A field of ripe golden grain on a Galilean hillside at sunset.

The Gospel According to

Luke 6

Grain on the Sabbath, a hand restored, twelve chosen, and a sermon that turns everything upside down.

49 verses≈ 9 min3 peopleBSB

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In this chapter

The Lord of the Sabbath

One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.

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Pharisees & scribes

But some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus

Jesus replied, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, took the consecrated bread and gave it to his companions, and ate what is lawful only for the priests to eat.”

Then Jesus declared, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

Luke 6:5

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

On another Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.

Jesus

But Jesus knew their thoughts and said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and stand among us.”

So he got up and stood there.

Jesus

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?”

And after looking around at all of them, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and it was restored.

But the scribes and Pharisees were filled with rage and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles

A lone figure praying on a dark mountainside under the stars before dawn.

In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God. When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles:

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alphaeus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

The Twelve

Whiteboard

Fishermen, a tax collector and a Zealot, men who would never have chosen each other. Jesus chose them all after a night of prayer, including the one who would betray Him.

Reflect

Prayed over first

Before choosing the Twelve, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer to God. What decision in front of you needs to be prayed over first?

Jesus Heals the Multitudes

A great crowd gathered on a level plain at the foot of the hills, many reaching forward.

Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed. The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.

The Beatitudes

A worn wooden bowl with a little bread, held in cupped hands in soft morning light.

Listen · Read along

Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For their fathers treated the prophets in the same way.

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

for yours is the kingdom of God

Luke 6:20

Woes to the Satisfied

But woe to you who are rich,

for you have already received your comfort.

Woe to you who are well fed now,

for you will hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

for their fathers treated the false prophets in the same way.

Blessed and woe

Whiteboard

Jesus’ blessings and woes mirror each other. What looks like loss now becomes gain in God’s kingdom, and what looks like gain now can turn out to be loss.

Love Your Enemies

But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what is yours, do not demand it back.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 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 expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.

But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Live it

The hardest prayer

Jesus said, “pray for those who mistreat you.” Who is one person you could pray for today, even if it’s hard?

Judging Others

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

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 back to you.”

Jesus also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? How can you say, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while you yourself fail to see the beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Question

Quick question

Jesus told a story about a speck and a beam.

What did Jesus say to take out first?

A Tree and Its Fruit

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit.

Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart.

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

The House on the Rock

Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?

I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them:

He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the torrent crashed against that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

But the one who hears My words and does not act on them is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation. The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it fell—and great was its destruction!”

because it was well built

Luke 6:48

Reflect

Built on the rock

Jesus asked, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?” What is one thing He has said that you could act on this week?

You’ve experienced

Luke 6

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A verse to carry with you

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 6:31

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