Luke 6

Luke 6:1

Chapter 5 ended with Jesus talking about new wine and old wineskins, placing Himself and the Pharisees on a collision course that would center around their most important tradition: the Sabbath… According to Levitical law, it was perfectly legal for travelers to pluck corn or grain from the fields they passed in order to sustain them on their journey (Deu_23:24-25). Thus, the Pharisees had no problem with what Jesus and His disciples did. Rather, their accusation concerned when they did it. The Jews at this timeand many Orthodox Jews to this daybelieve that Messiah will not come until the Sabbath is perfectly kept by the people of Israel. This is why the Pharisees were so intent on keeping Sabbath regulations. Yet in Acts 20, we see the church meeting not on the Sabbath, but on the first day of the week.

Why? Under the Old Covenant, man had to work for six days before he could rest. Under the New Covenant, because of the work Jesus did on Calvary, man rests first. We see God’s original intent concerning the Sabbath day in the fact that man was created on the sixth day, making his first full day one of rest.

Luke 6:3

I love this! Jesus doesn’t begin to argue with them philosophically. Instead, He opens the Scriptures to them clearly. “My Word shall not return void,” God declared, “but shall accomplish the purpose for which it was sent out” (see Isa_55:11). You might not see the effects right away, but like a time bomb, the Scripture you share will make its way into people’s hearts and will eventually be brought powerfully and persuasively to their minds. “Have you not read what David did?” Jesus asked. So well did the Pharisees know the Scriptures that they could tell you how many letters were in the Old Testament, how many of each letter was in the Old Testament, and where the middle letter in the Old Testament was located. They were thoroughly immersed in the Scriptures. Of course they had read what David didbut that’s the point, for although they had read it repeatedly, they had missed the meaning totally. So, too, like the Pharisees, we can be guilty of reading the Word over and over again, thinking we know what it’s saying, but missing the very essence of its meaning. The Lord always wants to show us more in His Word than what we presently know, but it takes an open mind and a tender heart to receive it. I think of Samuel. When he heard his name being called, Eli told him to say, “Speak, LORD, for thy servant heareth” (1Sa_3:9). Too often, we say just the opposite: “Listen, Lord, while Your servant speaks,” as we approach the Word with our presuppositions or legalistic traditions. In Ezr_7:10, we read that Ezra prepared his own heart to seek the Lord and His law before he taught it to others. May that be true of us as well. The holy bread was that which was placed in the tabernacle on the Sabbath day. Hungry, David and his men went into the place where only priests were allowed and ate of the bread therein (1Sa_21:6). In drawing attention to this account, Jesus gets to the heart of the issuethat human need must always have priority over religious traditions and regulations. Love is the key.

Luke 6:5

David was justified in eating the showbread, the Pharisees must have reasoned, because he was an anointed king and prophet. But they failed to realize that so too was the One who stood before them.

Luke 6:6

You who feel withered, paralyzed, struggling, know this: When Jesus comes into the meeting place, He is always drawn toward the one who is hurting the most. That is so unlike us. We tend to seek out those who are doing the best, the happiest, the spiritual ones. Not Jesus. He found the one who was experiencing paralysis because He’s always drawn to the one with the greatest need.

Luke 6:8

In effect, Jesus was asking the Pharisees, “Who is in violation of the Sabbath?” “Me for healing, or you for plotting to take My life? Both are work.”

Luke 6:10

When told to stretch forth his hand, this man could have said, “I can’t. I’m paralyzed.” But because God’s commandments are His “enablements,” the moment he decided to obey, he was able to obey. “Husbands, love your wives,” the Word says (Eph_5:25). “But I can’t,” we say. “You don’t know my wife. You don’t know my situation. I can’t. I’m paralyzed.” We can either make our lists of why we can’t obey, or we can say, “Lord, You say to love my wife, and I will, knowing that as I do, You will enable me to do that which You’ve asked of me.”

Luke 6:11

A paralyzed arm suddenly works. Yet the Pharisees are furious because it does so on the Sabbath.

Luke 6:12

From the group of disciples, or “disciplined ones"those who were disciplined in learning and committed to studyingJesus chose twelve apostles, or “sent out ones” as ambassadors to represent Him.

Luke 6:14

After establishing a new Sabbath, Jesus establishes a new nation. Twelve being the number of government, twelve being the number of tribes in Old Testament Israel, in choosing twelve apostles, Jesus establishes the new government of the kingdom. Real Zeal A Topical Study of Luk_6:15 Scanning His group of “disciplined ones,” one of the men Jesus chose was Simon Zelotes, or Simon the Zealota radical choice, considering that the Zealots were a political party single-minded in their agenda to overthrow the Romans using whatever means necessary. Determined to undermine the Romans at any cost, Zealots were known for carrying large, hooked knives under their garments to use on unsuspecting Romans every chance they had. When Jesus called him, perhaps Simon thought, Good move. Jesus can use a guy like me. I mean, if we’re going to see His new kingdom established, we’ve got to get rid of the Romans. And I’m the guy to do it. I’ll fit into His strategy perfectly. But when Jesus went on to choose Matthew, a tax collector who worked for the dreaded Romans, Simon had to rely on Jesusthe only One who could bring two people of such diverse political philosophies together in unity. I believe Jesus still chooses people like Simonpeople who will pay the price and expend the energy, people who will move with enthusiasm, people who are zealous. The Word addresses the subject of zeal very directly. Look with me at four examples of misdirected zeal seen in Scripture. Business Looking around our culture, we see people consumed with getting their business set up or their finances in order. But at a period when the Jewish people were building bigger houses and driving faster chariots, at a point in their history when they were attempting to make great strides financially, the Lord sent Haggai to talk to Jewish business people who were caught up in developing their companies. “You’ve sown much,” he said. “You’ve worked hard, but you’ve reaped little. You drink much and you eat much, but you are not filled. And when you earn your wages, you put them into a pocket which has holes in it” (see Hag_1:6). Do you relate to this? You’re working hard, but you’re not reaping what you hoped you would? You’re eating more, but you’re not as satisfied as you thought you’d be? Haggai said the reason for this was because, although the people were building their houses and businesses zealously, the temple of the Lord lay in ruins needlessly. He went on to say that if they would seek first the kingdom, if they would get involved in the temple construction, the Lord would bless them abundantly. Jesus said the same thing when He said, “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will fall into place” (see Mat_6:33). Politics We not only see people in our society zealous about business, but those who are zealous about politics. In the Old Testament, we find the story of another who was zealous politically… After three years of famine in the land of Israel, David inquired of the Lord the reason. And the Lord said, “It is for Saul and for his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites” (see 2Sa_21:1). Catch the scene: Shortly after Joshua came into the Promised Land, he was duped into making a peace treaty with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9). But when Saul became king, he thought it politically wise to rid his kingdom of the Gibeonites. And now, years later, God explained to David that there was a dryness in the land because in his political zeal, Saul destroyed an entire group of people with whom he should have kept the treaty made by Joshua. I still hear the voice of Saul being sounded throughout our land by those who say, “We shouldn’t have to worry about homeless people,” or “Let the illegal aliens go back to their own countries. We shouldn’t have to take care of them.” Sometimes zealous people can lack the compassion and tenderness of the Lord in such a way that it brings grief to the Father. Am I arguing for a politically liberal philosophy? No, I am simply saying that in their zeal over political causes, people can cause great hurt to others and deep grief to the heart of God. Fitness In this coming year, as a nation, we will spend a collective $2.5 billion on health club fees alone. Yet studies show that even if every disease were wiped out in our society, if heart problems were no longer an issue, and if there were no more pollutants in our air, the human body is so designed that the average person cannot live past eighty-five years of age. Therefore fitness is a losing battle! Paul the apostle specifically declared that bodily exercise profits but a little (1Ti_4:8). Does this mean physical exercise is wrong? Of course not. We have a responsibility to make sure our bodies, the temples of the Spirit, can function. But if you are known as a fitness fanatic, if physical exercise is what you think about and live for, your zeal is misdirected. Business, politics, and fitnessthese are all avenues of misguided zeal that abound in our culture. But add to this list religious zeal, for such zeal is misdirected in the following ways… Partial Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.Mat_23:23-24 Numbering six thousand, the Pharisees were so zealous in trying to keep even the most minute details and regulations of the law that they even tithed their grains of spices, all the while ignoring the weightier matters of righteousness, mercy, and love. And in so doing, they were in effect straining gnats out of their soup while swallowing camels. Boastful And he said, Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD. So they made him ride in his chariot.2Ki_10:16 As evidenced in 2 Kings 9-10, Jehu was not a godly king. Yet when asked if his heart was right, he didn’t hesitate to say, “Come and see my zeal for the Lord.” Hurtful Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.Php_3:6 Paul was absolutely convinced he was right in persecuting Christiansuntil one day, headed toward Damascus, a bright light knocked him to the ground, and he realized that, although his religious zeal was sincere, he was sincerely wrong. So, too, regarding my political, sociological, or philosophical opinions, I might find down the road, like Paul, that although I was sincere, I was sincerely wrong in beating people up verbally or cornering them intellectually. You will always know that zeal is a false religious zeal if it is partial, if it is boastful, or if it is hurtful. The only zeal God can use is the zeal seen in Jesusnot religious zeal, but righteous zeal. Seeing those who charged exorbitant rates to exchange currency or for the purchase of animals to sacrifice, Jesus drove them from the temple. And His disciples remembered that it was written, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up” (Joh_2:17). Jesus was consumed with zeal, enthusiasm, energy for His Father’s house, His Father’s work, for the things of the kingdom. If there’s no other reason why you and I should be zealous, let this be the first and foremost: The model and example of Jesus. Scripture tells us that the zeal modeled perfectly by Jesus consists of four elements… Repentance I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot…be zealous therefore, and repent.Rev_3:15, Rev_3:19 Jesus indicts the church at Laodicea for their lack of zeal. If they were hot, He could use them. If they were cold, He could convict them. But being lukewarm, they could be neither used nor convicted. The solution? They were to repent. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.2Co_7:10 The word “repent” means “to change direction one hundred eighty degrees.” True, godly sorrow manifests itself in turning one’s back on that which is wrong and moving in a brand new direction. Prayer Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.Col_4:12 Epaphras was one who prayed not half-heartedly but zealously that people would do well in their walk with the Lord. In this, I am reminded of an Old Testament account… Facing war against the Syrians, Joash, king of Judah, went to visit a feeble and dying Elisha, who told him to open the window and shoot an arrow toward Syria. After Joash did this, Elisha told him to smite his remaining arrows on the ground. So Joash tapped them on the ground three times. Scripture records that at this point, Elisha was “wroth” with Joash, saying, “Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice” (2Ki_13:19). Because Joash lacked zeal, his victory would not be complete. And the same is true for us. I wonder how often we miss out on that which the Lord would do for us, in us, and through us because, like Joash, we “tap the arrows” a few times rather than energetically, zealously, and expectantly praying with great fervency. Why must we pray zealously? Why must we keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking (Mat_7:7)? Why does the Lord want us to come to Him continually? After all, He knows what our need is. Does He want us to grovel and beg? No. The reason He asks us to keep coming, to keep seeking, and to keep beating the arrows is simply because He enjoys our company. He enjoys hearing from us. He enjoys spending time with us. Righteous Works And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand…Num_25:6-7 Because of their blatant, intentional immorality, the Lord sent a plague upon the people of Israel to correct them, to adjust them, and to keep them from continuing in their iniquity. But during this time of repentance, when Phinehas saw an Israelite walking flagrantly with a Moabite woman on his arm, he followed them into their tent and stuck a javelin through them both. And in so doing, he went on record by zealously taking a stand for God’s righteousness. We always need to pray. But there are times to grab the javelin as well, to deal with issues zealously for the sake of God’s name. We must deal a deathblow to those areas in our lives that are Moabitish in nature by driving the spear of the Word right through them and allowing them no more place in our lives. Saying, “Maybe someday I won’t commit that sin anymore,” is not the Lord’s way. Rather, His way is to be zealous for righteousness as was Phinehas. Service For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.2Co_9:2 The Corinthians collected money a year in advance to give generously to those in need. Paul would go on to say that the Lord loves a cheerful giver (2Co_9:7). Therefore, if you’re giving begrudgingly, or out of expectation, don’t give. But if you can give, saying, “I can’t wait for the offering basket to come my way so I can give away part of my selfishness, my self-centeredness and become more like Jesus,“give zealously and joyously. A key concept biblically is to live zealously. How? The only way I know to get hot and to stay hot is to live near the Son. Therefore, if you stay close to Jesus, if you purpose in your heart that He will have priority in your day, you will find the zeal of Jesus reflected toward you and radiating from you. May this be true of each of us. In Jesus’ Name.

Luke 6:17

The following teaching is often called the Sermon on the Mount. But I believe this is a misnomer, for Luk_6:17 tells us Jesus delivered it as He stood in the plain. Thus, I am personally convinced that, although it is an almost exact repetition of Jesus’ sermon recorded in Matthew 5-7, it is, in fact, a separate sermon. I point this out because if indeed this was a sermon Jesus gave on more than one occasion, this tells me something. “I will not be negligent to put you in remembrance of these things though you know them until you be established in them,” Peter said (see 2Pe_1:12). Repetition is the mother of learning. Therefore, as a preacher, teacher, or Bible study leader, don’t let the Enemy whisper in your ear, “You can’t share that.

That’s too elementary. They’ve already heard that.” And as a student, never think you know enough about any portion of the Word to never need to study it again. The question is not how much you know, but how well you know it. The message Jesus had previously given on the mount and now gives on the plain is the message of the King. It was a message meant to drive people to the realization that they couldn’t keep it, a message meant to drive people to the place of brokenness, a message meant to drive people to the Cross. Therefore, the only conclusion that can be drawn from the Sermon on the Mount, the Message on the Plain is not, “These are good words to live by,” but, “This standard is impossible.” Thus, the one who grasps its meaning doesn’t say, “I’m pretty good, but I’ll try harder.” No, he says, “I’m a sinner in desperate need of a Savior.” Then, once he realizes he can’t keep this standard on his own, once he is saved, the message becomes helpful to him as it delineates the ways in which the Spirit desires to work in him. Jesus felt this sermon so significant that He repeated it almost verbatim. It is indeed the greatest sermon ever preached in the history of humanity. So simply read it and let the message of the kingdom impact you afresh…

Luke 6:20

Let’s pray… “The standards, Lord, of Your kingdomof giving, blessing, forgivingare qualities I lack in and of myself. Therefore, I need forgiveness, and I embrace You tonight as my Saviour. I bask, Lord, in Your grace. I plead Your blood. I invite You to come into my heart again, Lord. And in so doing, to allow my life to more completely display these qualities.

Strip from me, Lord, hypocrisy. Take from me, Lord, attitudes of judgment or condemnation. Keep me, Lord, from being one who hears the Word, but doesn’t build my life thereon. I pray that my life might truly be built upon the Rock, that as the storms come, I might stand in that day. So by the Spirit, in the Spirit, I absorb these teachings, this message, and pray that I might do unto others as I would that they would do unto me. Make me like You, Jesus.

Allow me to be one who is more concerned about compassion than tradition. Allow me to be one who responds to Your commandments rather than argue why they can’t be done. I pause in Your presence, asking You to do Your work in my life. Set me free, Lord, to be a liberator and lover of others as I look to and love You.”