Luke 6:1-49
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.
2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
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;
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?
5 And he said unto them,That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
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.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
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.
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?
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.
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
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.
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
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;
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said,Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
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.
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.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
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.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
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.
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.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
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.
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
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?
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.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
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.a
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.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
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.
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.
Luke 6:1. On the second sabbath after the first. The Hebrew law is, Leviticus 23:11, on the morrow after the sabbath, the priest shall wave the sheaf east and west, north and south, to denote the universal gratitude which all the earth should pay to heaven for the gift of the harvest. “The Baithuseans,” says Dr. Lightfoot, “contend that the first day of the passover should be on the sabbath, that the offering of the sheaf might fall on the first day of the week. And likewise, that the feast of pentecost might fall also on the first day of the week.
“Against this the rabbins contend, that by the morrow after the sabbath must be understood the morrow after the sabbatical day, or on the first day of the week. Rabban Johanan (John) disputing with a Baithusean, says, you shall number fifty days. Leviticus 23:16; Deuteronomy 16:9. His meaning is, if the first of the seven days of the feast of the passover fall on the sabbath, then the sheaf being offered the next day, the feast of pentecost also will fall on the next day after the seventh sabbath. But if it happen in the middle of the week, then from the offering of the sheaf [of barley] we must count not seven sabbaths, but fifty days.
“The Baithuseans for this warmth of dispute, say that Master Moses loved Israel, and knowing that the feast of pentecost lasted but one day, appointed the oblation of the sheaf on the morrow after the sabbath, that the people might rejoice for two days.”
Luke 6:5. The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. Some ancient copies add, “And that same day, Jesus seeing a man at work on the sabbath, said to him, Friend, if thou knowest what thou art doing, thou art happy; if otherwise, thou art not happy, but a transgressor of the law.”
Luke 6:7. The scribes and pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day. This more fully illustrates their asking a sign. Burning with enmity, they affected to seek the truth; but as neither miracle nor cloud of glory will convert the devil, let us pray to be delivered from him, and seek the truth with a docile mind; for the meek he will guide in judgment. Psalms 25:9.
Luke 6:10. Stretch forth thy hand. This was a miracle of defiance to the malicious scribes, but of great mercy to the poor man, that he might now earn his bread. It was a miracle of demonstration to the Saviour's mission, and a seal of true religion.
Luke 6:11. They were filled with madness: ανοια, distracted, deprived of mind. Violent anger has that effect: ira est furor. They were utterly confounded before God, and disgraced before the people. Awful is the state of men who fight against heaven, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Luke 6:12. He continued all night in prayer to God. This was the night before he commissioned the twelve to preach; and nothing can more strikingly inculcate on ministers the necessity of prayer before they enter on their work, and before they ascend the pulpit. We must always go from speaking with God to speak for God. Prayer brings us into the state in which we ought to be. It humbles and prepares our minds for the reception of divine light and assistance. It gives us power to call the Lord Father, and to plead with him in the sanctuary in a way that language cannot describe. And as to preaching, knowing whose servants we are, we magnify the ministry in that spirit of faith, piety, and love, that all who hear must recognize the unction and presence of the Lord. It is thus with ministers when they are stripped of self, and clothed with the glory of the Lord.
Luke 6:18. They that were vexed with unclean spirits were healed. “Morbo vexari,” says Albert, grievous cases of melancholy, excited by demons: a double affliction, both of body and mind.
Luke 6:21. Blessed are ye that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh. These words may be regarded as fraught with consolation for the poor, provided their poverty is connected with piety. And true piety, as in the case of Lazarus, sheds a celestial glory on the most abject condition of human life.
Luke 6:24. Woe to you that are rich, and yet uncharitable. The four woes which here follow the four beatitudes, form a striking contrast, and illustrate the portrait by darker shades. All could not be written which the Saviour said. Those who are full, enjoying health, affluence, and ease, are difficult to be apprised of danger; and those who are applauded by the world, bear strong marks of friendship for the world. These woes are not however to be understood as execrations, but as designating an unhappy state. He said of christians flying from Jerusalem, woe to those that are pregnant, and to those that give suck in those days.
Luke 6:27. Love your enemies. Such is the example of providence, for our heavenly Father sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Quite the reverse is the conduct of man; he kills his enemies, and often in so doing is killed himself. We must in all things behave towards them with the kindness of God towards us; we must pray for them, and perform all good offices towards them. This extinguishes unhallowed fires by withholding fuel. We must turn the other cheek to their rebukes; and when they perceive that grace reigns, they will be awed at Jehovah's presence.
Luke 6:31. As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them. This is called the golden rule of equity. It is a primitive law, being found among profane writers, as well as in the Hebrew scriptures. It is a law always at hand, the living umpire in every man's breast. The most illiterate can read it, unless he be blinded by passion, or biassed by interest.
Luke 6:36. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. When injured by others we should consider the fallen state of man, and what we ourselves are, as well by practice as by nature. We should consider the provocations and strong temptations to which men are exposed, all of which should prompt mankind to show all the mercy which the safety of the state, or circumstances, will allow. In doing so, we have the promise that we shall obtain mercy.
Luke 6:37. Judge not that a man's secret intentions are evil, unless from other parts of his conduct there be a fair ground of inference. An uncharitable judgment is proof that we ourselves have an evil heart. And where proof of evil does appear, condemn not. The offender may have bitterly repented; he may have made some reparation of his fault unknown to us. And when such favourable reforms take place, forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Blessed is the man whose sins and iniquities are remembered no more.
Luke 6:42. Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye. The history of man is the history of crime. Factions, wars, and depredations roll in succession like the billows of the ocean. Our ethic writers abound with strong censures on public morals; their high tone assumes the hallowed toga, the robe of equity. On a nearer approach, we make the painful discovery, that beneath the robe, the heart of the censor is really not better than that of the censured. This justifies the strong language of the Holy One against all who disguise their own faults by the reprehension of other men.
Luke 6:45. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good. He sees the creation full of God; he improves the passing events so as to administer grace to those that hear, and turns the barren heath into a garden. He is mighty in the scriptures, lively in apprehension, and apt to teach. The Reflections will be found on Mat 5:-7.