LUKE 6

I mentioned before how I try to take note of the questions the Pharisees ask Jesus. All the while, they either deny or simply ignore the miraculous. And if they can get Jesus to trip up, or catch Him “in the act” of breaking their Law, then they think they have Him. They don’t recognize that He is the author of all, so they learn the hard way, if they learn at all.

Jesus, in this passage, asserts His authority over the Sabbath. The Sabbath was one of the most abused pieces of the Jewish Law, to the point that the religious leaders had completely distorted the original intent. Rest, and reflect on God and how good He is. Thus, they were not to work on that day, and this was to be carried out sensibly.

Jesus and His disciples pick grain on the Sabbath, not to produce a crop, but to eat! Their picking is not in and of itself illegal. When challenged, Jesus takes them back to David, and how he needed to feed his men, and used the tabernacle’s showbread to do so. He heals on the Sabbath, as we see here and in other passages. Jesus asks his opponents if it is lawful to do what is right on the Sabbath. They have no good answer, but to be angry and plot further against Him. Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. More and more are coming to hear Him preach and be healed, and He preaches and heals, in that order.

Verse 20 starts a section called the Beatitudes, or “blessings”. In short, it is better to need God and know it, than to have much and never realize you need God, if I had to put it into my own words.

Some great principles come forth. It is very easy to love those who love you, easy to do good to those who do good to you, it is easy to lend money to someone you know will repay you. There are no bonus points for these actions. Rather, we are to also be merciful, just as God is to us. Be kind to those who are mean to you. Do good for those who might never do the same for you. Be generous to those who probably will not re-pay you or might not even thank you. God has you covered.

Some interesting study on verse 38. Jesus compares God’s blessings with the image of a commodity like grain, something bought that is not just purchased in small or skimpy amounts. The grain is pressed into a container to make sure air spaces are filled in. The grain is also shaken to make sure there are no empty spaces. The container runs over, completely full, in an abundant way. It is then “poured into the lap”, or literally transferred from the merchant’s container to the buyer’s. God transfers His goodness to the believer as a blessing. Human generosity is rewarded with Divine generosity.

We also read the familiar beam/speck story. Note that it is OK to notice and try to remove the speck from another, so long as it is done properly, with proper motives. The picture is that of a huge wood plank sticking out from my eye, banging the other person in the head while I try to get close enough to remove the other’s speck. We must clean up our own issues before properly addressing another’s.

That section closes with verse 45, also speaking of motives. If your heart is evil, so will be your output. If your motives are impure, then so will be your actions and speech, especially toward those around you. The converse is true as well: if your heart and motives are good and pure, so will be the result that comes forth from you.

Build your house on the rock. We have no firmer foundation than the rock of Jesus Christ, the solid base that is His Word. Any other substrate will only lead to collapse and ruin.

SO WHAT…?

So, am I living the easy Christian life, or am I being generous with my love, my gifts, and my mercy?

So, do I recognize those blessings poured out so abundantly from God?

So, I must check my motives regularly, help a brother or sister when he or she is falling, and in the process and prior to that, keep myself free from those “beams”, which are my own failings.

So, what besides the Word am I relying upon to hold me up, to keep my foundation solid?