Luke 6

1 One Shabbat, while Yeshua was passing through some wheat fields, his talmidim began plucking the heads of grain, rubbing them between their hands and eating the seeds.

2 Some of the P'rushim said, "Why are you violating Shabbat?"

3 Yeshua answered them, "Haven't you ever read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

4 He entered the House of God and took and ate the Bread of the Presence" -- which no one is permitted to eat but the cohanim.

5 "The Son of Man," he concluded, "is Lord of Shabbat."

6 On another Shabbat, when Yeshua had gone into the synagogue and was teaching, a man was there who had a shriveled hand.

7 The Torah-teachers and P'rushim watched Yeshua carefully to see if he would heal on Shabbat, so that they could accuse him of something.

8 But he knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Come up and stand where we can see you!" He got up and stood there.

9 Then Yeshua said to them, "I ask you now: what is permitted on Shabbat? Doing good or doing evil? Saving life or destroying it?"

10 Then, after looking around at all of them, he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." As he held it out, his hand was restored.

11 But the others were filled with fury and began discussing with each other what they could do to Yeshua.

12 It was around that time that Yeshua went out to the hill country to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

13 When day came, he called his talmidim and chose from among them twelve to be known as emissaries:

14 Shim`on, whom he named Kefa; Andrew, his brother; Ya`akov; Yochanan; Philip; Bar-Talmai;

15 Mattityahu; T'oma; Ya`akov Ben-Halfai;

16 Shim`on, the one called the Zealot; Y'hudah Ben-Ya`akov; and Y'hudah from K'riot, who turned traitor.

17 Then he came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his talmidim was there with great numbers of people from all Y'hudah, Yerushalayim and the coast around Tzor and Tzidon; they had come to hear him and be healed of their diseases.

18 Those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being healed;

19 and the whole crowd was trying to touch him, because power kept going out from him, healing everyone.

20 He looked at his talmidim and said: "How blessed are you poor! for the Kingdom of God is yours.

21 "How blessed are you who are hungry! for you will be filled. "How blessed are you who are crying now! for you will laugh.

22 "How blessed you are whenever people hate you and ostracize you and insult you and denounce you as a criminal on account of the Son of Man.

23 Be glad when that happens; yes, dance for joy! because in heaven your reward is great. For that is just how their fathers treated the prophets.

24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already had all the comfort you will get!

25 "Woe to you who are full now, for you will go hungry! "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and cry!

26 "Woe to you when people speak well of you, for that is just how their fathers treated the false prophets!

27 Nevertheless, to you who are listening, what I say is this: "Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you,

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

29 "If someone hits you on one cheek, offer the other too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well.

30 "If someone asks you for something, give it to him; if someone takes what belongs to you, don't demand it back.

31 "Treat other people as you would like them to treat you.

32 What credit is it to you if you love only those who love you? Why, even sinners love those who love them.

33 What credit is it to you if you do good only to those who do good to you? Even sinners do that.

34 What credit is it to you if you lend only to those who you expect will pay you back? Even sinners lend to each other, expecting to be repaid in full.

35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing back! Your reward will be great, and you will be children of Ha`Elyon; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

36 Show compassion, just as your Father shows compassion.

37 "Don't judge, and you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you won't be condemned. "Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

38 Give, and you will receive gifts -- the full measure, compacted, shaken together and overflowing, will be put right in your lap. For the measure with which you measure out will be used to measure back to you!"

39 He also told them a parable: "Can one blind man lead another blind man? Won't they both fall into a pit?

40 A talmid is not above his rabbi; but each one, when he is fully trained, will be like his rabbi.

41 So why do you see the splinter in your brother's eye, but not notice the log in your own eye?

42 How can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me remove the splinter from your eye,' when you yourself don't see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye; then you will see clearly, so that you can remove the splinter from your brother's eye!

43 "For no good tree produces bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit.

44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit -- figs aren't picked from thorn bushes, nor grapes from a briar patch.

45 The good person produces good things from the store of good in his heart, while the evil person produces evil things from the store of evil in his heart. For his mouth speaks what overflows from his heart.

46 "Why do you call me, `Lord! Lord!' but not do what I say?

47 Everyone who comes to me, hears my words and acts on them -- I will show you what he is like:

48 he is like someone building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the torrent beat against that house but couldn't shake it, because it was constructed well.

49 And whoever hears my words but doesn't act on them is like someone who built his house on the ground without any foundation. As soon as the river struck it, it collapsed and that house became a horrendous wreck!"

Luke 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

The disciples pluck corn on the sabbath. (1-5) Works of mercy suitable to the sabbath day. (6-11) The apostles chosen. (12-19) Blessings and woes declared. (20-26) Christ exhorts to mercy. (27-36) And to justice and sincerity. (37-49)

Verses 1-5 Christ justifies his disciples in a work of necessity for themselves on the sabbath day, and that was plucking the ears of corn when they were hungry. But we must take heed that we mistake not this liberty for leave to commit sin. Christ will have us to know and remember that it is his day, therefore to be spent in his service, and to his honour.

Verses 6-11 Christ was neither ashamed nor afraid to own the purposes of his grace. He healed the poor man, though he knew that his enemies would take advantage against him for it. Let us not be drawn either from our duty or from our usefulness by any opposition. We may well be amazed, that the sons of men should be so wicked.

Verses 12-19 We often think one half hour a great deal to spend in meditation and secret prayer, but Christ was whole nights engaged in these duties. In serving God, our great care should be not to lose time, but to make the end of one good duty the beginning of another. The twelve apostles are here named; never were men so privileged, yet one of them had a devil, and proved a traitor. Those who have not faithful preaching near them, had better travel far than be without it. It is indeed worth while to go a great way to hear the word of Christ, and to go out of the way of other business for it. They came to be cured by him, and he healed them. There is a fulness of grace in Christ, and healing virtue in him, ready to go out from him, that is enough for all, enough for each. Men regard the diseases of the body as greater evils than those of their souls; but the Scripture teaches us differently.

Verses 20-26 Here begins a discourse of Christ, most of which is also found in ( Matthew 5 , Matthew 7 ) . But some think that this was preached at another time and place. All believers that take the precepts of the gospel to themselves, and live by them, may take the promises of the gospel to themselves, and live upon them. Woes are denounced against prosperous sinners as miserable people, though the world envies them. Those are blessed indeed whom Christ blesses, but those must be dreadfully miserable who fall under his woe and curse! What a vast advantage will the saint have over the sinner in the other world! and what a wide difference will there be in their rewards, how much soever the sinner may prosper, and the saint be afflicted here!

Verses 27-36 These are hard lessons to flesh and blood. But if we are thoroughly grounded in the faith of Christ's love, this will make his commands easy to us. Every one that comes to him for washing in his blood, and knows the greatness of the mercy and the love there is in him, can say, in truth and sincerity, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Let us then aim to be merciful, even according to the mercy of our heavenly Father to us.

Verses 37-49 All these sayings Christ often used; it was easy to apply them. We ought to be very careful when we blame others; for we need allowance ourselves. If we are of a giving and a forgiving spirit, we shall ourselves reap the benefit. Though full and exact returns are made in another world, not in this world, yet Providence does what should encourage us in doing good. Those who follow the multitude to do evil, follow in the broad way that leads to destruction. The tree is known by its fruits; may the word of Christ be so grafted in our hearts, that we may be fruitful in every good word and work. And what the mouth commonly speaks, generally agrees with what is most in the heart. Those only make sure work for their souls and eternity, and take the course that will profit in a trying time, who think, speak, and act according to the words of Christ. Those who take pains in religion, found their hope upon Christ, who is the Rock of Ages, and other foundation can no man lay. In death and judgment they are safe, being kept by the power of Christ through faith unto salvation, and they shall never perish.