The Way - Day 006 (Luke 6)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
Luke 6:1-11
In the first eleven verses of chapter 6 Luke provides two incidents which occurred on different Sabbath days. The Sabbath day was initially an observance between God and Israel to set aside one day of rest without labor (Exodus 31:16-17) and later on Moses restates the ten commandments to the next generation so that they would remember the Sabbath day as a time to celebrate God's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage (Deuteronomy 5:15). Old Testament law did prohibit certain actions on the Sabbath day such as building a fire (Exodus 35:3) or any type of labor for profit (Deuteronomy 5:14).

In the first occurrence mentioned by Luke, Jesus and His disciples were walking through the grainfields where they rubbed grain in their hands and ate because they were hungry (Luke 6:1; Matthew 12:1), but some of the Pharisees were nearby and accused them of doing something that was not lawful on the Sabbath day (Luke 6:2). The Pharisees interpreted the rubbing of the grain in their hands as working on the Sabbath; however, this was a lie of the Pharisees because the Old Testament law actually permitted people to eat grain from the fields of farmers as long as they were not doing it for a profit or taking it with them to sell for profit (Deuteronomy 23:25). Jesus quickly answered the accusations of the Pharisees by providing them with an Old Testament illustration (1 Samuel 21:1-9) of when David and his men ate bread given to them by the priests at the tabernacle, even though the priests were the only ones permitted to eat the bread (6:3-4). Jesus then said to the Pharisees, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath" (6:5). As David and his men were granted permission to eat bread reserved only for priests, Jesus (being God) and His disciples were also above man-made laws. In this case, Jesus and His disciples were hungry so they ate grain from the field, but the Pharisees elevated obedience to their strict set of rules instead of understanding the needs of the disciples.

The second incident occurs when Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath day and teaches the people who have gathered (6:6a). A man with a withered hand was also present in the synagogue along with the Pharisees, who were watching Jesus to see if He would heal this man on the Sabbath (6:6b-7). Jesus, knowing the thoughts of the Pharisees, asked the man to stand before Him and then He asked the people, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy?" (6:8-9) After asking this question (with an obvious answer) to the Pharisees, Jesus heals the man with the withered hand, "but they [the Pharisees] were filled with rage and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus" (6:10-11). They could not accuse Jesus of doing work on the Sabbath because it was simply His spoken words which brought healing to this man.

Both of these incidents on the Sabbath day demonstrate that the so-called religious leaders of Jesus' day were not interested in the well-being of people, but only in the people keeping the laws they had created. When the restoration of people is forsaken because of a greater commitment to man-made rules, something is terribly wrong.

Luke 6:12-38
Luke documents that Jesus departed to a mountain to pray and "continued all night in prayer to God" (6:12) because He was about to make one of the biggest decisions in His ministry. When the night became day, Jesus called all of his disciples (those who followed Him) to Himself and from amongst all of them He chose twelve apostles (meaning sent ones), who would specifically be sent to many places in order to spread the message of Jesus Christ on His behalf. Luke provides the names of these twelve chosen to be Jesus' apostles: "Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor" (6:14-16).

Immediately after making His selection, Jesus and His newly appointed apostles gathered with the other disciples, as well as a great multitude who had come to the place where Jesus was, and there He healed many of the sick and cast out demons of the afflicted (6:17-18). Luke also writes that "the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all" (6:19). A similar situation occurred with a lady who had an issue of blood in Mark 5:25-34. After these events, Luke provides an abbreviated account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount which is fully recorded in Matthew 5-7. Rather than mentioning all nine beatitudes (characteristics of those with true faith) as in Matthew 5:3-12, Luke only writes concerning four of them and contrasts them with four opposing woes: poor/rich (6:20, 24), hunger/full (6:21a, 25a), weep/laugh (6:21b, 25b), and persecution/praise (6:22-23, 26). When Jesus spoke of being poor, he was not referring to material things, but spiritual. Those who recognize their own sinfulness are ready to receive God's forgiveness. Being hungry simply refers to a desire to be filled by the things of God instead of the temporary offerings of the world. Weeping is the condition of those who recognize their sinful condition before a holy God. Persecution may be the result for those who stand for what is right and oppose what is evil.

As Luke continues to abbreviate Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he highlights the character of those who follow in His ways, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise" (6:27-31). It is easy to love those who are similar to us, but it is necessary to receive God's help in order to love those who oppose us (6:32-36). Jesus also warns against judging others (6:37a), condemning others (6:37b), failing to forgive others (6:37c), and refusing to give to others (6:38). These rules given by Jesus are basically a surrender of all personal rights in order to exemplify humility and love. Modeling these characteristics seems impossible, humanly speaking; however, God's Spirit will enable those who have genuine faith to react in these ways.

Luke 6:39-49
In these verses, Luke continues his abbreviated content of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, which can be fully read in Matthew 5-7. So far the writer of this gospel account has listed four of the beatitudes as well as the opposing woes to each of these characteristics (6:20-26). Luke had also provided some of the rules for those whose faith is genuine, which could only be empowered through the divine work of the Holy Spirit (6:27-38). Luke closes out his account of Jesus' sermon with two parables: parable of the blind leading the blind and the parable of two foundations.

In the parable of the blind leading the blind, also found in Matthew 7:3-5, 16-18, Jesus speaks to those who have gathered saying, "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher" (6:39-40). Jesus is explaining that a person will become like the one he follows. If a blind person is leading the way and falls into a ditch, those who are following will fall also; of course, Jesus was not referring to physical blindness, but spiritual. If a person follows those who are ignorant of the truth, he will also be led astray. In order to avoid tragedy, Jesus is challenging people to follow Him because He is the truth and will lead them in the right way (John 14:6). Jesus brings another truth into this parable concerning those who are leading others, "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye" (6:41-42). Those who lead others may have a tendency to judge others for their faults while at the same time ignoring their own. Rather than pointing out the failures in others, first take care of your own problems so that you'll then be able to help others in a spirit of humility (Galatians 6:1). Ultimately, a person's actions reveal who they truly are and Jesus desires those who follow Him to demonstrate a lifestyle of obedience to the ways of God. Why? "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks" (6:43-45). The true nature of a person is not demonstrated in his words, but in his actions. The person whose heart is righteous before God will reflect that truth in the way he lives his life.

Almost continuing this same thought, Luke ends his documentation of the Sermon on the Mount with a glaring question posed by Jesus, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (6:46) Those who hear but do not obey are similar to a man who builds his house without a foundation and is eventually destroyed (6:49); however, the man who hears and obeys the truth is likened to someone who first lays the foundation and then builds the house. Jesus was not interested in creating followers who just simply spoke the truth, but those who also lived it.

Dear God, help my actions to speak louder than my words.