Frameworks:
Luke's Gospel, chapter 6
For
preliminaries see chapter 1
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.27-37
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
(Jesus disciples
were legitimately (according to the law) picking grain heads as
they walked) 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 Pharisees
sees seeing this pointed out it was a sabbath and this constituted
‘work') Some
of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on
the Sabbath?”
v.3,4
(Jesus cited
the example of David satisfying his needs) 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
(so we're Lord
over the sabbath not it over us) Then
Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
v.6
(on another
time in a synagogue he saw need on the sabbath) On
another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and
a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.
v.7
(the ‘religious
opposition' were watching him) 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
(not deterred
he called the man) 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
(good or bad
on the Sabbath?) 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 healed the
man) 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
(the opposition
were seriously annoyed) But
the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began
to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
v.12-16
The Choosing of the Twelve Apostles
v.12
(after a night
in prayer…) One
of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent
the night praying to God.
v.13
(he called his
followers and named 12 of them as apostles [‘sent ones'])
When
morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve
of them, whom he also designated apostles:
v.14-16
(their names)
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.
v.17-26
Blessings and Woes
v.17-19
(a crowd from
all over the country came and he taught and healed) 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.
v.20
(the spiritually
poor will be open to the kingdom) Looking
at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for
yours is the kingdom of God.
v.21
(if you hunger
after God He will satisfy you) Blessed
are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. (weeping
in the kingdom will be followed by laughter)
Blessed are you who weep now, for
you will laugh.
v.22
(be blessed
if you are persecuted) 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.
v.24
(if you are
selfishly rich, you're on your own!) “But
woe to you who are rich, for you have already received
your comfort.
v.25(if
you're selfishly satisfied you're in trouble) 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
(watch out if
they speak well of you, it's deception) Woe
to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how
their ancestors treated the false prophets.
v.27-37
Love for Enemies
v.27,28
(have good attitudes
towards those who are against you) “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 they demean
or rob you, bless them) 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
(hold your goods
lightly) Give
to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to
you, do not demand it back.
v.31
(the GOLDEN
RULE) Do
to others as you would have them do to you.
v.32
(there's no
benefit in only loving those who love you) “If
you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even
sinners love those who love them.
v.33
(ditto doing
good) And
if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that
to you? Even sinners do that.
v.34
(ditto lending)
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.. on the
other hand… if you love your enemies…) 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
(so view them
with mercy) Be
merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
v.37-42
Judging Others
v.37
(don't judge
others badly or condemn them) “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
(have a generous
attitude) 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
(don't be blind)
He
also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will
they not both fall into a pit?
v.40
(be like me,
your teacher) The
student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained
will be like their teacher.
v.41
(don't pick
on small things in others…) “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
( …especially
if you've got bigger problems yourself) 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.
v.43-45
A Tree and Its Fruit
v.43
(think about
what sort of tree bears good fruit) “No
good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
v.44
(watch the nature
of the tree and expect that fruit) Each
tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from
thornbushes, or grapes from briers.
v.45
(same with us
.. good people bring good, bad people bring…) 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.
v.46-49
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders
v.46
(if you're going
to call me Lord, do what I say) “Why
do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
v.47
(obey me and
it's like this … ) 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
(a house builder
who establishes good foundations, means a house that will stand
in storms) 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 if you
don't obey my words you are more like a house without foundations
which will collapse in a storm) 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.”