Sermon on the Mount

LUKE — LESSON 6

Scriptures for this lesson are taken from: Luke 6, Revelation 4, John 13.

Jesus is in Galilee going to the different towns teaching the people and healing the sick. At the beginning of Chapter 6, Jesus and His followers are hungry.

[Luke 6:1-5] (1) One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain with their hands and eat the kernels. (2) Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” (3) Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? (4) He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” (5) Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Scribes and Pharisees were accusing Jesus and His followers of breaking the Mosaic Law by working on the Sabbath. Jesus reminded them of the story of David when he was running from Saul who was trying to kill him because David was so popular with the people. David went to Nob to Ahimelech the priest and asked for food and a sword. Ahimelech gave David the showbread from the temple and Goliath’s sword. Only the priests were allowed to eat the week old showbread but this was an emergency situation. God did not harm David for eating the bread forbidden by the law, but protected him from Saul. Then Jesus said that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus called Himself the Son of Man. So He was saying the He, the Son of Man had the authority to say what was right and what was wrong to do on the Sabbath. Certainly the religious leaders were not happy with that one.

[Luke 6:6-11] (6) On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. (7) The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. (8) But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. (9) Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” (10) He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. (11) But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

As Jesus traveled from town to town, it was His custom to go to the local synagogue on the Sabbath where He would read from the scripture scrolls and teach the people. The Scribes and Pharisees were there watching Him trying to find some reason to accuse Him of wrong doing. When these religious leaders saw the man there with the shriveled arm they were waiting to see if Jesus would heal him and they could accuse Him of working on the Sabbath. In the first century AD the Jews followed the Mishna which contained Hebrew oral traditions. In the Mishna there were 39 major activities that were forbidden on the Sabbath. Some of these restrictions came from the Torah but many were additions that had been added over the years. Jesus, knowing the hearts of the Scribes and Pharisees, asked them if it was legal to do good on the Sabbath. Then He healed the man’s withered hand. The Scribes and Pharisees continued to plot and plan what they could do to discredit Jesus.

[Luke 6:12-16] (12) One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (13) When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: (14) Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, (15) Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, (16) Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus was in Galilee in the area of the Sea of Galilee, probably near Capernaum. He had spent the night on the Mountain alone praying to God. The next morning He came down the mountain to join His disciples, followers who were traveling around with Him. Then the scripture tells us that Jesus chose twelve of His disciples to be apostles. Let’s look first at Jesus’ night in prayer. It seems logical that He was seeking God’s will about which of His followers He should be chose to be responsible for spreading the good news that the Messiah had come and to establish the church under the New Covenant. How would God choose men for such an important mission? Would He look into their hearts or into the future? Why would God choose a man who would be a traitor and betray Jesus? That question is obvious. Jesus’ mission was to die for our sins and God picked Judas, knowing that he was the kind of man who would betray Jesus at the right time for Him to be crucified according to God’s timetable. Each one of these men chosen to be Apostles had a specific mission to fulfill. Second, the word “disciple” means “follower.” Jesus had many many followers. He had called earlier Andrew and Peter and James and John. He called Matthew (Levi) while he was collecting taxes. These men were disciples, followers, students.

Jesus had called twelve of these followers to be Apostles. “Apostle” means chosen for a specific purpose. As stated above they were chosen to spread the gospel and establish the church the gentiles. Third is the question of having twelve Apostles. Why not ten or thirteen? For this answer we need to look back at the Old Covenant when God established His covenant with Abraham, and then with his son Isaac and with Isaac’s son Jacob. The twelve sons of Jacob became the twelve tribes of Israel who were God’s chosen people. God chose these people to live according to His laws and to be an example and to teach all the peoples of the world about their God. Their other mission was to bring forth the Messiah in God’s time. Because of their unfaithfulness, the Nation of Israel failed in their mission to be an example to the world and to teach them how to follow the laws of God. Instead they worshiped false gods. The mission God gave to Israel was taken away and given to the gentiles. So Jesus chose twelve Apostles to be leaders and teachers of the New Covenant who would spread the gospel around the world through the gentile churches and bring people into the family of God. So the work begun by the twelve Apostles continues through the Church Age.

[Revelation 4:4] Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.

I think that these 24 elders represent the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, God’s people of the Old Covenant and the twelve Apostles, God’s leaders of the New Covenant.

[Luke 4:17-19] (17) He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, (18) who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, (19) and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

Jesus came down the hillside where a large crowd of people from Phoenicia, Galilee and Judea had gathered and were following Jesus, hearing Him speak and many were being healed of diseases. Then Jesus looked at His disciples and began to speak.

[Luke 6:20-23] (20) Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (21) Blessed are you who hunger now for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. (22) Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. (23) “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

These teachings are called beatitudes. They are told by Matthew in Matthew 5:3-11. The term beatitude means blessed or fortunate. Traditional beliefs of the Jews in Jesus’ time was that blessings come to those who strictly keep the Mosaic Law. Obedience would bring blessings and prosperity and disobedience would bring trials and punishment. Jesus’ teachings were new and strange to His listeners. Generally, when we read these teachings we understand that those who are poor financially, those who are sorrowful, those who are persecuted now but true to the Lord will have their blessings in the next life.

The Kingdom of God is not just in the believer’s future but now in this earthly life. It is hard for us today as Christians to grasp the meaning of the wealthy poor, the happy mourner and the persecuted peacemaker. We don’t want to be poor or to mourn nor be persecuted but this is the life of the servant of God and such a life brings its own blessings. The Kingdom of God is here with us now and we are called to reject the attractions of this world and to seek the ways of God. Jesus promised in verse-23 that those who choose to live this life will be persecuted on earth but have great rewards in heaven. Then Jesus reminded the Jews that their ancestors persecuted the prophets of God.

[Luke 6:24-26] (24) “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. (25) Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. (26) Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

In the above passage, Jesus is simply telling the people that those who strive for the wealth and comforts and pleasures of this world have their rewards in this life and there will be no rewards in the Kingdom of God for them.

[Luke 6:27-38] (27) “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (28) bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (29) If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. (30) Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. (31) Do to others as you would have them do to you. (32) “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. (33) And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. (34) And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. (35) But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (36) Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (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. (38) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Jesus continued with the new lifestyle for His followers. The key verse is 31: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” In John 13:34 Jesus gave a new commandment: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The followers of Christ must be loving, giving forgiving, generous to all men whether they are righteous or sinners. Christians need to stand out, their life should be a witness to the world to the teachings of Christ. These loving actions should carry over into our business dealings with others. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” In Jesus’ time produce was measured in bulk. Jesus was telling them to give good measure, to be honest in their dealings with others. If they were selling ground grain to shake it down in the container and fill it to the top until it was running over. Those who lived by these principles would be rewarded in heaven.

[Luke 6:39-45] (39) He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? (40) The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. (41) “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (42) How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (43) “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. (44) Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. (45) A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Jesus is talking here about hypocrisy and judging others. The word hypocrite means to act out a part, to appear to be something you are not. The Scribes and Pharisees and the Sadducees made a show of being righteous but they cheated the people, robbed the poor. Jesus said their righteousness was like whitewashed sepulchers (tombs, burring places for the dead). They were clean on the outside but inside they were filled with dead men’s bones. Jesus said not to judge your brother. We should not accuse someone of sinning when we have secret sin in our own lives. What we do and how we behave is determined by what is in our hearts. “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Don’t be a hypocrite and don’t judge your neighbor.

[Luke 6:46-49] (46) “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (47) As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. (48) They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. (49) But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Jesus was teaching His disciples to listen to His words, keep them in their hearts, make His teachings the foundation for their lives. If they would do this, then when the trials and tribulations come to them, their faith and beliefs would keep them strong and protected. There are so many temptations for Christians in our world today. The television, computers, music, all of these medias are filled with temptations to sin. Satan is using every modern means of communication to try to destroy the witness of Christians and the church. We need to build our house, the foundation of our lives on Jesus and if we do that, Satan can’t touch us.

Lessons from Luke chapter 6:

1. Our life should reflect the teachings of Christ. The world is always watching.

2. The Lord calls Christians to do His work. Is the Lord calling you?

3. We need to build our house on the rock of Jesus Christ.

4. Follow the commandments of Jesus, love your neighbor as yourself.

Previous ↔ Next