CHAPTER 6
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. Luke. 6:1
Even today, the Galilee is a very lovely and fruitful area as it was in Jesus’ time. Josephus (First Century) says of the area: “…their soil is universally rich and fruitful, and full of the plantations of trees of all sorts, insomuch that it invites the most slothful to take pains in its cultivation, but its fruitfulness: accordingly, it is all cultivated by its inhabitants, and no part of it lies idle” (Josephus, Wars, 3, 3, 2).
My wife and I lived near the Sea of Galilee for four years and we can attest to what a beautiful and fruitful area it is today. We lived in Migdal, and just below our city to the north lay the very fruitful Plain of Gennesaret. The farmers in our area grew many kinds of grain crops plus various types of citrus fruits, dates, avocadoes, bananas, mangoes, etc. The close-by hilly area between Capernaum and Chorazin, with its black volcanic soil, was famous in Bible times for the growing of early grains.1
In this verse we see Jesus and his disciples walking through the grain fields. This was possible because there were towns and villages around these fields and there were handy footpaths through them.2 As they strolled along, the disciples were plucking heads of grain, rolling them in their hands to get rid of the husks and then eating them. Some might wonder if their act was stealing, however, the law permitted such incidental gleaning for those who were hungering (Deut. 23:25). A person was allowed to pluck grain along the path but not allowed to put a sickle into the grain. This was one of God’s merciful laws to bless the hungry.
“Some of the Pharisees asked, ‘Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?’” (6:2). It seems that the Pharisees and others were always spying on Jesus, even following him through the fields. They were quick to raise a howl about what the disciples were doing. That day the disciples were plucking grain happened to be the Sabbath. The Sabbath was extremely important for the Jewish people. Caird says, “Of all the Jewish institutions the Sabbath was the most important for the survival of Judaism in a predominately Gentile world. Other requirements of the law could be performed or omitted – in private, but the Sabbath commandment obliged the Jew week by week to make public profession of faith by abstaining from work.” 3 Of course, as we have mentioned, the Pharisees had muddled the Sabbath by adding scores of nonsensical rules.
According to the Pharisees the disciples were breaking four rules with their action. They were reaping (plucking grain); they were rubbing with their hands (threshing); throwing away the husks (winnowing) and then eating the food they had prepared on the Sabbath – “Four distinct breaches of the Sabbath in one mouthful!” 4 In addition, they were walking through the grain fields and no doubt had traveled more than the 2,000 paces that were allowed on the Sabbath.5 Of course, there was the uncomfortable fact that these critics had probably broken this same rule because they were following along.
“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’” (6:3-4). Here Jesus is reminding the Pharisees that they had not carefully read their Bibles. He is referring them to 1 Samuel 21:1-6, where David was fleeing from Saul and was famished. The only bread available at the tabernacle of God was the Bread of the Presence and that was only permitted to the priesthood (Exo. 25:30; 39:36; 40:22-23; esp. Lev. 24:5-9). David took that sacred bread. He ate it and shared it with his men. Interestingly, there was no biblical condemnation of his act. It illustrated clearly that human need could override the law. Mercy was more important than sacrifice (Hos. 6:6). Love was more important than religious rituals (Isa. 58:1-9). It illustrated that a good relationship with God could go a long way in his heavenly courts. It was as if God was saying, “It is OK. He is my boy and he is hungry.”
There were some things the Pharisees did not understand about Jesus. In his pre-incarnate state Christ had created the Sabbath. We see in John 1:3, that all things were made by him. By the right of creation he had the authority to adjust the Sabbath laws. In fact Jesus was and is “Lord of the Sabbath” (6:5; Matt. 12:8; Mk. 2:28). Caird says, “…What they did not recognize was that in him the promised kingdom of God had arrived…[yet] they loved their system more than they loved God.” 6
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath’” (6:5). The Sabbath was their “pet” institution since it came every week and was a constant reminder of the law. Jesus made a staggering claim here, essentially that he was greater than the Sabbath, even Lord of the Sabbath. He created the Sabbath and what he created he had a perfect right to administer. “… If David could override the law without blame, how much more could the much greater Son of David do so?” 7 Also, he made the Sabbath for people and not people for the Sabbath (Mk. 2:27). In a very real sense Jesus himself was the true Sabbath Rest that was available for God’s people (Heb. 4:1-11).
JESUS IN THE SYNAGOGUE
On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. Luke 6:6
The synagogue was getting to be a difficult and even dangerous place for Jesus, as we have mentioned. The Pharisees and other leaders were constantly watching him in order to accuse and trap him. Jesus seemed to deliberately provoke them with his teaching and healing. In this instance, there was a man present whose hand was withered. Dr. Luke alone notes that it was his right hand. What a handicap that would be for a working man! Some have suggested that this man was “planted” there by the Pharisees in order to test Jesus. We cannot know for sure about that. We do know that the Pharisees cared little about the needs of people while Jesus cared much. Bock says, “God puts a high priority on how people are treated and how needs are met.” 8 James tells us that religion is vain unless we exercise such a high priority when dealing with people (Jas. 2:15-17).
We cannot miss the fact that these leaders seemed to be absolutely confident that Jesus could and would heal people.9 That in itself is quite amazing. They knew that he could heal but they could still not believe in 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. 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” (6:7-8). Mark tells us that Jesus looked around upon these leaders and was grieved at their hardness of heart (Mk. 3:5). A type of their religious legalism has survived unto our century.10 These folks, like the Pharisees would strain out a gnat but swallow a camel (Matt. 23:24). Pett, comparing them to Jesus says of them, “The one were concerned with the minutiae of the law, the other with the heart of God.” 11 Many today trip over the petty items of religion and miss the weighty matters. I think of some in my own past who would have frowned on mixed bathing at the public pool but who seemed to tolerate fornication. The poor man in this episode had a withered hand but the Pharisees and teachers had withered minds.12
“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?’” (6:9). The Pharisees and teachers had so defined the Sabbath law that medical help could only be given in order to save a life. Only in the case of mortal illness could they extend help on the Sabbath.13 Yet, in utter hypocrisy they would lead their oxen and donkeys out to get water on the Sabbath day (Lk.13:15). “He said to them, ‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath’” (Matt. 12:11-12). Obviously, it is a good thing to do good any day and that includes the Sabbath. Perhaps Jesus felt it was especially praiseworthy to do good on the Sabbath.
“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’” (6:10). Jesus did all things well (Mk. 7:37). He never healed a person partially or half-way. He never failed to heal. The leaders of Israel should have been astounded at his healing ministry but they were rather greatly angered.
“But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus” (6:11). These leaders were filled with rage over the miracle. The Greek word used here for rage is anoias and it means a lack of sense.14 They were filled with insane rage. Barclay says of them, “… They are the outstanding example of men who loved their rules and regulations more than they loved God.” 15
Pfeiffer and Harrison say, “Beaten in argument and discredited before the people, Jesus’ opponents were driven to desperation. This verse marks the beginning of Christ’s controversy with the Jewish leaders that lasted all during the rest of his career.” 16 They went from this place and made an alliance with the Herodians to kill Jesus (Mk. 3:6).
The Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes, or teachers, were most interested in protecting their positions. They desired the chief seats in the synagogues (Matt. 23:6; Jam. 2:2-4). They desired to sit in Moses’ seat regarding the teaching of the law (Matt. 23:2). In 1926, at the synagogue in Chorazin, a stone seat was uncovered. It is thought that this was used by leading teachers of old and it has been referred to as Moses’ Seat. This seat can be seen today in the ruins of the Chorazin synagogue.
CHOOSING THE TWELVE
One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Luke 6:12-13
Jesus would pray all night before his important decision. Probably very few of us Christians have prayed all night. The next morning Jesus would choose his twelve disciples. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown say, “In one sense, there was nothing in Jesus’ three years of ministry before the cross more important than this.” 17 In one sense Jesus was laying the foundation for the New Israel.18 The word “disciple” in the Greek language means “learner.” Luke alone points out that the disciples were also designated by Jesus as “apostles” or those “sent out.” Matthew mentions that Jesus gave them authority to cast out unclean spirits and heal every disease (Matt. 10:1; cf. Mk. 3:14-15). Barclay tells this story: “…A little girl received in the Sunday School a lesson on the disciples. She did not get the word quite right because she was very young; and she came home and told her parents that she had been learning about Jesus’ samples.” 19
The Greek for apostle (apostolos) translates the Old Testament shaliach. This was one who was a representative acting on behalf of another person.20 Today the emissaries of Israel in other countries are called by the title of Shiliach. Anyway, in those days it was not possible to publish a book about one’s program and have it distributed all over the world. Instead, Jesus wrote his message on the hearts of his twelve devoted followers and sent them out to spread his message worldwide (cf. 2 Cor. 3:2-3).
“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” (6:14-16). Listings of the apostles can be seen here and in Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:16-19, and Acts 1:13. We note that in every listing Simon, who was renamed Peter, is always in first place and Judas is always listed last. Of course, this is not the case in Acts since Judas was already dead. Simon also had the name of Cephas (Aram. kepha) meaning a rock (Jn. 1:42). This name when translated into Greek became petros, also meaning a small rock. We know from many scriptures that Peter, James and John made up the important inner-circle of Jesus’ disciples (Matt. 17:1; Mar. 5:37; 14:33).
The disciples seem to be listed in three groups of four, 21 with Peter heading the first group, Philip heading the second group and James the Son of Alphaeus heading the third group. The first two groups of four remain stable in all the listings. It is only in the last grouping that there are some seeming differences. Thaddeus who appears in Matthew and Mark’s listings (Matt. 10:3; Mk. 3:18) does not appear here in Luke’s listing or in Acts. Instead we have Judas son of James mentioned. It is thought that the two were one and the same.22 Simon the Canaanite (Mk. 3:18 KJV – his name meaning “zealous”) is mentioned in Mark and in Matthew. He shows up as Simon the Zealot in Acts 1:13 and here in Luke (cf. Matt, 10:4).
Thomas apparently had the Hebrew name of Didymus or “twin” (cf. Jn. 11:16; 20:24; 21:2). In Matthew’s gospel we see Matthew so called (Matt. 9:9; 10:3; cf. Mar. 3:18; Lk. 6:15; Acts 1:13). He is also known as Levi in Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27, 29. Bartholomew is called Nathanael in John 1:45-49. Judas of James in Acts 1:13 is called “Thaddaeus” or “Lebbeus” (cf. 6:16; Matt. 10:3 KJV). The listings of the apostles can be a little tricky. There were two Simons, two Jamses and two Judases, 23 along with several variations of names. Many Jewish people in those days had two names.24
Morris says of these men: “Jesus was establishing the true Israel, the people of God…Some of them were clearly outstanding men, but on the whole they seem to have been no more than average. Most have left very little mark on church history. Jesus preferred to work, then as now, through perfectly ordinary people.” 25 However, in God’s sight their names are written on the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14).
JESUS’ GREAT MINISTRY
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. Luke 6:17-19
Jesus found a level place and stood upon it (Gk. epi topou pedinou). Robertson feels that this level place could have been located towards the foot of the mountain.26 The present-day Mount of Beatitudes is really the only hill that could be called a mountain in the area where Jesus mostly ministered. It is interesting that there is a relatively flat place on the western side of this mount. If people were seated on the incline surrounding it, there would have been excellent acoustics with the west wind at Jesus back. This must have been a large crowd because it included disciples as well as local people. It also included folks who had traveled from far and wide to hear Jesus and be healed by him.
Matthew gives three whole chapters to his Sermon on the Mount but Luke’s account is shorter. Many scholars feel that Jesus’ sermon was underlying both accounts.27 Luke just shortened the sermon considerably. Guzik says that itinerant preachers often repeated themselves to different crowds, especially when they were teaching upon the same topic. It is well known that good teachers do repeat their material. This teaching can probably be seen in Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-34; Matthew 7:1-29, however the teachings could possibly have been given at different times and places.28 The sermon may have been something like our modern “keynote” address that is given today at political conventions.29
THE BLESSINGS
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20
Caird says, “The sermon is a description of the life of the new Israel, which is also life in the kingdom of God…The first characteristic of the new life is a complete reversal of the world’s values.” 30 The poor are blessed and that would never be the case with the world’s system. The word for poor is the Greek ptōchoi. Keener says, “…like most other people in the ancient Mediterranean world, most Jewish people were poor.” 31 There is no real blessing in being poverty stricken. Matthew clarifies this word by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” (Matt. 5:3). So, Luke is not talking about being economically poor or certainly not poor- spirited. He is probably talking about being poor in spirit or humble. Pett says: “…In the Old Testament ‘the poor’ regularly means those who are humble and godly (Psa. 40:17; 72:2-4). And it is to them that the Good News is being proclaimed (Luke 4:18; Isa. 57:15; 61:1-2; Isa. 66:2).” 32
The poor in spirit or the humble ones will be blessed and will receive the kingdom. The word for “blessed” is the Greek makarios and it means both blessed and happy.33 These blessed and happy people will receive the kingdom of God. Robertson says of the kingdom: “It is the favorite word of Jesus for the rule of God in the heart here and now. It is both present and future and will reach a glorious consummation.” 34 The Bible makes clear that the kingdom encompasses both heaven and earth – both present and future. It is something for which every believer should be daily praying (Matt. 6:9-10).
“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (6:21). Again, this is probably not speaking of natural hunger but of spiritual hunger. I remember one powerful minister of the 20th century who prayed for great masses of people. He would occasionally say to a seeker, “Go away and come back when you are hungry.” At this point it may be good for us to remember Luke’s command of chapter 11, that we should ask, seek and knock if we wish to receive (Lk. 11:9-10).
We see here that the mourners are also blessed. The Bible says, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting… The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure” (Eccl. 7:2, 4). The saint of God should be in mourning over the excesses and errors of this present evil age. We should be in mourning over our sins and the sinners around us who are slipping away into a godless eternity. A Jesuit priest named Munzihirwa, who was martyred in Rwanda, had this favorite saying, “There are things that can be seen only with eyes that have cried.” 35
“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. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets” (6:22-23). Today about three quarters of the world’s population lives in countries with significant restrictions on their religious freedom.36 For the present the western countries have a sort of reprieve. However, Kenneth Meyers says that the “…challenge of living with popular culture may well be as serious for modern Christians as persecution and plagues were for the saints of earlier centuries.” 37
When persecution comes upon us we should rejoice. When people hate us because of Jesus we should also rejoice. I often remind people who are weighted down with these pressures that it is their opportunity of jump up and down and click their heels together as they rejoice over such persecution. Then, I try to remember my own advice when the pressures of this age come upon me. We all need to remember that the prophets of God had to suffer a lot of things for the sake of God’s kingdom.
THE WOES
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 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. Luke 6:24-25
These woes are closely related to the blessings we have just discussed. The word for woe (Gk. ouai) is an expression of regret and compassion. It is more like the expressions “alas” or “how terrible.” 38 In Israel today the Hebrew word oi is often used for “alas.” Again, it is not a curse but an expression of sorrow.
In the Old Testament, where the saints of God lived mostly in the natural world, riches were considered to be a blessing of God and the lot of all who would be faithful. In the New Testament we have a sort of paradigm shift in this understanding. New Testament saints are now living in a spiritual existence related to the kingdom of God. Despite what some preachers proclaim, the New Testament saints are not guaranteed riches. In fact, riches are now to be considered as a positive hindrance in the kingdom (Matt. 19:24; Jas. 5:1). Some Christians are wealthy but they have probably learned to keep their wealth in perspective.
The same rules apply to food and other seeming necessities of life. We remember that Jesus did not have a place to lay his head (Matt. 8:20). His provision came from a common purse that was shared with at least twelve other people. We remember that the Apostle Paul suffered hunger, thirst, nakedness and cold (2 Cor. 11:27). Jesus did not promise us an easy road but one with difficulty and persecution (Acts 14:22). Today many folks think they are having a wonderful happy time, but in the end these will mourn deeply.
“Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets” (6:26). Generally, people did not speak well of the prophets. Rather, they were greatly offended by prophetic truth (Jer. 6;14; 28:8-9). The false prophets were far more popular because they told people what they wanted to hear (1 Ki. 22:12-13; Jer. 5:31; 23:13-14).39 We have a special problem in this area today due to our rapidly growing Internet world. Dr. Keith Ablow sums it up:
On Facebook, young people can fool themselves into thinking they have hundreds or thousands of “friends.” They can delete unflattering comments. They can block anyone who disagrees with them or pokes holes in their inflated self-esteem. They can choose to show the world only flattering, sexy or funny photographs of themselves (dozens of albums full, by the way), “speak” in pithy short posts and publicly connect to movie stars and professional athletes and musicians they “like.” 40
LOVING OUR ENEMIES
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. Luke 6:27-28
Jesus was speaking to those who had ears to hear, and he still is. He speaks here of the highest form of love, which is agape in the Greek language. The Greeks had several words for love but we are handicapped in our English language since it has only one word. Caird describes the agape kind of love: “Agape is a gracious, determined, and active interest in the true welfare of others, which is not deterred even by hatred, cursing, and abuse, not limited by calculation of deserts or results, based solely on the nature of God…They were not just to submit to aggression, but to rob it of its sting by voluntarily going beyond its demands…” 41 This kind of love reduces the amount of evil in the world, since it does not retaliate.
This type love can be confusing even for Christians. Must we love enemies exactly like we would love spouses and children? Barclay describes this love as “an active feeling of benevolence towards the other person.” He goes on to say, “We cannot love our enemies as we love our nearest and dearest. To do so would be unnatural, impossible and even wrong. But we can see to it that, no matter what a man does to us, even if he insults, ill-treats and injures us, we will seek nothing but his highest good.” 42 This does not mean that we would let an evil person harm us or our family. It does not mean that we would allow everyone to walk over us and treat us as a doormat. We are made in God’s image and we must protect that image in us.
Wiersbe says, “We must have wisdom to know when to turn the other cheek and when to claim our rights (Jn. 18:22-23; Acts 16:35-40). Even Christian love must exercise discernment (Phil. 1:9-11).” 43
We probably need to check ourselves to see if we are living by the rule of love. Bock asks, “How often do we pray for those who hate the church?” He says “…In the modern world, this would mean not just protesting against abortion but being prepared to care for the child that is born to a mother who has chosen not to abort.” 44
Coffman comments: “The principles taught here are non-resistance to evil, the overcoming of evil with good, and patient submissiveness to encroachment against one’s personal rights. Ours is an era when men are screaming demands for their ‘rights;’ but the Christian way includes the renunciation of rights, rather than the violent defense of them.” 45
“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” (6:29). Keener says, “The blow on the right cheek was the most grievous insult in the ancient Near East.” 46 Guzik comments, “Culturally, the slap on the cheek was more an attack on honor than a physical assault…Jesus isn’t prohibiting defense, but retaliation. When we truly love our enemies, it will drive them crazy.” 47
Should someone take away our coat (Gk. himation or outer garment), we should let that one take our shirt too (Gk. chiton or undergarment).48 We know from the Old Testament that people needed their outer garments to sleep in. If these were taken in pledge they had to be returned at night so the person could keep warm (cf. Exod. 22:25-26; Deut. 24:10-17).
Matthew adds more of Jesus’ teaching here by saying: “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles” (Matt. 5:41). In those days Roman soldiers had the right to force any person to accompany them and carry their gear. The Christian rule is to do more than is expected, and of course, to do it cheerfully.
“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back” (6:30). I think of this command a lot when people ask me for money on the street. God gave us a brain and we should use it. He has also given us spiritual discernment. In general we should give to those who ask us and let God sort it out at the judgment. However, if we are being victims of a con job we should be cautious. Once in Israel a man asked for money so he could buy food for his needy family. Our organization ran a large food bank and I just happened to have well supplied food basket handy. I offered it to the man but he kicked it in disgust and walked away. That was one time not to give. Generally, we are to give to those who ask. “Love must be ready to be deprived of everything if need be.” 49
BEING DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD
Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31
In this verse we have a simplified version of the Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12. This rule was expressed by many ancient cultures in a negative sense but not in a positive one. For instance, the great Hillel made this statement: “What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor; that is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof” (Shabbath 31a). 50 While the Old Testament commanded love to one’s neighbor (Lev. 19:18), it never spoke of love to one’s enemies.51 Generally, the Jewish people of Jesus’ day despised the Roman occupation and wanted the Romans destroyed or at least pushed out of their land. It seems that the Jews had little love for Gentiles in general.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that” (6:32-33). In the pagan world people loved in order to receive love in return. They did good in order to receive good in return. They never got such ideas from God, for he makes the sun shine and the rain fall on both the evil and the good (cf. Matt. 5:45). Coffman says of this verse:
The message of this passage comes through with overwhelming impact: Jesus expects his disciples to demonstrate a quality of love, helpfulness, and compassion that exceeds everything that may be observed in the conduct of the natural man…One of the saddest things in any church is to see the same circle of friends entertaining themselves over and over without any regard to broadening the base of the relationship. Violation of the Savior’s law in this sector results in the establishment of cliques which are not Christian in any sense, and duplicates of which may be observed in every secular organization on earth.52
“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” (6:34). In Deuteronomy 15:7-11, God’s people were commanded to lend to the needy even when the Sabbatical Year was at hand and at which point the debt would be forfeited. God would reward such as these (Deut. 14:28-29; 15:10).53
God’s people were expected to lend to the needy, even to needy nations (Deut. 28:12). They were not to charge interest to their brethren (Exo. 22:24-25; Lev. 25:36). We Christians sometimes forget these rules. In the Roman world interest could run as high as 48 percent.54 It was obviously a great benefit for Christians to lend to each other. We can hardly imagine the blessing that would ensue if Christians today regularly lent to other Christians, thus saving them from drowning in the high interest rates of credit card borrowing.
“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” (6:35). The verb “expecting” is the Greek apelpizō. This is a rare word and it has the meaning of “despairing.” “Christians should lend, despairing of nothing and nobody.” 55 They must know in the end that God will reward them for their faithfulness.
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (6:36). Matthew says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt. 5:7). Here we think of the debtor who was freely forgiven his massive debt, but who then went out and severely oppressed the one who owed him only a small amount, casting that one into prison (Matt. 18:23-35). God has had great mercy upon us all (cf. 2 Cor. 1:3) and we should therefore be able to have mercy on others.
ON JUDGING
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37
I suspect that one thing holding back many Christians today is the fact that they are judging others. If we judge others we will surely be judged. We are told to judge nothing before the time, but wait for the coming of the Lord (1 Cor. 4:5). Judging others is risky business anyway. Paul says in Romans 2:1: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” As the old saying goes, when we point a finger at another, there are three fingers pointed back at ourselves. Bock says, “A judgmental spirit often reflects a self-righteous, unreflective, insensitive heart.” 56
Rather than judge and condemn we need to practice forgiveness. Alfred Lord Tennyson in his play Promise of May sums it up well:
O man, forgive thy mortal foe,
Nor ever strike him blow for blow;
For all the souls on earth that live
To be forgiven must forgive.
Forgive him seventy times and seven:
For all the blessed souls in Heaven
Are both forgivers and forgiven.
“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” (6:38.) Keener says: “The image here is of a measuring container into which as much grain as possible is packed; it is then shaken to allow the grain to settle, and more is poured in till the container overflows…(Deut. 15:10; Prov. 19:17; 22:9; 28:8).57 We do not often see this in our greedy mass-marketing world. It is not unusual to purchase a large box only to find that it has a small content in it.
The prophets of Israel cried out over such things. They accused people of skimping on the measure and using dishonest scales. Merchants were even including the sweepings with the wheat (Amos 8:5-6). Some years ago a few of our food shipping companies were found to be including rocks and other debris with wheat shipments abroad.
In Bible times, grain and other items were carried in a fold of the garment next to the bosom. This is the picture here. “Lap” is the Greek kolpon, the fold of the outer garment that could form a pocket.58
We should note here that with whatever measure we use to assist others the same measure will be returned to us (cf. Matt. 5:7; 6:14-15; 18:35). If we give with a big bucket God will reward us with a big bucket full. If we give in a “cheeseparing” manner we will be rewarded the same way.
ON BLIND LEADERS
He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?” Luke 6:39
There would hardly be anything more pathetic and even dangerous than a blind person trying to lead another blind person. As Meyer says, “Colorblind men ought not to run trains.” 59 The Pharisees were the popular leaders of Israel but they were walking in spiritual blindness and leading Israel to disaster (cf. Matt. 15:14; 23:16).
“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher” (6:40). Morris says, “A disciple was a learner, a student, but in the first century a student did not simply study a subject; he followed a teacher…” 60 “Jesus is speaking of a time when the disciple had only his rabbi as his source of information.” 61 His goal was to become like his rabbi or teacher. The student would in no sense consider himself above his teacher.
“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?” (6:41). This is one of the places in scripture where it is obvious that Jesus had a sense of humor. Can we imagine how funny it would seem for a person with a 2 by 4 plank in his eye, who was trying to remove a speck of sawdust in the eye of another person? An unknown Amish man said: “The Bible is a mirror to examine ourselves, not a spotlight to shine on other people’s shortcomings.”
This verse reflects the kind of hypocrisy that was once seen in David. After David’s great sin with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, the prophet came to him with a story about how a rich man stole and killed a poor man’s treasured lamb. David flew into a rage and passed quick judgment on the rich man. It was then that the prophet pointed out to David that he himself was that rich man.62
“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” (6:42).
Jesus is here dealing with hypocrisy in judging others. Utley says of the word “hypocrite,” “This compound word came from the theatrical world and was used for an actor performing behind a mask. It came from two Greek words: ‘to judge’ (krinō) and ‘under’ (hupo). It described a person acting in one way, but being another (Luke 18:9).” 63
Zig Zigler once said, “A Hypocrite is one who complains of sex, nudity and violence on his VCR.” Sometimes it seems that our age is drowning in hypocrisy. The writer David Kupelian describes it:
We have phony rich people (with interest-only mortgages and piles of debt), phony beauty (with plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures), phony athletes (with performance enhancing drugs), phony celebrities (via reality TV and You-Tube), phony genius students (with grade inflation), a phony national economy (with $11 trillion of government debt), phony feelings of being special among children (with parenting and education focused on self-esteem), and phony friends (with the social networking explosion). 64
The simple truth of this passage of scripture is that we must first tend to the abuses in our own lives before we venture to correct others.
FRUITFULNESS
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.” Luke 6:43-44
Here Jesus is using common agricultural pictures to illustrate deep spiritual truths. Good trees bear good fruit and bad trees bear bad fruit. In our western society today we seem to have a terrible confusion about these basic facts. We somehow feel that bad trees can bear good fruit. David Dockery sums up our present situation:
The party is over for the hedonistic sexual revolution of the period from the sexy ‘60s to the gay ‘90s. The party crasher is sexually transmitted diseases, with AIDS leading the way. We are now having to learn to live with the consequences of the sexual, interpersonal, and familial wreckage to which this narcissistic money-grubbing, lust -enslaved, porn-infested, abortive self-indulgence has led us. Its interpersonal fruits are friendlessness, disaffection, divorce, and the despairing substitution of sexual experimentation for intimacy. 65
“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” (6:45). In the US, we now often hear strange expressions flowing from the mouths of people who are witnessing some awful tragedy. They shout out words of exclamation which are so vile they could not be published. Yet, these vile expressions are not always bleeped out on television. These expressions are no accident. They are merely flowing from what is in the heart of these people. If we but listen carefully to what people say they will tell us what is really in their hearts.
We probably need to note here that these are scattered sayings found in other places (Matt. 7:15-20; 12:33-35). Luke may be collecting sayings of Jesus which were spoken on several different occasions. He seems with them to be forming a kind of compendium for Christian living.66
WISE AND FOOLISH BUILDERS
Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? Luke 6:46
The Jewish rabbis felt that doubling a name was a way of showing special affection (cf. Gen. 22:11). The word for Lord (Kurios) was used in New Testament times to mean “Sir” “Master,” “owner,” or “husband.” However it often was derived from the covenant name of God (YHWH, cf. Exod. 3:14), meaning “Lord.” 67
Here we see the close biblical connection of hearing and doing. To really hear is to obey and do what the Master has commanded. We must not think that commands are confined to the Old Testament. According to my count there are at least a thousand commands in the New Testament and many have come from the lips of Jesus himself. Caird says, “The final characteristic of the new life is obedience, not, as in Judaism to a set of rules, but to a person…The man who hears and does is safe against every crisis, while the man who only hears is inviting disaster.” 68
“As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 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” (6:47-48). For those of us who have lived in Israel this is a familiar picture. In Israel, most people live in multi-story apartments and condos. When one of these buildings is constructed, the incessant noise of drilling machinery can be heard for months as deep footings are drilled and poured from the bedrock upwards. The sound is unnerving but the buildings are sound.
Today we need to take the time to go deep in our faith and base our lives on the solid teaching of the word of God. This will take time, effort and expense. God is not growing mushrooms but mighty saints who can stand the test that is to come. We cannot live by the prevailing opinions of this present evil age but by the sure teaching of God’s holy word. The teachings of this age are like the grass that withers but God’s word will stand forever (Isa. 40:8; 1 Pet. 1:25). We can safely build our lives upon his word. We must remember that we are not to simply read the Bible but to put its precepts into practice.
“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” (6:49). What we undoubtedly have here is a building constructed on a nice sandy wadi. We have many of these in Israel. In the warm and dry months there is not a drop of rain. But when the winter months come the rain often falls in abundance and these dry wadis become raging torrents.69 Pity the house that is constructed in one of these for it will be quickly washed away.
Wiersbe comments, “The storm here is not the last judgment but the tests of life that come to every professing Christian.” 70 We need to understand this. God has promised that the storms will come in our lives. These storms are designed to test the quality of our building. If we are building our lives on the passing fancies of this evil age our house will be washed away when the floods come. If we are building on the word of God, and if we are applying that word to our everyday lives, t hen our houses will stand the test.