LUKE 6                   
    Luke 6:1 "And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked
the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands."
    Eating corn from a neighbor's field was not stealing. The law in Deuteronomy 23:25 says.  "When thou comest into the standing corn of
thy neighbour, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's standing corn."
    Luke 6:2 "And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?"
    There was a law against reaping and against threshing. Pulling these ears of corn would be classified as work. In the law. there was no
work at all to be done on the sabbath (Exodus 20 and Numbers 15). Even in the tenth chapter of Nehemiah, the gates were closed to stop
trade on sabbath. Jesus allowed this situation to arise to teach the disciples, the scribes, and the Pharisees the lesson that God made sabbath
for man's benefit. God knew that the human body needed to rest in one out of 7 days. Jesus is telling them not to be so technical but wants
them to understand the meaning behind sabbath.
    Luke 6:3 "And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and
they which were with him;"
    Luke 6:4 "How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him;
which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?"
    Jesus is saying here, you men of the law do you not know your own Scriptures? Then He quotes to them about David going into the temple
and eating the forbidden bread. You can read about this bread that was reserved for the priests in Exodus 29:32. Jesus is trying to make them
realize that the law was given to help man. Jesus is trying to teach them the reason behind the ordinance.
    Luke 6:5 "And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath."
    Jesus is Lord of everything. In Mark 2:27 "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:" The rules
that the Lord set up for us to live by are for our benefit. Jesus, in verse five above, is letting these scribes and Pharisees know that He is
Messiah (the Anointed One), the Christ.
    Luke 6:6 "And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose
right hand was withered."
    Luke 6:7 "And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an
accusation against him."
    Jesus is still teaching on the law of sabbath, even though this was at least a week later than the lesson in the corn field. One of the main
differences, in this and the eating of the corn, is that the first one is outside the church, and this one is in the synagogue. The scribes and
Pharisees are hoping to catch Jesus working on the sabbath.
    Luke 6:8 "But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst.
And he arose and stood forth."
    Jesus will not disappoint them. He, without hiding or sneaking around, tells the man to boldly stand to receive his healing so that all might
see. The man had sought Jesus out for just this purpose, and was not about to lose this chance.
    Luke 6:9 "Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life,
or to destroy it?"
    Jesus asks a question that they cannot answer. They would be trapped themselves if they answer either way.
    Luke 6:10 "And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was
restored whole as the other."
    The power of the Word of the Lord caused the diseased hand to obey and stretch forth. As the man extended his hand, he was made totally
whole.
    Luke 6:11 "And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus."
    This anger they felt should have been joy for the poor man's hand being healed. Their anger was probaby, in part, fueled by jealousy,
because they could not heal. Jesus was making them look bad. They wanted to get rid of Him before everyone followed Him. Luke doesn't
even find it necessary to mention that these scribes and Pharisees were not able to do anything to Jesus.
    Luke 6:12 "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
    If we would take an example from Jesus and take more time to pray we would find greater things happening in our own lives. An
important decision was to be made. Jesus' and the Father's wishes must be one.
    Luke 6:13  "And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;"
    There were many disciples who followed Jesus. After praying all night, Jesus calls them all to Him and chooses 12 apostles. These would
be the leaders of the larger group. This would be the close knit group that He would teach so that they might be the leaders in His church. The
word "apostle" means one who is sent or ambassador.
    Luke 6:14 "Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,"
    It is believed that Bartholomew, here, and Nathanael in St. John are the same person. Simon, whom Jesus called Peter, was surnamed
(family name) "Cephas", which literally means a mass of rock. James and John were sons of Zebedee. Peter, James, and John were the three
Jesus had with Him the most. They seemed to be the closest to Jesus.
    Luke 6:15 "Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,"
    Matthew was the tax collector. Thomas was the doubter. This "Zelotes" is a group Simon belonged to.
    Luke 6:16 "And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor."
    These two Judases completed the 12. Of course, there were many more disciples, these were just the representative group of 12 that Jesus
entrusted His church to.
    Luke 6:17  "And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people
out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their
diseases;"
    We see, now, that after Jesus went to the mountain and prayed, and after He chose the 12 out of all the disciples to walk the closest to Him,
He comes down the mountain with His disciples and meets a large group of people. Many want to be healed. Many came to hear His
teachings because His message was full of hope.                       
    Luke 6:18 "And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed."
    Jesus healed everyone whether the healing was physical or mental. He, also, delivered those possessed of devils.
    Luke 6:19 "And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all."
    Jesus' power was unlimited. Virtue in this case means miraculous power. The woman who touched the hem of His garment was healed by
this virtue. This power was overwhelming.
    Luke 6:20  "And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God."
    Many of those who followed Jesus would have been classed as the poor, because they were the working class of people. He was also
speaking to his disciples who had been fishermen and other working men. This really is saying to them; don't worry about not being wealthy
now, because you will inherit the kingdom of God. Then and now it is more
difficult for the wealthy and highly educated to humble themselves and admit they need the Saviour.
    Luke 6:21 "Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh."
    In Matthew, it says hunger after righteousness. If we seek for the things of God diligently, He will give them to us. We
shall laugh when we come to the Lord and His fullness.
    Luke 6:22 "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach
you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake."
    If you take a stand for the Lord, and do not waver, even to the point of death, then you will be called blessed in heaven. Even now, to take a
stand to live for Jesus may cost you your so called friends and many times your family, as well.  They do not want to be around you, because
you talk about Jesus. They label you as a fanatic, and they speak evil of you.
    Luke 6:23 "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their
fathers unto the prophets."
    Persecutions happened all to often in the days just after Jesus' resurrection, and many like Peter were martyred rejoicing that they could
suffer for Jesus' name. Many, burned at the stake, died praising God. Even in the Old Testament, prophets suffered. There are many, even
today, who are suffering ridicule and persecution for the name of the Lord. Those who suffer with Jesus or for Jesus will reign with Him. In
II Timothy 2:12 we read. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:" The Lord knows when you suffer
upholding His name and He will reward you greatly. We, like these early martyrs, should be thrilled when we suffer for His name, knowing
that Jesus will have a great reward for us in heaven.
    Luke 6:24 "But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation."
    This has to do with those who have put their faith in their riches. Such as the rich young man who came to Jesus to be saved and
went away sorrowful, because he chose his riches over eternal life. There is nothing wrong with being rich if you are not putting those
riches ahead of your love for the Lord and His people, the mis-use of wealth is spoken of as sin. Wealth can be used to further the kingdom
of God and to help the poor and suffering of the world. Riches in this life used selfishly on earthly goods bring no rewards in heaven.
    Luke 6:25 "Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep."
    This is speaking of people who are only interested in their own welfare; who fill their stomachs to overflowing knowing that their
neighbor is hungry and not doing anything about it. "Laughing", here, is about being caught up in the things this world calls fun with no
thought for tomorrow. The mourning and weeping will come when they miss going to heaven.
    Luke 6:26 "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets."
    If you are a friend to the world, you are not Jesus' friend.
    Luke 6:27  "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,"
     If we are followers of Jesus, we must live our lives after His. His enemies, who nailed Him to the cross, He prayed for and said,
"Father forgive them for they know not what they do". Jesus loved us while we were still in sin enough to give His life on the cross for us.
If we are to be Christ-like, we must love those, even if they are unlovable.
    Luke 6:28 "Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you."
    Luke 6:29 "And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to
take thy coat also."
    This is teaching a very important lesson on unselfishness and charity toward others.
    Luke 6:30 "Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again."
    Jesus taught as long as it was in our power to help the needy, we should. This Scripture does not say give them everything you have, and it
does not say keep on giving over and over. We should help people to help themselves.
    Luke 6:31 "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."
    We should always do as much and more for others as we want them to do for us. We are to set an example for our neighbors. We are to
help them in every way possible.
     Luke 6:32 "For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye?  for sinners also love those that love them."
     Even the evil people love those that love them. If you love to be loved in return, you are no better than the rest of the world.  Christians are
taught to love the unloveable; to love those who hate us. This unselfish love is what sets us aside from those of the world.
    Luke 6:33 "And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same."
     Worldly people dealing with each other do good to those who do good to them. A Christian tries to do good all the time, even when the
other person is doing evil to them. We can choose to be a Christian and do good all the time, or we can belong to the devil and be worldly and
just do for those who do something for us.
    Luke 6:34 "And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as
much again."
    Our unselfish attitude of helping those who we have no hope of ever getting it back from separates the Christian as not of the world.
    Luke 6:35 "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall
be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."
    God loved every one of us and still does. God the Father loved us so much, in spite of our sins, that He gave His Son that we might be
saved. If we are His children, then we must love as He loves.
    Luke 6:36 "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful."
    Forgive and you shall be forgiven. God's grace and mercy is what allows us to be saved.
    Luke 6:37 "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:"
    God forbids us to judge other people. Jesus is the Judge of the world. It is always very easy to see the faults of others. We rarely
see our own faults. The religious people of Jesus' day were condemning Him with no idea of who He really was. The best thing is not to
condemn others at all, and then you  won't make a mistake. If we expect God to forgive us, then we, too, must forgive.
    Luke 6:38 "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men
give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."
    The first part of this is not speaking of what God will give you in return, but is saying that the people will give it unto you. You not only
cannot outgive God; but when you have a giving heart, men want to give to you, as well. If you are a greedy person, every one around you will
act just the same way.
    Luke 6:39 "And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?"
    Verse 39 is perhaps a warning to the people of that day not to follow the scribes and Pharisees who were seeing all the miracles that He
was doing and were totally blind as to who He was, He is saying if they are too blind to see what is before their very eyes, why do you follow
them. He is also saying, if you follow them, you are just as blind as they are; and you will fall too. We should look at this for us also. Signs are
everywhere that the second coming of the Lord is near.  Many church people are so blinded by their doctrine (like these Pharisees) that they
cannot see the signs.  The Lord warned about getting in a rut and following without looking around. This is disaster for them then, and for
those now who will not open our eyes and see.
    Luke 6:40 "The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master."
    That leaves us all out, because we are not perfect. Our goal should be to be as near like the master as is possible. The Lord set the pattern.
It should be our goal to fit that pattern as near as we can. We are the apprentice, He is the Master. We need to learn from Him.
    Luke 6:41 "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
    Luke 6:42 "Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself
beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see
clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye."
    Those of us who are ministering to others (and we should all be ministering to others) must live wholesome, upright lives. We must allow
the Lord to purge us and do away with sin in our life before we can begin to minister to others. How can we tell the people we are ministering
to not to sin, if there is sin in our lives. We might tell them, but it would be meaningless as long as there is sin in us. Ministers should set an
example of righteousness.  Jesus calls those hypocrites who do otherwise. You cannot live a double life. The rules are for everyone. Ministers
are not exempt from God's laws. It is easy to see the sin in someone else and very difficult to see it in ourselves.
    Luke 6:43 "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."
    Whatever the tree is, the fruit will be like it. We Christians are branches, and Jesus is the tree we are to be attached to. If the tree is Christ,
the branches will be Christ-like.
    Luke 6:44 "For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they
grapes."
    Whatever the tree or bush is, is what the fruit of that tree will be. Figs come from fig trees and grapes comes from grape vines.
     Luke 6:45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil
treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."
    If your heart is pure, then the words you speak will be pure, A Person with an evil heart cannot speak sweet words. The heart is either evil,
or it is full of love for God.
    Luke 6:46  "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
    If you call someone Lord, you are obligated to do exactly what He tells you to do. Not only are you obligated, but by calling Him Lord
you are saying that He has every right to rule every part of your life. These people are not living in truth, if they call Him Lord and
then not do what He says.
    Luke 6:47 "Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:"
    We should receive the Lord and then live trying to please Him in all that we do.
    Luke 6:48 "He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose,
the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock."
    The wise person builds his life upon the Rock who is Jesus Christ our Lord. The storms of life may come and try to wash us off of the
Rock, but this is the solid Rock that cannot be moved. If we are grounded in the teachings of Jesus, we will still have problems; but we
will not be overwhelmed by them. We will be able to stand and not be moved. When we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, God will answer our
prayers and help us.  St. John 14:13 , "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
    Luke 6:49 "But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which
the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great."
    When we build a house we need to dig down until we find a really solid spot to put the footing for the house to be built upon. If  we do not
do this and put the house on sand or loose dirt at the top, the whole house will shift if a hard rain comes. A foolish man builds his house or
his life in this way. He does not have a solid foundation for his house or his life.  He will just float around until he falls. Great will be the
fall of this man. Our life must be built upon a solid and strong faith in God.