5. _A Sabbath Scene: Luke 6:1-5_. The two Sabbath scenes which follow, provoke, at last, the outbreak of the conflict, which, as we have seen, has long been gathering strength. We have already noted several symptoms of the hostility which was beginning to be entertained towards Jesus: Luke 6:14 (_fo... [ Continue Reading ]
6. _A Second-Sabbath Scene: Luke 6:6-11_. VERS. 6-11. Do Matthew and Mark place the following incident on the same day as the preceding? It is impossible to say (πάλιν, in Mark, does not refer to Luke 2:23, but to Luke 1:21). Luke says positively, on _another_ Sabbath. He has therefore His own sou... [ Continue Reading ]
1 _st. Luke 6:12-19_. _Choosing of the Twelve._ VER. 12. Luke has already brought before us more than once the need of prayer, which so often drew Jesus away into solitude (Luke 4:42; Luke 5:16). But the expressions he makes use of here are intended to carry special weight. Διανυκτερεύειν, _to pass... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRD CYCLE: FROM THE ELECTION OF THE TWELVE TO THEIR FIRST MISSION, LUKE 6:12 TO LUKE 8:56. In the following section we shall see the Galilean ministry reach its zenith; it begins with the institution of the apostolate and the most important of Jesus' discourses during His sojourn in Galilee, the... [ Continue Reading ]
_a._ In the execution, as in the choice, of this important measure, Jesus no doubt submitted Himself to divine direction. His numerous disciples spent the night not far from the mountain-top to which He withdrew. During this lengthened communion, He presented them all, one by one, to His Father; and... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 17B-19. We might make ὄχλος πλῆθος, _the crowd, the multitude_, etc., so many subjects of ἔστη : “He stood still, along with the crowd...” But it is more natural to understand some verb: “And there was with Him the crowd...” In any case, even if, with the Alex., we omit the καί before ἐθεραπεύ... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 20 AND 21. “ _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._ ” The _disciples_ are the constant hearers of Jesus, amongs... [ Continue Reading ]
First part: Luke 6:20-26. _The Call._ This solemn invitation describes: (1 _st._) Those who are qualified to become members of the order of things inaugurated by Jesus (Luke 6:20-23); (2 _d._) Their adversaries (Luke 6:24-26). Matthew begins in the same way; but there are two important differences... [ Continue Reading ]
2 _d. Luke 6:20-49_. _The Sermon._ The aim, prevailing thought, and plan of this discourse have been understood in many different ways. The solution of these questions is rendered more difficult by the difference between the two accounts given by Matthew and Luke. As to its aim, Weizsäcker regards t... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 22 AND 23. “ _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 i... [ Continue Reading ]
“ _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._ ” Jesus... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 27, 28. “ _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._ ” There is a break in the connection between Luke 6:26 and Luke 6:27. De Wette and Meyer think that the link is to be fou... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 29 AND 30. Patient Charity. “ _And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak, 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._ ” Paul also regard... [ Continue Reading ]
2 _d._ After having described the applications of the new principle, Jesus gives a formal enunciation of it, Luke 6:31: “ _And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise._ ” The natural heart says, indeed, with the Rabbins. “What is disagreeable to thyself, do not do to thy n... [ Continue Reading ]
3 _d._ The _distinguishing characteristic_ of charity, disinterestedness: Luke 6:32-35 _a._ “ _And 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 sa... [ Continue Reading ]
4 _th. The model and source_ of the charity which Jesus has just depicted: Luke 6:35 b and 36. “ _And your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil._ 36. _Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful._ ” Having... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 37 AND 38. “ _And 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 sa... [ Continue Reading ]
5 _th. Love, the principle of all beneficent moral action on the world: Luke 6:37-45_. The disciples of Jesus are not only called to practise what is good themselves; they are charged to make it prevail in the earth. They are, as Jesus says in Matthew, immediately after the beatitudes, _the light o... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 39 AND 40. “ _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._ ” Meyer, Bleek, and Holtzmann can see no natural connection between this lit... [ Continue Reading ]
VERS. 41 AND 42. “ _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 ow... [ Continue Reading ]
In VERS. 43-45, the idea of _teaching_, which is perceptible in Luke 6:40, takes the place altogether of the idea of _judging_, with which it is closely connected. VERS. 43-45. “ _For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit._ 44. _For every t... [ Continue Reading ]
Third part of the discourse: Luke 6:46-49. _The Sanction._ Here we have the conclusion, and, so to speak, the peroration of the discourse. The Lord enjoins His disciples, for the sake of their own welfare, to put in practice the new principle of conduct which He has just laid down. VER. 46. “ _And... [ Continue Reading ]