Luke chapter 6

Jesus heals on the Sabbath. He selects twelve as apostles. He pronounces blessings and woes. Judge a tree by its fruit. Build on the Rock Foundation.

 


 

A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SABBATH

 

VERSE 1. Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.

 

VERSE 2. But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”

 

VERSE 3. Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he, and those who were with him;

 

VERSE 4. how he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?”

 

VERSE 5. He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

lord of the Sabbath. Jesus reigns supreme over the Sabbath.

 

JESUS HEALS ON THE SABBATH

 

VERSE 6. It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered.

 

VERSE 7. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.

 

VERSE 8. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up, and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood.

 

VERSE 9. Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?”

 

VERSE 10. He looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other.

 

VERSE 11. But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

 

JESUS SELECTS TWELVE AS APOSTLES

 

VERSE 12. In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.

he continued all night in prayer. For believers in the One God, praying through the whole night is a venerable part of our lives. Read more »

 

VERSE 13. When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

 

VERSE 14. Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;

 

VERSE 15. Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;

 

VERSE 16. Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor.

 

CROWDS FOLLOW JESUS

 

VERSE 17. He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

He came down with them. The Lord Jesus Christ met them where they were at.

 

VERSE 18. as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

 

VERSE 19. All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.

power came out of him and healed them all. Can you imagine being this filled with the Holy Spirit?

We believe this is still possible for us modern-day disciples of Jesus Christ. Yet it is almost unheard-of.

Perhaps the reason this being so rare is that so few of us are willing to live the life that God could bless in such a way.

Or perhaps most of us would become arrogant and take the credit for ourselves instead of giving it to God.

Or perhaps we’re called to glorify God in some other way.

 

JESUS PRONOUNCES BLESSINGS

 

VERSE 20. He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours.

Blessed are you who are poor. The Lord Jesus says poor people are blessed. However, many Christians trivialize that amazing promise from the Messiah by spiritualizing it. Read more »

 

VERSE 21. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Blessed are you who hunger now. God favors people who have real hunger.

However, many Christians explain away this verse. They say:

  • “Jesus is speaking about fasting. When you fast, you make yourself hungry for God.”
  • “Jesus is speaking of hunger for the Eucharist.”

However those explanations do not fit the text of the verse, nor its context.

 

VERSE 22. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

when men hate you. Have you ever been hated for your witnessing about Jesus Christ?

 

VERSE 23. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

 

JESUS PRONOUNCES WOES

 

VERSE 24. “But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation.

woe to you who are rich! Many Christians think riches are a sign of God’s blessing. They view billionaires as their heroes. However, the Lord Jesus does NOT view rich people as heroes. Read more »

 

VERSE 25. Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you, you who are full now. Christians are quick to explain away this verse. But the text and its context seem clear that it is a warning to anyone who has enough to eat.

Here are three popular interpretations of this verse:

  • If a naysayer arises in your life, be comforted.
  • If a Christian leader enjoys approval from a broad base of people, then he is a false prophet.
  • To not be a false prophet, you must make people disapprove of you. To do that, you must annoy people, become obnoxious, and be overly confrontational.

 

VERSE 26. Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke and from the entire Bible.

 

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

 

VERSE 27. “But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

love your enemies. We are to become an inexhaustible source of compassion. Even our mortal enemies cannot extinguish our compassion for them.

 

VERSE 28. bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

 

VERSE 29. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

 

VERSE 30. Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

 

VERSE 31. “As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

NIV translation: Do to others as you would have them do to you.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

This is the famous “Golden Rule.” It is a good starting point for a basic understanding of love. It is not a summary of the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is not the Good News of eternal salvation.

 

VERSE 32. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

 

VERSE 33. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

 

VERSE 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 back as much.

 

VERSE 35. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

he is kind toward the unthankful. God the Father is kind toward all people, even if they are ungrateful. He is an inexhaustible source of compassion.

 

VERSE 36. “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

 

DO NOT JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE

 

VERSE 37. Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

Don’t judge. This is abundantly clear. Yet we Christians are terrible at putting it into practice. Non-Christians can justifiably scoff at us for our judgmental behaviors.

 

VERSE 38. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

The Bible calls us to support the people who teach us in the faith. Read more »

 

VERSE 39. He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?

 

VERSE 40. A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

 

VERSE 41. Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?

 

VERSE 42. Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

 

JUDGE A TREE BY THE FRUIT OF ITS BEHAVIOR

 

VERSE 43. For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit.

The LORD God calls us to be spiritually fruitful. We are to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. But in our day, the fruitfulness of many Christians has been hijacked. Read more »

 

VERSE 44. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

The LORD God calls us to be spiritually fruitful. We are to bear fruit for the kingdom of God. But in our day, the fruitfulness of many Christians has been hijacked. Read more »

 

VERSE 45. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

Proverbs 10:6. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.

 

BUILD ON THE ROCK FOUNDATION

 

VERSE 46. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say?

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel of Luke.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

you call me, ‘Lord, Lord.’ Billions of people claim Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. But do they put his commands into practice?

What are the Commands of Jesus Christ? Join us as we search for them across all four Gospels.

 

VERSE 47. Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Luke.

 

VERSE 48. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.

laid a foundation on the rock. In the desert, a rock gave God’s people life-saving water. Later, the rock was a symbol for the LORD God. In the New Testament, the rock is the Lord Jesus. Read more »

 

VERSE 49. But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

hears, and doesn’t do. Faith without works is a house built upon a foundation of sand.

 


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LUKE

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

RESOURCES: SummaryOutline, Memorize, Commands, Spirituality

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.