1,2 Complaints about the disciples’ use of the Sabbath [also see Mt 12:1-8]

v.1 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.

v.2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

[Note: Jesus disciples were legitimately (according to the law) picking grain heads as they walked but some Pharisees seeing this, pointed out it was a sabbath and this constituted ‘work’.]

v.3-5 Jesus’ response

v.3,4 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 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.”

v.5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

[Note: Jesus cited the example of David satisfying his needs and declared, so we’re Lord over the sabbath not it over us.]

v.6-11 Healing on the Sabbath 

v.6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.

v.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.

v.8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there.

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?”

v.10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored.

v.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.

[Note: On another time in a synagogue, he saw need on the sabbath but the ‘religious opposition’ were watching him. Not deterred he called the man and asked them do we do good or bad on the Sabbath? He then healed the man, and the opposition were seriously annoyed.]

v.12-16 The Choosing of the Twelve Apostles

v.12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.

v.13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

v.14-16 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

[Note: After a night in prayer, he called his followers and named 12 of them as apostles [‘sent ones’] and Luke names them.]

v.17-26 Blessings and Woes

v.17-19 Context: Mass healings and deliverances again

v.17-19 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, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

[Note: A crowd from all over the country came and he taught and healed and delivered them, and many of his disciples were there.]

v.20-23 He taught his disciples four blessings

v.20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

v.21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. (Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

v.22 Blessed are you when people hate you,  when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

v.23 (know joy on the day because heaven is on your side) “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

[Note: Blessing 1: the spiritually poor will be open to the kingdom. Blessing 2: if you hunger after God, He will satisfy you. Blessing 3: Weeping in the kingdom will be followed by laughter. Blessing 4: be blessed if you are persecuted.]

v.24-26 Similarly four woes

v.24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

v.25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

v.26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,   for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

[Note: Woe 1 – if you are rich, woe 2 if you are well fed, woe 3 – if you laugh now, woe 4 – when everyone speaks well of you, i.e. if you are selfishly rich, you’re on your own, if you’re selfishly satisfied, you’re in trouble, watch out if they speak well of you, it’s deception.]

v.27-36 Love for Enemies

v.27-30 Maintain good attitude whatever is happening negatively

v.27,28 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

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.

v.30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.

[Note: Have good attitudes towards those who are against you and if they demean or rob you, bless them. Hold your goods lightly.]

v.31 The GOLDEN RULE general approach to life

v.31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

v.32-36 Principles for doing good

v.32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

v.33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

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.

v.35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

v.36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

[Note: There’s no benefit in only loving those who love you, ditto doing good, ditto lending, but on the other hand love your enemies and view them with mercy – just like God does.]

v.37-42 Judging Others

v.37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

v.38 Give, and it will be given to you. 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.”

v.39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?

v.40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

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?

v.42 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? 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.

[Note: Don’t judge others badly or condemn them, have a generous attitude to all, and don’t be blind to doing good (implied). Be like Jesus, your teacher, don’t pick on small things in others especially if you’ve got bigger problems yourself.]

v.43-45 A Tree and Its Fruit

v.43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

v.44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.

v.45 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. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

[Note: Think about what sort of tree bears good fruit and watch the nature of the tree and expect that fruit. The same with us, good people bring good, bad people bring bad.]

v.46-49 The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders

v.46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

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.

v.48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

v.49 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. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

[Note: If you’re going to call me Lord, do what I say, obey me, and it’s like this (Parable) … a house builder who establishes good foundations, means a house that will stand in storms, but if you don’t obey my words, you are more like a house without foundations which will collapse in a storm.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: