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The Gospel of Luke Chapter 6:27-49 This week we continue examining Jesus’ Sermon on the plain. It ought to be surprising that it shares many features with Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, as Jesus would have preached the points of his teaching again and again in various places to different crowds. In this case, Jesus would have known that Gentiles were among his audience, which shows that he was already aware that the good news he was preaching was for all people (Luke 2:10). God’s children are to be:
Love Your Enemies – Enemy Loving 6:27-28 But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To those hearts are willing to hear and respond to Jesus’ words will be benefited by them, for they are meant to inspire change within the human heart. The demands of discipleship are quite substantial. This week we first consider the command to ‘love your enemies.’ This command is humanly impossible to keep, but as we draw near to God, allowing him to fill us with his own love by the Holy Spirit, so we shall find that love sufficient for this task – as God himself loves all people; and since all people are by nature at enmity with God, God’s command to love enemies may be seen as a command to ‘do what I do.’ Such love is not shown in pious words or emotional feelings but by the practical ‘doing of good’ to those who hate us. It should be remembered that this does not mean God will let them off for their sins (Rom. 12:19). But we are to leave vengeance to God, not foster it in our own hearts. Instead we must bless those who curse us and pray for those who treat us maliciously and spitefully (see Rom. 12:14-21). These commands are easier said than done, and in times of persecution, the church needs to meet regularly and support each other in prayer so that we can help each other remember and maintain these principles. 6:29 To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either. What Jesus implies here is a spirit of non-violence, or more specifically freedom from retaliation. There is nothing more natural than the preservation of self. I have never seen so many self-defence classes in the locality as there are now. But Jesus requires us not to meet violence with violence, as turning the other cheek implies. Also, the command about the coast and tunic reveals that all kinds of retaliation are included in this principle. The reason is, we are to place all our lives in the hands of God—they are not ours to defend physically or verbally—we do not need recourse to law, for we have a higher authority to appeal to, and we are confident to leave matters in the hands of God.
6:30 Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your possessions back from the person who takes them away. Once again, if someone comes begging, then we are able to give them what they ask for without being concerned about receiving it back, for once again we are leaving all our lives, and in this case our possessions in the hands of God. The criminal law still applies to thieves and fraudsters, so Christ doesn’t mean that we should not report criminals to the police, but rather that we should leave justice in God’s hands. Jesus is showing by these teachings that the Christian life is one of nearness to and dependence on God. 6:31 Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you. Sometimes called a golden rule - since you would not wish to be wronged then do not wrong others. 6:32-35 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. Jesus is explaining his earlier comments in more detail. By nature, even sinners are able to love those who love them in return; they will lend those whom they know will repay and help those who will help them in return. But Jesus wants God’s supernatural grace to be evident in our lives, enabling us to love as God loves. God’s love reaches out to the unthankful and wicked, giving them all the blessings of his creation providence and redemption patience even though it is undeserved. To imitate God by grace in this way is the pathway to a great and eternal reward in heaven; for those who follow God’s example here must one day be revealed for what they are - the sons of the most High God. 6:36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. So be merciful and compassionate just as your heavenly Father is compassionate and merciful.
Do Not Judge – Refraining from Judging 6:37 Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. When Jesus prohibits ‘judging’ he does not abrogate the necessity for judgment meted in law courts or the imposition of discipline within the church of Jesus Christ. Once again, Jesus words find their context within the kingdom of God. Courts are right to pass judgment according to evidence for criminal behaviour and church governments may impose sanction on members for un-Christian behaviour; but human beings cannot pretend to know the hearts and minds of any other man or woman. To censure any person for what we perceive to be in their hearts or minds is to attempt to go beyond what we are capable of. Such judgment, especially with respect to a soul’s eternal prospect and condition must be left to God alone. To take upon ourselves the place of God will lead in turn to our being judged and condemned as sinners by God – this is what Jesus wishes us to avoid. When an offenses has been committed against us then the all-forgiving God once again asks us to follow his example and forgive, just as he does (Matt. 6:14-15).
Generously Giving 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you use will be the measure you receive.
Jesus does not elaborate on which kind of giving he is talking about here, yet we can see other scriptures which imply that both giving to God, his house, his work, his ministers and to the poor (especially brothers and sisters who are in need) are included. When we give to God in this way, Jesus outlines the principle that he will give back to us in an overflowing way. Our generous God is pleased with our generosity, and he is always able to out-give us.
Hearing and Doing 6:39 He also told them a parable: "Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? Won't they both fall into a pit? Jesus here explains the principles of individual and cooperate Christian growth using a parable (a parable is a story from common life which conveys spiritual truth). If one blind man tried to lead another blind man then both of them will land up in a ditch. It is impossible for a person who is ignorant of spiritual things to teach or impart anything spiritual to someone else. In other words, Christian discipleship starts with you – YOU must learn from Christ and put into practise in your own life, before you can be a teacher of others. 6:40 A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. The greatest teacher undertakes to be the teacher of al disciples – Jesus Christ. This is the standard. There is no sense in comparing ourselves with each other and saying, ‘I am more spiritual than him or her’. Our standard is Jesus and the aim of our discipleship is to become fully mature like our teacher Jesus. This is what Jesus means when he says a disciple is not greater than his teacher, but when he is fully trained he will be like his teacher. Like the disciples, it is only when we are prepared and taught by Jesus are we ready to teach his truths to others. 6:41-42 Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,' while you yourself don't see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. That is why Jesus uses this seemingly ludicrous parable of the plank in your own eye. To paraphrase, never mind what your brother is or isn’t doing right – make sure you get it right and then he will be able to follow you. That is the God given way by which you can ‘remove the speck’ from his eye. It is very easy to see the faults in others, but God is at work in our lives, and we must focus on getting our own walk with God right, or else fall prey to hypocrisy. 6:43 For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. A good tree - the person who is born again of the Spirit of God, who has Christ within (Rom. 8:9) will have the nature of Christ (1 John 3:9, 1 Peter 1:3 and Gal. 2:20). Those that are not Christ's cannot do any other but live according to the dictates of an unregenerate nature, the law of sin. 6:44-45 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from brambles. The good person out of the good treasury of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasury produces evil, for his mouth speaks from what fills his heart. You will not find figs on a thorn tree and you cannot gather grapes from a bramble bush. From the goodness that is within his heart a good person will say and do good things. From the evil that is within his heart an evil person will say and do evil things. Just as a tree is known by the fruit it bears, so a true Christian is known by the Christ-like life they live. This is the focus of Jesus teaching on spiritual growth.
Wise and Obeying 6:46 Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do what I tell you? The way to spiritual growth is and always has been by obedience. If a person doesn't do the things that Jesus taught, then it is mere hypocrisy for that person to call Christ Lord. Every true profession of Christ’s Lordship will be evidenced by obedience. 6:47-48 Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice — I will show you what he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. Jesus underlines the importance of obedience with another parable. The person who listens to Christ’s word and obeys it is like a man who built his house on a strong foundation. Here Jesus Christ compares himself to the well-known symbol of a rock (e.g. 1 Samuel 2:2). A life which has Jesus Christ as their foundation will be found genuine under the scrutiny of God’s judgement, symbolised by the flood. 6:49 But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against that house, it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed! The one who hears but does not obey the word of Jesus is like someone who builds a house without a foundation. When the quality of that house was scrutinized by the rising river waters, it was found out as shoddy and collapsed, utterly ruined and undone. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2013 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org