Lucas 6

Lucas 6

Wesley - “I value all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.” David Livingstone - “I place no value on anything I possess, except in relation to the kingdom of God.” Alcorn explains "God’s kingdom was the reference point for these men. They saw all else in light of that kingdom. They were compelled to live as they did, not because they treasured no things, but because they treasured the right things. Richard Halverson said "Jesus Christ said more about money than about any other single thing because, when it comes to a man’s real nature, money is of first importance. Money is an exact index to a man’s true character. All through Scripture there is an intimate correlation between the development of a man’s character and how he handles his money." In the book of the Revelation John gives another description of the rich when God's wrath is finally and fully poured out on this evil generation... And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her (BABYLON), will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ (Revelation 18:9-10+) IVP Background Commentary - “Comfort” was a blessing of the messianic era (e.g., Is 40:1; cf. Lk 16:25). Most of Jesus’ hearers were poor, but Luke’s urban, Greco-Roman readership was probably better off (Lk 1:3–4); Luke pulls no punches for his own audience (cf. 1 Enoch 96:4–5). Laughter was often associated with scorn. (See The IVP Bible Background Commentary) Jesus gives a striking illustration of the blessings on believers versus woes on non-believers in His story about the poor man Lazarus and the rich man... Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham (SUPPORTING THE FACT THAT HE WAS JEWISH), have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ 25“But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. (Luke 16:19-25+) Related Resources: What should we learn from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16? Is Luke 16:19-31 a parable or an account of events that actually occurred? Can people in heaven look down and see those of us who are still on the earth? Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler he could be saved by obeying the commandments? Is it better, spiritually, to be poor than to be rich? What did Jesus mean when He said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven? What does the Bible say about being poor? Randy Alcorn in his modern day classic (which I highly recommend) Money, Possessions, and Eternity (borrow this copy) has a subsection in the Chapter 3 on "The Nature of Materialism" which is aptly entitled "The Stupidity of Materialism." Take a moment and read his analysis (and pithy illustrations) regarding materialism (notice the word is not wealth but the "-ism" of wealth so to speak! The distinction is that "Materialism is money-centered and thing-centered rather than God-centered." One dictionary says materialism is "a desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters."). We must understand that materialism is not simply wrong. It is stupid. As Jesus once asked his profit-conscious audience, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). The parable of the rich fool portrays a man who thought of himself as a successful businessman (Luke 12:16-21). The essence of foolishness is that we either don’t recognize the truth or we choose to ignore it. The rich fool of the parable thought he was captain of his fate. He made his plans without taking into account God’s plans. He failed to come to grips with three fundamental facts—the mortality of his present life, the eternality of his future life, and the reality that today’s choices were forging his future life. The rich fool was a materialist. He acted irrationally, as if he could escape death or delay it indefinitely. He neglected to number his days and therefore failed to gain a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). Scripture describes our lives as “like grass” and our achievements as “the flowers of the field.” The grass withers and the flowers fall—in the eyes of eternity this earthly life comes and goes in the blink of an eye (Isaiah 40:6-8). “But man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish” (Psalm 49:12). “Man is a mere phantom (Ed: here today, gone tomorrow. They have no lasting substance and are comparable to mere images or ghosts) as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it” (Psalm 39:6). A Greek philosopher said, “All men think it is only the other man who is mortal.” The way we scurry about accumulating things is testimony to our unspoken doctrine that we are exceptions to the law of death. The events of September 11, 2001, were a shocking reminder to millions of Americans of something we should have already understood—our mortality. The rich fool was “not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21); that is, he did not handle money in a God-centered way. He was self-centered, hoarding and stockpiling money and possessions rather than releasing them to serve God and meet the needs of others. He was too self-sufficient and independent to ask God’s counsel on how much to keep and how much to give, too preoccupied with the business of “success” to open his heart in love to meet the needs of those around him. The Talmud says, “Man is born with his fist clenched but dies with his hands wide open.” (Ed: Woe!) The Scriptures say, “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand” (Ecclesiastes 5:15). But the rich fool was too busy being “successful” to care. When one of the wealthiest men in history, John D. Rockefeller, died, his accountant was asked, “How much did John D. leave?” The accountant’s reply was classic: “He left ALL of it.” You can’t take it with you. Or as someone put it, “You’ll never see a hearse pulling a U-Haul.” Perhaps we need to read the obituaries to remind ourselves how short our time on earth is. Perhaps we need to visit a junkyard to remind ourselves where all the things we work for and chase after will one day end up. The wise man thinks ahead. The foolish man acts as if there is no eternal tomorrow.... The principle is timeless: There is a powerful relationship between our true spiritual condition and our attitude and actions concerning money and possessions....If John the Baptist (or a first-century Christian) were to visit us today and gauge our spiritual condition by our attitudes and actions regarding money and possessions, what conclusions would he come to? When you look around our Christian communities today, what do you see in our handling of money and possessions that can only be explained by the supernatural work of God? J Vernon McGee on the RICH - Very little is said today about the godless rich. The Lord had a great deal to say about the godless rich in Scripture: "Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation." Everyone seems to be after the poor criminal who stole $25.00, or a suit of clothes, or a $50.00 ring. The godless poor, however, are not nearly as dangerous as the godless rich. The godless rich give glamour to godlessness. There is probably more hypocrisy among the rich than any other group. They will pay a false prophet to preach in their church -- they own the church and the property. No rich church has the reputation of being an evangelical church; the gospel will not be preached there. There may be a few exceptions to this, but if there are, I do not know about them. In New York City there is a church that bears the name of a rich man. The church will not have a gospel minister preach there because a gospel preacher would condemn this rich man just as James did when he said: "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days" (James 5:1-3+). I wonder when Christians in this country are going to wake up to the fact that these rich politicians are throwing crumbs from their tables down to the poor. They are not interested in the poor or in the rights of an individual. They want to be able to keep their riches and enjoy them in selfishness, and they are willing to give a few crumbs to the poor in order to do it. As far as civil rights go, I am not concerned about the color of a man's skin but about the color of his heart. Has his heart been washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? If it has, then he is my brother. I am going to be living with him for eternity and I had better start learning to live with him now -- and I am. A man's heart may be as black as ink and his skin white as snow, yet he is not my brother. I am sorry to have to say that, but it is true. What I am saying may sound revolutionary, and it is, but it is what Jesus Christ said, friend. There are those who tell me that they are following Jesus. They do not dare to follow Him. Read what He says in this chapter and, believe me, it will remove the cloak of hypocrisy and peel off the skin of any man. Try on the Sermon on the Plain for size and find out if you are keeping it. (See Thru the Bible) Woe (alas) (3750)(ouai) (click and select "Phonetics" to hear "ouai" pronounced) (ouai pronounced "oo-ah'ee," an eerie, ominous foreboding sound some say is like the cry of an eagle) is an onomatopoeic word (an imitation of the sound) which serves as an interjection expressing a cry of intense distress, displeasure or horror. Jesus gives 8 woes' to the hypocritical, blind Pharisees! It may convey a warning of impending disaster to the hearers. Most NT uses of ouai are in the context of warning about inevitable, impending judgment, often intermingled with a feeling of pity (Mt 11:21-22, Lk 22:22 = Judas' betrayal). Rev 8:13+ has woe in triplicate which seems to provide the greatest possible emphasis on God's coming judgment on the world, much as the cry of "holy" in triplicate emphasizes His infinite holiness. Indeed, His perfect holiness demands His perfect judgment! In the Lxx a double woe is addressed to unfaithful Jerusalem because of her idolatry and immorality (Ezek 16:23). Ouai does not depict sorrow on the part of those who have sinned (as some have mistakenly taught - that is to say, ouai does not express their sorrow over their sin). Ouai refers to those experience the calamity, disaster, and damnation reserved for the unsaved sinner. "The term "woe" often introduces a prophetic oracle of doom...Those who do not realize their spiritual poverty but rely on their own achievement will reap disaster in the end." (Reformation Study Bible) Luke uses ouai in these passages - Lk. 6:24; Lk. 6:25; Lk. 6:26; Lk. 10:13; Lk. 11:42; Lk. 11:43; Lk. 11:44; Lk. 11:46; Lk. 11:47; Lk. 11:52; Lk. 17:1; Lk. 21:23; Lk. 22:22 All NT uses of ouai - Matt. 11:21; Matt. 18:7; Matt. 23:13; Matt. 23:14; Matt. 23:15; Matt. 23:16; Matt. 23:23; Matt. 23:25; Matt. 23:27; Matt. 23:29; Matt. 24:19; Matt. 26:24; Mk. 13:17; Mk. 14:21; Lk. 6:24; Lk. 6:25; Lk. 6:26; Lk. 10:13; Lk. 11:42; Lk. 11:43; Lk. 11:44; Lk. 11:46; Lk. 11:47; Lk. 11:52; Lk. 17:1; Lk. 21:23; Lk. 22:22; 1 Co. 9:16; Jude 1:11; Rev. 8:13; Rev. 9:12; Rev. 11:14; Rev. 12:12; Rev. 18:10; Rev. 18:16; Rev. 18:19 - Note two concentrated uses which are very telling - Matthew 23 woe is used 8x of the Pharisees and in the Revelation woe is used 13x in 7 verses! The Christ rejecting world will experience unimaginable woes! Rich (rich man) (4145)(plousios from ploutos = wealth, abundance, riches) is an adjective which defines that which exists in a large amount with implication of its being valuable. Literally plousios refers to having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds normal experience. This word is used of the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18 But when he had heard these things (Jesus' call to discipleship in Luke 18:22), he became very sad (DEEPLY GRIEVED), for he was extremely rich (plousios). 24 And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich (plousios) man to enter the kingdom of God.”(Luke 18:23-25+) Plousios - 28v - people(1), rich(19), rich man(7), rich man's(1), rich people(1). Matt. 19:23; Matt. 19:24; Matt. 27:57; Mk. 10:25; Mk. 12:41; Lk. 6:24; Lk. 12:16; Lk. 14:12; Lk. 16:1; Lk. 16:19; Lk. 16:21; Lk. 16:22; Lk. 18:23; Lk. 18:25; Lk. 19:2; Lk. 21:1; 2 Co. 8:9; Eph. 2:4; 1 Tim. 6:17; Jas. 1:10; Jas. 1:11; Jas. 2:5; Jas. 2:6; Jas. 5:1; Rev. 2:9; Rev. 3:17; Rev. 6:15; Rev. 13:16 Are receiving (present tense = continually receiving)(568)(apechomai or apecho from apó = away from - conveys the idea of putting some distance between; serves as a marker of dissociation, implying a rupture from a former association + écho = have) in the active voice (as in this verse) means to receive a sum in full and give a receipt for it. Apecho was used as a commercial technical term meaning "to receive a sum in full and give a receipt for it" .The word was used in a commercial sense to acknowledge the receipt of full payment (Mt 6:2, 6:5, 6:16+). In the papyri apecho is used repeatedly in the sense of “I have received” as a technical expression in drawing up a receipt. And so it can refer to a commercial receipt which gives way to the NT meaning to receive in full payment, to have in full or to have received what one had a right to except (e.g., referring to Paul's financial support from the church at Philippi - Phil 4:18+). A similar meaning is to receive back a person (Philemon 1:15). Apechomai - 16v - abstain(5), abstaining(1), away(1), away*(1), enough(1), have...back(1), have...in full(3), have received(1), have received in full(1), off(1), receiving...in full(1). Matt. 6:2; Matt. 6:5; Matt. 6:16; Matt. 15:8; Mk. 7:6; Mk. 14:41; Lk. 6:24; Lk. 15:20; Acts 15:20; Acts 15:29; Phil. 4:18; 1 Thess. 4:3; 1 Thess. 5:22; 1 Tim. 4:3; Phlm. 1:15; 1 Pet. 2:11 Comfort (3874)(paraklesis from parakaléo = call to one's side <> pará = side of + kaléo = call) refers to calling to one's side or one's aid which can be for the purpose of providing solace, comfort, consolation, exhortation, encouragement. Of course we derive our word parakletos, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit from this same word family. Comfort is from Latin com = with + fortis = strong, and means to invigorate, to enliven, to cheer, to strengthen one's mind when depressed, to give new vigor to one's spirits, to give strength or hope to another, to ease their grief or trouble. Paraklesis - 28v - appeal(1), comfort(13), consolation(1), encouragement(6), exhortation(7), urging(1). Lk. 2:25; Lk. 6:24; Acts 4:36; Acts 9:31; Acts 13:15; Acts 15:31; Rom. 12:8; Rom. 15:4; Rom. 15:5; 1 Co. 14:3; 2 Co. 1:3; 2 Co. 1:4; 2 Co. 1:5; 2 Co. 1:6; 2 Co. 1:7; 2 Co. 7:4; 2 Co. 7:7; 2 Co. 7:13; 2 Co. 8:4; 2 Co. 8:17; Phil. 2:1; 1 Thess. 2:3; 2 Thess. 2:16; 1 Tim. 4:13; Phlm. 1:7; Heb. 6:18; Heb. 12:5; Heb. 13:22 Rod Mattoon - Beloved, if you are satisfied with putting things above or ahead of the Lord, your reward is now, but it will not be God's best for you. In essence, being satisfied with mediocrity instead of God's best, is a form of judgment. The loss of tenacity in desiring God's best, and contentment with the mediocrity of carnal values, are elements of stupidity and absurdity, which will lead to anxiety, calamity, scarcity, perplexity, and futility because of foolish choices and goals, and the loss of future blessings in eternity. If you are a Christian and neglect the Lord because of money, you will lose blessings and reward. If you reject Christ because of money, you will spend eternity in Hell. A man named H.H. Farmer put it another way, "To Jesus, the terrible thing about having wrong values in life and pursuing wrong things is not that you are doomed to bitter disappointment, but that you are not. Not that you fail to achieve what you want, but that you do." When people are satisfied with the lesser things of this life, the good instead of the best, then their successes actually add up to be failures. People that are building their lives upon the pillar of prosperity, that neglects, ignores, or forgets God, are spiritually bankrupt and do not realize it. They won't receive God's best for themselves. That's sad and is the reason why they are spiritual failures! God warns us about the grip that money can take in our lives. Its grasp is especially strong when times are lean, when your retirement fund has lost a chunk, when unemployment is rising, or when you have little now. God warns us about having the proper view of our finances, because if we don't, then our prosperity can pull us away from the One who gave it to us. When this happens, we become ungrateful for God's blessings and we mistakenly focus our attention on the gifts instead of the Giver, the Lord Himself. When our view of our finances becomes distorted, we mistakenly conclude that money is going to make us happy. That is not true because money cannot buy the most priceless things in the world. You cannot buy peace, joy, love, and a right relationship with Jesus Christ. You won't find these things on sale at WalMart. You cannot buy eternal life because it's free! Money cannot save you from disasters, diseases, or death. Don't make the mistake of being fooled by financial prosperity and forget the Lord in your life like many people do. You need God whether you are rich or poor. God repeatedly warns us about the "pillar of wealth," its impact on our lives, and its flimsy footing. (Read 1 Ti 6:7, 9, Dt 8:13-14, Ps 49:10, 62:10, Pr 23:5, 28:20, Jer 17:11). (Treasures from the Scriptures) ILLUSTRATION - Malcolm Forbes - Christopher Winans, in his book, Malcolm Forbes: The Man Who Had Everything, tells of a motorcycle tour that Forbes took through Egypt in 1984 with his Capitalist Tool motorcycle team. After viewing the staggering burial tomb of King Tut, Forbes seemed to be in a reflective mood. As they were returning to the hotel in a shuttle bus, Forbes turned to one of his associates and asked with all sincerity: “Do you think I’ll be remembered after I die?” Forbes is remembered. He is remembered as the man who coined the phrase, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” That was the wisdom of Malcolm Forbes. In fact, that was his ambition. That’s why he collected scores of motorcycles. That’s why he would pay over a million dollars for a Faberge egg. That’s why he owned castles, hot air balloons and countless other toys that he can no longer access. The Lord Jesus Christ gave us words of superior wisdom when he said, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). It is a fatally deficient wisdom that declares “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Luke 6:25 "Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. KJV Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. well-fed now Deuteronomy 6:11,12; 1 Samuel 2:5; Proverbs 30:9; Isaiah 28:7; 65:13; Philippians 4:12,13; Revelation 3:17 shall be hungry Isaiah 8:21; 9:20; 65:13 who laugh now Lk 8:53; 16:14,15; Ps 22:6,7; Proverbs 14:13; Eccl 2:2; 7:3,6; Eph 5:4; James 4:9 you shall mourn and weep Lk 12:20; 13:28; Job 20:5-7; 21:11-13; Ps 49:19; Isaiah 21:3,4; 24:7-12; Daniel 5:4-6; Amos 8:10; Nahum 1:10; Matthew 22:11-13; 1 Th 5:3; Revelation 18:7-11 Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 6:23-26 The Character of a True Christian- 2 - John MacArthur Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After - Steven Cole Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After - Steven Cole Related Passage: Matthew 5:4+ "Blessed are those who mourn (pentheo), for they shall be comforted." Luke 13:28+ “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. Luke 1:53+ “HE HAS FILLED (empiplemi) THE HUNGRY (peinao) WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed. WOE TO THOSE WHO ARE WELL-FED AND LAUGH NOW Woe (ouai) to you who are well-fed (empiplemi) now - This word of warning is given in a sense as a prophecy to these disciples who had given up everything in order to follow Jesus. Those who are well-fed speaks of those who refused to give up anything to follow Jesus, like the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18:18-30. Well fed (empiplemi) is in the perfect tense which speaks of their enduring state (but only during this short life!) and describes those who were satisfied (as with food, clothing, etc) and had enough (even more than enough) to meet their needs. Notice Jesus' repetition of the time sensitive word NOW in this warning passage and the previous prophetic blessing Luke 6:21+ which as we have noted reverses the words in Lk 6:25. (see table) Blessed are you who hunger NOW, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep NOW, for you shall laugh. Woe to you who are well-fed NOW, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh NOW, for you shall mourn and weep. A T