Luke 6 (Devotional Commentary)
A Walk through Luke and Acts
With week 6, we encounter chapter 6 of Luke’s Gospel and passages that exhibit the Way of Jesus. In Luke 4:14-30, readers hear from Jesus about his God-given, Spirit-empowered mission to bring about God’s gracious reign on the earth. Luke 6 lays out for us the way Jesus walks on and calls his disciples to imitate (recall that we are still in the section, in 4:14-9:50, that covers the ministry of Jesus in Galilee). The Way of Jesus can only be grasped in the context of a world that is set against the kingdom of God. Sadly, some of the Jewish religious leaders in Luke’s Gospel represent this world system of thinking and living. As we study this chapter, may we hear the calling of Jesus to walk on his Way in our world.
IV. THE MINISTRY OF JESUS IN GALILEE (4:14−9:50)
Luke 4:14−9:50 can be best summarized as the ministry of Jesus in Galilee. Although Jesus did ministry in other parts of Israel in 4:14−9:50, the focus is clearly on His Galilean ministry work. It seems that Luke presented episodes of Jesus’ ministry in this section to provide readers with an overall picture of the patterns, developments, and purpose of this ministry. This section of Luke’s Gospel can be split up into the following parts: the mission of Jesus (4:14−30); the authority of Jesus (4:31−44); the calling of Simon Peter (5:1−11); the cleansing of a leper (5:12−16); the healing of a paralytic (5:17−26); the calling of Levi (5:27−32); Jesus and fasting (5:33−39); Lord of the Sabbath (6:1−11); the twelve apostles (6:12−16); the sermon on the plain (6:17−49); the faith of a centurion (7:1−10); the raising of a widow’s son (7:11−17); Jesus and John (7:18−35); forgiveness and love (7:36−50); supporting Jesus (8:1−3); hearing Jesus (8:4−21); the calming of a storm (8:22−25); the healing of a demonized man (8:26−39); a dead girl and a sick woman (8:40−56); the sending out of the Twelve (9:1−9); the feeding of the crowd (9:10−17); Peter’s confession of Christ (9:18−27); the transfiguration of Jesus (9:28−36); the healing of a boy (9:37−45); and the greatest in the Kingdom of God (9:46−50).
H. Lord of the Sabbath (6:1−11)
In 6:1−11, Jesus is presented as Lord of the Sabbath. On two occasions (vv. 1−5 and vv. 6−11), the actions of Jesus and His disciples on the Sabbath caused conflict between Himself and some of the Jewish religious leadership. Through this conflict, the differences between Jesus’ teaching and that of these religious leaders become clear to readers.
The first occasion of conflict occurred while Jesus and His disciples were going through some fields of grain. At this time, His disciples were eating kernels from heads of grain, an action that was allowed by the Law of Moses (see Deut. 23:24−25). Some Pharisees who were in the crowd with Jesus asked Him why He let them do what is “unlawful on the Sabbath” (6:1−2). Jesus’ reference to the actions of David and his companions in 1 Samuel 21:1−6 is meant to validate what His disciples did to satisfy their hunger (6:3−4). Since Jesus (“the Son of Man”) is “Lord of the Sabbath,” He is able to rightly declare what is lawful and unlawful on this holy day. The implication in verse 5 is that Jesus shares in the authority of God, who gave the fourth commandment in the first place (see Ex. 20:8−11).
In the second occasion of conflict, it was the actions of Jesus Himself that provoked opposition from the Jewish religious leaders. The setting for this conflict is Jesus as a teacher in the synagogue. Since some Pharisees and teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they paid careful attention to every action of Jesus on this particular Sabbath. If Jesus would heal a man with a shriveled hand who was there, then accusations of Jesus’ breaking of the Sabbath could be made (6:6−7). (One wonders whether these leaders set up this situation.) Knowing their intentions (by the power of the Holy Spirit), Jesus confronted them and their views of the Sabbath using a rhetorical question and a healing. Jesus’ question about what is lawful on the Sabbath was implicitly answered when Jesus restored the man’s shriveled hand (6:8−10). The rhetorical question in verse 9 was about the Sabbath and these leaders. The actions of Jesus on this Sabbath provide a contrast with what the Jewish religious leaders did. While Jesus did good and saved life, they were planning to do evil and to destroy life. After hearing Jesus’ words against them and seeing the healing, they were furious and began discussions about plots against Jesus (6:11; cf. 6:6−7). As readers, we can respond to the words of Jesus as “Lord of the Sabbath” with humility and openness to his wisdom. Sabbath-rest is a gift from God that can be received and implemented with the guidance of God’s Spirit.
I. The Twelve Apostles (6:12−16)
Luke 6:12−16 is about the choosing of the twelve apostles. Jesus chose twelve disciples as apostles for a special purpose. Through twelve apostles (Judas is replaced by Matthias in Acts 1), God would establish the early Church and begin the worldwide spread the Gospel.
It is important to understand that Jesus’ choice of these twelve men was made in consultation with God the Father and God the Spirit. During one of the days of Jesus’ early ministry in Galilee, Jesus ascended a mountainside to spend the night in prayer. The focus of Jesus’ prayer time seems to be which disciples He would designate as apostles. The next morning, Jesus called many of His disciples together and made His selection known to them (6:12−13). The meaning of “apostle” is “one sent with authority.” In other words, these twelve men were appointed for a special mission by God! While all followers of Jesus are called to serve Jesus in God’s Kingdom, God worked through the twelve apostles in very unique ways (6:14−16). Luke’s mention of Judas Iscariot later becoming “a traitor” to Jesus foreshadows how many from the Jewish religious leadership will use this Judas to carry out their plot against Jesus (compare 6:11, 16 with 22:1−6). As readers, we can ponder the mission that we are sent on by Jesus. In the Book of Acts, we will hear about our calling to be “witnesses” to Jesus and the good news of God’s Kingdom (see Acts 1:6-11).
J. The Sermon on the Plain (6:17−49)
Luke 6:17−49 is often called the sermon on the plain because Jesus preached a sermon in this passage “on a level place” (see 6:17). While everyone who had gathered around Jesus would have heard this sermon, His message was directed to His disciples (compare 6:20 with 6:17−19 and 7:1). There are two main focal points to Jesus’ message: (1) walking in the Way of Jesus; and (2) living as Jesus’ disciples in a world that is hostile to Jesus and His Way.
Verses 17−19 provide the setting for Jesus’ delivery of His sermon in verses 20−49. After He chose twelve of His disciples to be apostles (6:12−17), Jesus descended to “a level place,” possibly on the side of a hill, with the apostles and other disciples. A large crowd of His disciples and a great number of people from various areas of Israel came to Jesus there for His teaching and healing. Everyone who was troubled by demons was healed of the damage these demons caused, and the power of God in Jesus was so evident that everyone tried to touch Him.
Based on the presence of key words and themes, Jesus’ sermon on discipleship can be divided into three parts: joy and despair (vv. 20−26); love and mercy (vv. 27−36); and discernment and obedience (vv. 37−49). In 6:20−26, Jesus provided His disciples with a vision of the present and the future for those who follow Jesus (vv. 20−23) and those who do not (vv. 24−26). It seems that “the poor” and “the rich” are summary terms. The contrasts Jesus made between these two groups should be understood in both literal and spiritual senses. Being poor can include but does not necessitate financial poverty, and one can be rich without being financially wealthy. The spiritually poor are those who recognize their need for God to rescue them from their sins and to restore them unto new, everlasting life. The Kingdom of God belongs to those who turn to and trust Jesus for this rescue and restoration. Jesus’ disciples should be truly happy (“blessed”) for this life in God’s Kingdom, but they also must endure persecution for their faithfulness to Him. Jesus exhorted His disciples to rejoice in this harsh reality for they, like the true prophets in the Old Testament, will receive a great, future reward from God. The “rich” Jesus referred to in verses 24−26 are like the false prophets in the Old Testament – although people spoke well of these prophets, they fell under the might judgment of God! There is a sense in which both groups (the poor and the rich) will experience a reversal when Jesus returns in triumph and glory. Those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake will be saved, but those who are hostile to Jesus and His disciples will receive judgment (see 2 Thess. 1:3−10). These reversals are the reason why the spiritually poor should be joyful (and the spiritually rich should despair) concerning their present experiences and promised futures.
The words and themes that are key for understanding 6:27−36 are “love” and “mercy.” In light of the persecution Jesus’ disciples can face for their discipleship commitment to Him, Jesus’ next topic was what it means to show Godlike love and mercy to those who would persecute them. The disciples’ love of their “enemies” should include good deeds, blessings, and prayers (6:27−28). Jesus gave four examples of this love in verses 29−30 and a summary statement about this love in verse 31. The examples are poignant to forcefully illustrate Jesus’ way of relating to one’s enemies. The fundamental standard to meet in this area of following Jesus is treating others as one would like to be treated.
The emphasis shifts in verses 32−36 from love to mercy. To receive “credit” in God’s Kingdom for loving one’s enemies like Jesus, His disciples must be willing to demonstrate mercy. Jesus’ disciples should not expect a great “reward” from God for merely acting like “sinners” (i.e., those whose way of life is characterized by rebellion against God and His righteous standards). Jesus’ examples of mercy in 6:32−35 indicate that this mercy is to be distinguished by generosity and selflessness. Not only will Jesus’ disciples receive a great reward for this obedience, but they will also show the world that they are “sons of the Most High.” (Note that in the first-century Greco-Roman world, the term “sons” was often used to refer to both men and women.) Like verse 31, verse 36 functions as a summary. Jesus’ basic point is that sons should act like their fathers, so His disciples should conduct themselves like God, who is “merciful.”
Discernment and obedience are the key themes for the last part of Jesus’ message. Central to walking in the Way of Jesus is responding to the world’s hostility to God with love and mercy. Luke 6:37−49 consists of Jesus’ exhortations to His disciples (1) to discern the condition of their hearts and (2) to obey Jesus as their Lord in having these two virtues. It is necessary for His disciples to pay attention to how much mercy they give to others, because God will give them that amount of mercy. Jesus’ disciples are children of God only because of His mercy in Jesus, and this same mercy enables them to be givers of mercy. The image in verse 38 is that of a measuring jar overflowing with corn. Mercy-filled disciples can expect an overabundance of mercy from God (6:37−38). To reinforce His main point about mercy in verses 37−38, Jesus provided a short parable (v. 39) with an explanation (v. 40) and an expansion (vv. 41−42) of it. Jesus explained that blind teachers cannot train blind students to see. Jesus’ expansion of the parable makes clear, through humor and hyperbole, how teachers can gain the necessary sight to do this. Jesus’ disciples must learn to discern and overcome the hypocrisy of trying to help someone else with their sins without a humble acknowledgement of one’s own sins.
In verses 43−49, Jesus used two sets of images to call His disciples to obedience. The first set (6:43−45) involves trees and their fruit. Just as trees bear fruit in accordance with their nature, people conduct themselves in accordance with their character. If Jesus’ disciples want to bear “good fruit,” then they need to discern and change the condition of their heart (i.e., the central core of their being). In the second set (6:46−49) of images (houses and their foundations), the seriousness of this inward renewal is confirmed. Jesus told His disciples that if they are to identify Him as their Lord, then it is necessary to put His words into practice. Those who do this are like the man who built his house on a rock foundation. But those who do not do this are like the man who built his house without a foundation. Jesus’ point is that anyone who calls Jesus Lord but does not put His words into practice is as foolish as the second man. Jesus is the Lord of those who seek to obey Him! As readers, it is important that we can identify specifically what it means for us as individuals to build our lives on Jesus’s words. What does it look like for each disciple to live their lives as if Jesus was living their lives?