Luke 6

Plucking Grain on the Sabbath

1 Now it happened that on a Sabbath he went through the grain fields, and his disciples were picking and eating the heads of grain, rubbing [them] in [their] hands.

2 But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what is not permitted on the Sabbath?

3 And Jesus answered [and] said to them, "Have you not read this, what David did when he and those [who were] with him were hungry--

4 how he entered into the house of God and took the bread of the presentation, which it is not permitted to eat (except the priests alone), [and] ate [it] and gave [it] to those with him?"

5 And he said to them, "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

A Man with a Withered Hand Healed

6 Now it happened that on another Sabbath he entered into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there, and his right hand was withered.

7 So the scribes and the Pharisees were watching closely [to see] if he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they could find [a reason] to accuse him.

8 But he knew their thoughts and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Get up and stand in the middle," and he got up [and] stood there.

9 And Jesus said to them, "I ask you whether it is permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to destroy [it]?"

10 And [after] looking around at them all, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand," and he did, and his hand was restored.

11 But they were filled with fury, and began discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Selection of the Twelve Apostles

12 Now it happened that in these days he went away to the mountain to pray, and was spending the whole night in prayer to God.

13 And when day came, he summoned his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he also named apostles:

14 Simon (whom he also named Peter) and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,

15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,

16 and Judas [the son] of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

The Sermon on the Plain: The Beatitudes

17 And he came down with them [and] stood on a level place, and a large crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all of Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast district of Tyre and Sidon,

18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were cured.

19 And the whole crowd was seeking to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing [them] all.

20 And he lifted up his eyes to his disciples [and] said, "Blessed [are] the poor, because yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed [are] those who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed [are] those who weep now, Because you will laugh.

22 Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile [you] and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.

23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward [is] great in heaven. For their fathers used to do the same [things] to the prophets.

The Sermon on the Plain: Woes

24 "But woe to you who are rich, because you have received your comfort.

25 Woe to you who are satisfied now, because you will be hungry. Woe, you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep.

26 Woe whenever all people speak well of you, for their fathers used to do the same [things] to the false prophets.

The Sermon on the Plain: Love for Enemies

27 "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

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

29 To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also.

30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for [them back].

31 And just as you want people {to do} to you, do {the same} to them.

32 "And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? For even sinners love those who love them!

33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even the sinners do the same!

34 And if you lend [to those] from whom you expect to receive [back], what kind of credit is [that] to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal [amount]!

35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!

The Sermon on the Plain: On Judging Others

37 "And do not judge, and you will never be judged. And do not condemn, and you will never be condemned. Pardon, and you will be pardoned.

38 Give, and it will be given to you, a good measure--pressed down, shaken, overflowing--they will pour out into your lap. For with the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you in return."

39 And he also told them a parable: "Surely a blind person cannot lead the blind, [can he]? Will they not both fall into a pit?

40 A disciple is not superior to [his] teacher, but everyone, [when he] is fully trained, will be like his teacher.

41 And why do you see the speck [that is] in your brother's eye, but do not notice the beam of wood [that is] in your own eye?

42 How are you able to say to your brother, "Brother, allow [me] to remove the speck [that is] in your eye," [while] you yourself do not see the beam of wood in your [own] eye? Hypocrite! First remove the beam of wood from your [own] eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck [that is] in your brother's eye!

The Sermon on the Plain: Trees and Their Fruit

43 "For there is no good tree that produces bad fruit, nor on the other hand a bad tree that produces good fruit,

44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn plants, nor are grapes harvested from thorn bushes.

45 The good person out of the good treasury of his heart brings forth good, and the evil person out of [his] evil [treasury] brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

46 "And why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell [you]?

The Sermon on the Plain: Two Houses and Two Foundations

47 "Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and does them--I will show you what he is like:

48 he is like a man building a house, who dug and went down deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And [when] a flood came, the river burst against that house and was not able to shake it, because it had been built well.

49 But the one who hears [my words] and does not do [them] is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation, which the river burst against, and immediately it collapsed--and the collapse of that house was great!"

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [b]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [c]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("answered") has been translated as a finite verb
• [d]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("took") has been translated as a finite verb
• [e]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [f]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [g]. Some manuscripts have "were watching him closely"
• [h]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [i]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("get up") has been translated as a finite verb
• [j]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [k]. *Here "[after]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("looking around") which is understood as temporal
• [l]. *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here ("began discussing")
• [m]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("came down") has been translated as a finite verb
• [n]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("lifted up") has been translated as a finite verb
• [o]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [p]. Literally "would do"
• [q]. Literally "likewise"
• [r]. Some manuscripts have "For even if"
• [s]. Some manuscripts have "also is merciful"
• [t]. *The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase "[can he]"
• [u]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [v]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("is fully trained") which is understood as temporal
• [w]. *Here "[while]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("see") which is understood as temporal
• [x]. *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
• [y]. *The word "[treasury"] here is an understood repetition from earlier in the verse
• [z]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [aa]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("came")
• [ab]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
• [ac]. *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation