Luke 6:17-49
Jesus Teaches and Heals
17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Blessings and Woes
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Love for Enemies
27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Judging Others
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; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Friend,[e] let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s[f] eye.
A Tree and Its Fruit
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
The Two Foundations
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? 47 I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. 48 That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.”
What does the passage say?
6:17-26 Blessings and Woes Jesus’ power to heal drew the sick and mentally ill to Him. Jesus did heal them, and He spoke to them as well. With this large crowd of Jews and Gentiles gathered before Him, Jesus challenged His followers to understand God’s Kingdom from a grand view. He reminded them that though they might struggle and even suffer, they could have peace of mind because God is watching over them, He favors them. True joy is awaiting Christ’s followers. An Old Testament understanding (see the book of Job) was that worldly blessing was a reward for right living. However, Jesus tells those whose focus is on insuring worldly satisfaction that their wealth is only temporary. Self- worship and worldly gain are shallow life investments, earning nothing of eternal value.
6:18-38 Love your enemies. Jesus began to teach the crowd how to live in God’s Kingdom which He claimed He was ushering in. These were not new teachings but certainly they were not emphasized in the Hebrew traditional culture. Loving your enemies is mentioned in Solomon’s Proverb 25:21 which urges Jews to feed their enemies and give them drink if they thirst in order to bring about their self-conviction. Jesus has no ulterior motive hidden in his command to love enemies. He says – “let go of your animosity, forgive, forget and prosper those who abuse you – even offer ‘the other cheek’ if someone strikes you.” He promises that one who is generous and merciful will reap abundant rewards as children of God.
Parables – People flocked to Jesus not only to see a miracle worker but to hear him speak about The Kingdom. He was a captivating storyteller who used “word pictures” to illustrate and explain his teachings.
• Blind leading the blind. Jesus encourages the people to be wary of following those who can’t see the Kingdom. Jesus refers to the Pharisees and religious leaders as “blind guides” in Matthew 23. Here at the beginning of his ministry, he separates himself from these traditional teachers and ignites their animosity.
• Plank in your eye. Jesus is saying “don’t be so concerned by the faults you see in others. It is God’s job to judge, not yours.” All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory- but Jesus reminds his listeners that they only have control over their own actions. He admonishes them to change their lives according to His Way.
• Good tree- good fruit. Jesus explains this analogy –in vs 45 – “It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.” (The Message translation).
• Building on sand and the Rock. In this parable Jesus draws a line in the sand. He says “My Way, or the highway.” Jesus’ Way of living is sure and stable –like building on a foundation of Rock. Anyone who disregards his teachings, He claims, lives in peril.
Using parables, Jesus planted unforgettable images that the crowd would ponder long after they left His presence. Some would see life now with a new glorious hope. The religious leaders, however, would feel highly offended even provoked to challenge his teaching because Jesus often rebuked them in front of the crowds.
What does the passage say to me/us?
Pam Thum wrote a praise song with the refrain “Life is hard, but God is good.” We want to believe it, however, the world round about us screams out disclaimers. Jesus promises the poor, the hungry, and the persecuted who are desperate to know He cares, that relief will come. Much hope is sustained by His provisions that may come as “daily bread” sustaining us one day at a time. Isn’t it true that those who have struggled delight the most in relief at the end of suffering?
Jesus wants us to know that God is the judge of those who make our lives a trial, not us. Of course, It’s not easy to let go of deep instincts to retaliate, to make right, even, to self-promote. What peace of mind we would discover if we stepped aside and let Jesus take over vengeance.
I have long clung to a quote from The Human Comedy by William Saroyan “You must remember always to give of everything you have. You must give foolishly even. You must be extravagant. You must give to all who come into your life. Then nothing and no one shall have power to cheat you of anything. For if you give to a thief, he cannot steal from you, and he himself is then no longer a thief. And the more you give, the more you will have to give.” Jesus invites you and me to live this outrageous way. Every day we can offer others the opportunity to change their identities simply by letting Jesus direct our response to their actions.
Let us Pray
Oh Lord Jesus, thank you for setting us free from the need to make things right – according to us, right now! Thank you for loving even the unlovable. Won’t You give us extravagant hearts courageous to spread Your Good News. Use Your words this day to transform us into good trees bearing the sweet nourishing fruit of Your Kingdom. AMEN
- Contributed by Stepanie Dickenson
What are your thoughts?
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