Lucas 6
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 6
Cole - When Jesus blesses those who weep (klaio) now, He is referring to His followers who suffer in this wicked world because of their identification with Him (ED: ALTHOUGH TRUE I THINK THIS IS SECONDARY TO WEEPING OVER ONE'S OWN SPIRITUAL DESTITUTION). They will get the last laugh because God will welcome them to His sumptuous banquet table. Those who laugh now are like the rich man in Jesus’ parable, who say to themselves, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?” (Lu 12:19, Lu 12:20). (Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After) Laughter comes from seeing the end of sin and shame, sorrow and suffering, tragedy and trauma -- Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible Brian Bell quips that “If you want to know someone’s character, find out what makes him laugh & what makes him weep!” What we laugh at & what we weep over indicates our values of life & values are a part of maturity. (Luke:6:17 -36 Christian Living is not always Comfortable Living) NET Note on you shall laugh - You will laugh alludes to the joy that comes to God’s people in the salvation to come. Future laughter in place of present weeping recalls several OT passages... Ps 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. Ps 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; Jer 31:13 “Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. Comment: This prophetic promise (and that below in Isaiah 61:2-4) applies directly to the Jews who will be saved when the Lord Jesus returns and who will enter into His glorious Millennial Kingdom. Isaiah 61:2-4; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. 4 Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations, And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Blessed are the sorrowful, the persons who weep and mourn. The idea is a broken heart, a desperate, helpless weeping. It is weeping over sin; it is a broken heart over evil and suffering; it is a brokenness of self that comes from seeing Jesus on the cross and realizing that one’s own sins put Him there (see Jas 4:9). Who are they who mourn? Who are they so full of grief and sorrow that they cry and weep and utter groanings deep from within? There are three persons who mourn and utter such groanings. (1) The person who is desperately sorry for his sin and unworthiness before God. He has such a sense of sin that his heart is just broken (Lu. 18:13+). (2) The person who really feels the desperate plight and terrible suffering of others. The tragedies, the problems, the sinful behavior of others; the state, the condition, the lostness of the world—all weigh ever so heavily upon the heart of the mourner. (3) The person who experiences personal tragedy and intense trauma. The promise to the one who weeps is that he shall laugh (gelasete). The word means loud laughter that arises from a deep-seated joy and comfort. The laughter comes from two things. (1) It comes from seeing the end of sin and shame, sorrow and suffering, tragedy and trauma. (2) It comes from being comforted (Mt 5:4+ - parakaleo - 2Co 1:3+ = "God of all comfort"). Note two glorious truths. (a) There is a present comfort -- A settled peace: a relief, a solace, a consolation within. An assurance of forgiveness and acceptance by God. A fullness of joy: a sense of God’s presence, care and guidance (Jn. 14:26); a sense of His sovereignty, of His working all things out for good to those who love Him (Ro. 8:28; see Jn. 10:10; 15:11; 2 Co. 6:10; Ps. 16:11). (b) There is an eternal comfort. -- A passing from death to life (Jn. 3:16; Jn. 5:24f). A wiping away of all tears (Is. 25:8; Rev. 7:17; 21:4). (Borrow a copy of the Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible) Hunger (3983)(peinao from peín = hunger) means to feel the pangs of lack of food. The majority of the NT uses speak of literal hunger. Jesus elevated feeding the hungry to high level in His teaching in Mt 25:35, 37, 42, 44. The figurative use as in Mt 5:6-note signifies to have strong desire to attain some goal with the implication of an existing lack. Other passages that use hunger with this figurative sense are Luke 1:53, 6:21, 25, John 6:35, possibly Rev 7:16 (could refer to literal and/or spiritual hunger). In summary, peinao may refer to hunger for earthly produce (eg. Lazarus hungering for crumbs - Lk 16:19-31) or to an intense desire for spiritual nourishment which is also necessary for the continuance of life. In classic Greek peinao means to hunger and by extension it means to long for something which is necessary for sustenance of life and can range from simple desire for a meal to starvation brought on by poverty or disaster. Figuratively, it could even refer to an intense desire for something other than food, for something that was deemed necessary for one's well-being. In the Septuagint, in the OT, peinao is often used in the context of famine (Ge 41:55, 2Ki 7:12), for famine is more frequently spoken of then simple hunger that is an impulse stimulated by short term absence of food. And for this reason, the Septuagint uses the more intense Greek word limos (3016). Peinao is occasionally used in the context of matters of justice in reference to the hungry or oppressed (1Sa 2:5, Ps 146:7). Uses of peinao 23v - going hungry(1), hunger(4), hungry(18).Matt. 4:2; Matt. 5:6; Matt. 12:1; Matt. 12:3; Matt. 21:18; Matt. 25:35; Matt. 25:37; Matt. 25:42; Matt. 25:44; Mk. 2:25; Mk. 11:12; Lk. 1:53; Lk. 4:2; Lk. 6:3; Lk. 6:21; Lk. 6:25; Jn. 6:35; Rom. 12:20; 1 Co. 4:11; 1 Co. 11:21; 1 Co. 11:34; Phil. 4:12; Rev. 7:16 Shall be satisfied (5526)(chortazo from chortos = fodder or grass or herbage of the field in general) means to feed with herbs, grass or hay and then to eat one's fill resulting in a state of being satisfied. Chortazo was used of the feeding and fattening animals until they wanted nothing more. The picture is of animals who stayed at the feed trough until they wanted nothing more to eat. In short chortazo means to feed to the point of satisfaction. For example Matthew records that "they all ate (multitudes fed miraculously by Jesus with only 5 loaves and 2 fish), and were satisfied (SATIATED). And they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets." (Matthew 14:20) All 15 uses of satisfied - Matt. 5:6; Matt. 14:20; Matt. 15:33; Matt. 15:37; Mk. 6:42; Mk. 7:27; Mk. 8:4; Mk. 8:8; Lk. 6:21; Lk. 9:17; Lk. 16:21; Jn. 6:26; Phil. 4:12; Jas. 2:16; Rev. 19:21 Weep (2799)(klaio) means to mourn, to weep, to lament or to wail with emphasis upon noise accompanying weeping. It expresses one’s immediate and outward reaction to suffering. The picture is of one lamenting with sobs or wailing aloud and was used to describe the wailing that took place when someone died. Weeping thus was a sign of the pain and grief for the entity or person being wept over. Klaio implies not only the shedding of tears, but also external expression of grief. It was a term frequently used to describe the actions of professional mourners. NIDNTT writes that in classical Greek klaio is "found from Homer onwards (and ) means intransitively to cry aloud, weep; transitively to bewail. In secular Greek. klaio does not express remorse or sorrow, but physical or mental pain which is outwardly visible. (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan) Klaio in NT - 33v - weep(18), weeping(17), wept(4). Matt. 26:75; Mk. 5:38; Mk. 5:39; Mk. 14:72; Mk. 16:10; Lk. 6:21; Lk. 6:25; Lk. 7:13; Lk. 7:32; Lk. 7:38; Lk. 8:52; Lk. 19:41; Lk. 22:62; Lk. 23:28; Jn. 11:31; Jn. 11:33; Jn. 16:20; Jn. 20:11; Jn. 20:13; Jn. 20:15; Acts 9:39; Acts 21:13; Rom. 12:15; 1 Co. 7:30; Phil. 3:18; Jas. 4:9; Jas. 5:1; Rev. 5:4; Rev. 5:5; Rev. 18:9; Rev. 18:11; Rev. 18:15; Rev. 18:19 Klaio is used by James who describes divine exaltation following a genuine godly sorrow and repentance over one's sins (cf 2 Cor 7:9,10)... Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4:8-10) Laugh (1070)(geláō contracted geló, fut. gelásō) To laugh, be merry and is used twice in the NT, first in a positive sense in Lk 6:21 and then in a negative sense in Lk 6:25. Gilbrant adds gelao "On the one hand it denotes mirth or merriment resulting from a joyful disposition as in Luke 6:21, or it is used pejoratively to mean laughing despite the seriousness of a situation which instead ought to call for weeping as in Luke 6:25." Gelao in the Septuagint - Gen. 17:17; Gen. 18:12; Gen. 18:13; Gen. 18:15; Job 19:7; Job 22:19; Job 29:24; Ps. 52:6; Eccl. 3:4; Jer. 20:8; Lam. 1:7; Rod Mattoon gives an illustration - Dr. R. A. Torrey was one of the great Bible teachers of a past generation and founder of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA University). He and Mrs. Torrey went through a time of great heartache when their twelve-year-old daughter was accidentally killed. The funeral was held on a gloomy, miserable, rainy day. They stood around the grave and watched as the body of their little girl was put away. As they turned away, Mrs. Torrey said, "I'm so glad that Elisabeth is with the Lord, and not in that box." But, even knowing this to be true, their hearts were broken. Dr. Torrey said that the next day, as he was walking down the street, the whole thing broke anew—the loneliness of the years ahead without her presence, the heartbreak of an empty house, and all the other implications of her death. He was so burdened by this that he looked to the Lord for help. He said, "And just then, this fountain, the Holy Spirit that I had in my heart, broke forth with such power as I think I had never experienced before, and it was the most joyful moment I had ever known in my life! Oh, how wonderful is the joy of the Holy Spirit! It is an unspeakable glorious thing to have your joy not in things about you, not even in your most dearly loved friends, but to have within you a fountain ever springing up, springing up, springing up, always springing up three hundred and sixty-five days in every year, springing up under all circumstances unto everlasting life." (Treasures from the Scriptures) Luke 6:22 "Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. KJV 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. BGT μακάριοί ἐστε ὅταν μισήσωσιν ὑμᾶς οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ ὅταν ἀφορίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ ὀνειδίσωσιν καὶ ἐκβάλωσιν τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν ὡς πονηρὸν ἕνεκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· ERV Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. ESV "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! NIV Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. NLT What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. NRS "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Blessed are you when men hate you Matthew 5:10-12; 10:22; Mark 13:9-13; John 7:7; 15:18-20; 17:14; 2 Corinthians 11:23-26; Philippians 1:28-30; 1 Thessalonians 2:14,15; 2 Timothy 3:11,12; 1 Peter 2:19,20; 1 Peter 3:14; 4:12-16 ostracize you (KJV = separate from you) - Lk 20:15; Isaiah 65:5; 66:5; John 9:22-28,34; 12:42; 16:2; Acts 22:22; 24:5 for the sake of the Son of Man Lk 21:17; Mt 10:18,22,39; Acts 9:16; 1 Corinthians 4:10,11 Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 6:20-23 The Character of a True Christian-1 - 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 Passages: Matthew 5:10-12+ Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (i.e., THEY ARE BELIEVERS). 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you (AND HERE IS THE CRITICAL QUALIFYING PHRASE) because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, (WHY?) for (A STRATEGIC term of explanation) your reward in heaven is great (THIS LIFE IS A BAD AS IT WILL EVER GET!); for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY, cf 1 Peter 5:9-10+). Matthew 10:22+ “You will be hated by all because (TERM OF EXPLANATION) of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. (NOTE THEIR ENDURANCE DOES NOT SAVE THEM BUT PROVES THEY HAD THE SUPERNATURAL ENABLEMENT BY THE SPIRIT TO HOLD FAST TO THE END). John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. FOURTH PARADOX: BLESSED ARE THE DETESTED!
Lucas 6
Cole applies their rage to us - If you struggle with anger, especially irrational, explosive anger that makes you want to harm someone else, Jesus is going to stomp on your toes! If you’ll stop and examine the source of your anger, invariably pride and selfishness will surface. Pride makes me angrily assert that I am right without even listening to the other side: “We don’t need to discuss the matter! I’m right and you’re wrong!” Selfishness means that I didn’t get my way, and I want my way! At the root of all anger is a refusal to submit to the sovereignty of God who is not doing things as I want them done! In Luke 4:28-29+ we read of a similar reaction in Jesus' hometown synagogue in Nazareth, this time to the preaching of Jesus regarding Namaan the leper who was cleansed while none of the lepers in Israel were cleansed which incited the congregation so that... "All the people in the synagogue were filled with rage (THEIR FILLING) as they heard these things; (THEIR ATTITUDE/ACTION) and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff." In that passage Luke used a different Greek word for rage, thumos from thúo = move impetuously, particularly as the air or wind, a violent motion or passion of the mind; move violently, rush along) describes passion (as if breathing hard) and so speaks of an agitated or "heated" anger that rushes along (impulse toward a thing). Discussed together what they might do to Jesus - Luke leaves this open ended but both Matthew 12:14+ and Mark 3:6+ state specifically what they wanted to do - they wanted to destroy Him where the Greek word apollumi means to destroy utterly! The created ones desiring to utterly destroy their self-existent, immutable, eternal Creator! No wonder Luke describes their rage with the rare noun anoia - they were relentlessly irrational! As alluded to above, the irony is that Jesus uses this same verb apollumi in His counterquestion to the Pharisees in Lk 6:9 ("to save a life or to destroy it"). Let us not miss the irony here, for as the legalistic Pharisees are accusing Jesus of breaking the law to keep the Sabbath holy, they themselves are breaking the law "You shall not murder!" (cf Mt 5:21, 22+)! IVP Background Commentary has an interesting note on what they might do to Jesus - Unintentional violations of the Sabbath, or issues of disagreement about what constituted the sabbath (matters that were debated) were normally treated lightly; capital punishment (Ex 31:14; 35:2) was thought appropriate only for those who willfully rejected the Sabbath. Jesus’ opponents go far beyond their own teachings here. John
Lucas 6
Cole - Put yourself in this man’s place. If you have any sort of physical handicap, the last thing you want is for someone to call attention to it in a public setting. If you have a blemish on your face, you try to camouflage it with make up. Perhaps this man kept his hand pulled up under his robe so that people wouldn’t notice it. Yet Jesus looks directly at the man and says, literally, “Rise and stand in the midst.” In other words, “Front and center where everyone can see your problem.” How embarrassing! Didn’t Jesus know how the man must feel? Think of what this did to his self-esteem! Why couldn’t Jesus have taken him aside privately and not called attention to his problem? Our pride makes us want to hide our embarrassing problems both from public view and from Jesus’ view: “Withered hand? Why no, I just like to keep it up my sleeve. Nice weather we’ve been having, isn’t it?” But hiding your problems from Jesus and denying that you have them is a sure-fire way not to get them healed. Like this withered hand, it may be something that has hindered your life for years. It has kept you from being all that God wants you to be for His kingdom. Every time anyone gets near to exposing your problem, you quickly withdraw and divert attention from it or get defensive and angry. But Jesus always goes for the jugular! To the immoral woman at the well, Jesus said, “Go call your husband and come back.” To the rich young ruler, He said, “Go sell everything you have and give it to the poor.” To the woman with the issue of blood (how embarrassing!), who just wanted quietly to get healed and be on her way, Jesus stopped in the busy crowd and demanded, “Who touched Me?” He made her confess in public what had happened to her. To this man Jesus said, “Stretch out your hand.” What if the man had stretched out his good left hand? “See, it is perfectly good! No problems with my hand!” I think he would not have been healed. Right there in front of the whole crowd, he had to stretch out that embarrassingly withered right hand for it to be made whole. Even so, you may have an embarrassing sin problem that Jesus wants you to confess in order to be healed. So Jesus often deliberately stomps on your toes. The question is, “How will you respond?” When Jesus stomps on your toes … 2. Don’t resist Him, but respond with obedient faith. The response of the scribes and Pharisees was quite different than the response of the man with the withered hand. They went away in a rage, determined to do away with Jesus. He went away healed. Let’s learn that … A. We resist Jesus when we respond in anger and resolve to get rid of Him. How do you respond when God’s Word confronts your sin? It may be a sin that you have kept hidden from public view. Perhaps you have convinced yourself that it’s really not a big problem, even though it actually causes you a lot of trouble. People often do this with drug and alcohol abuse. They hide the extent of it from everyone else and then they convince themselves that it’s really not so bad. Besides, they tell themselves that they need it to cope and probably everyone else does it to some extent, too. When the Lord confronts them with the problem through caring family or friends, they get defensive and angry. If they go to a church where the Bible is preached, and the sermons confront their sin, they drop out or find a church that isn’t so threatening. I often hear of people who stop coming here because my preaching stepped on their toes. Well, it steps on my toes, too! But the sad thing is, if you walk away from God’s Word, you won’t get healed. B. We respond with obedient faith when we believe and act on Jesus’ word. The man with the withered hand pictures how we should respond when Jesus stomps on our toes. He could have refused to do what Jesus asked because of fear of the Pharisees. They easily could take out their anger on him: “You know what our law states. Why didn’t you wait and come back tomorrow for healing? This upstart Jesus is just undermining our heritage and way of life! You shouldn’t have gone along with Him!” But the man wanted to be healed even if it meant enduring the wrath of the Pharisees. He could have refused to obey Jesus out of embarrassment, as I’ve already said. When Jesus asked him to stretch out his hand, he could have thought, “Is He mocking me? He knows that my problem is precisely that I cannot stretch out my hand!” He could have thought of a lot of excuses why he couldn’t do what Jesus asked him to do. But instead, recognizing his own impotence and need, he believed and obeyed Jesus. He was instantly healed. There were several elements in his obedient faith that we must follow. First, he recognized and admitted his need and inability. He didn’t angrily say, “Why are you singling me out? I’m no different than anyone else here.” He didn’t deny or camouflage his problem. He didn’t offer to go fifty-fifty in helping Jesus solve the problem. If you want Jesus to heal your soul, you must admit, “I am a hopeless, helpless sinner. My thoughts, my attitudes, my words, and my deeds have continually violated Your holy Word. I cannot save myself. Lord, I need Your powerful Word to save me.” Second, he believed in Christ’s ability to heal him. This isn’t stated, but it’s implicitly behind his action. Probably he had heard how Jesus had healed the paralytic. He knew how Jesus had healed everyone who gathered at Peter’s door one evening. He had just heard Jesus teach. Now Jesus was looking directly at him. He knew and believed that Jesus had the power from God to heal him. Even so, we must look at the records of Jesus’ life and ministry and come to the conclusion that He is who He claimed to be. He is God in human flesh, the only Mediator between sinners and a holy God. He is able to save my soul. Third, he acted in obedience to Christ’s command. Jesus commanded him to do something impossible: “Stretch out your hand!” But with the command, Jesus imparted the power and ability to obey it. The man obeyed and was instantly healed. Jesus commands sinners to do something impossible: Repent and believe in the gospel (Mk 1:15). If you will look to Him and cry out, “Lord, I cannot repent and believe by my ability, but grant me repentance and faith by Your grace,” He will do it and you will be instantly saved. Although the text does not say so, I agree with G. Campbell Morgan’s insight (The Westminster Pulpit [Baker], 1:294) that Jesus didn’t heal this man so that he could wrap his healed hand in a bandage and protect it, but so that he could use it. By exercising and using it, he would maintain the new strength. Even so, when the Lord has delivered us from our sins, He expects us to use our healed lives in service for His glory. Conclusion Morgan also points out that the only man in the synagogue that Jesus sought out was the man with the greatest need. If you have a problem, it does not exclude you from Jesus. Rather, it makes you the target of His gracious call. You may have an embarrassing problem that you would rather not face up to and you certainly don’t want to expose it in public. But Jesus says to you, “Arise and stand in the midst! Admit that you have a sin problem.” He just kinda sorta stomps on your aorta! But if you will respond in obedient faith, He will say, “Stretch out your hand!” He will impart the power of His salvation, and you will be changed in your heart to the praise of the glory of His saving grace. When Jesus stomps on your toes, don’t resist Him. Respond with obedient faith and He will save you and use you for His glory. (Luke 6:6-11 When Jesus Stomps on Your Toes) J C
Lucas 6
Cole - The task of proclaiming the gospel to the world’s six billion people is daunting. But the principle of multiplication yields amazing results. You’ve heard examples like this: Suppose you had a choice of two jobs, each lasting 35 days. One pays $1,000 a day; the other pays a penny the first day and doubles the amount each day. If you took the first job, you would earn $35,000. But if you too the second job, you’d end up with $171,798,717.84! I realize that the process doesn’t work perfectly with people. But if every Christian would not only lead one person each year to the Lord, but also train that person to reach one more, it wouldn’t take long for billions to hear, assuming that we are crossing cultural and linguistic barriers. So our goal should not only be to win people to Christ, but to disciple them so that they will reach others who will reach still others. If you don’t have a discipling mindset, you interrupt the process the Lord set in motion. ILLUSTRATION - A familiar legend reports a conversation between Jesus and the angel Gabriel after the Lord’s ascension back into heaven. They talked about what had happened down here—of Christ’s birth, His life and ministry, His death and resurrection. Then Gabriel asked, “And how will the people of the world get to know about all of it?” Christ’s reply was, “Well, I have a little company of friends there whom I have asked to publish it.” “But what if, for any reason, they let you down and fail to do it?” Gabriel asked. Christ replied, “I have no other plan.” ILLUSTRATION - Someone has commented that a great writer can take a worthless piece of paper, write a poem on it and instantly make it extremely valuable. A famous artist can take a piece of canvas worth fifty cents and by painting a picture on it make it priceless. A wealthy man can sign his name to a worthless piece of paper and make it worth a million dollars. In an infinitely greater way Jesus Christ can take a worthless, corrupted, and repulsive life and transform it into a righteous child of God and a useful worker in His kingdom. A church in Strasbourg, France, was severely damaged by bombs during World War II. Although a beloved statue of Christ had survived, a ceiling beam had fallen across the arms and broken them off. A local sculptor offered to restore the statue without charge, but the townspeople decided to leave it as it was. Without hands it would be a continuing reminder to them that God does His work through His people, His earthly hands. Jesus Christ chooses human hands—and minds and arms and feet—as the instruments of His eternal work of redemption. Those who are not offended by His demands for discipleship and who, like the apostles, give their imperfect and flawed lives to Him as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1), become His means for drawing all men to Himself. Henry Drummond, the Scottish author and evangelist who wrote the well-known booklet The Greatest Thing in the World, was once invited to speak to an exclusive men's club in London. He began his talk with a provocative analogy that those men easily understood: "Gentlemen, the entrance fee into the kingdom of heaven is nothing; however, the annual subscription is everything."Because Jesus Christ paid the total price for salvation, it costs nothing to become His disciple. But to follow Him as a faithful disciple costs everything we have. We are not only saved by Christ's blood but are bought with it and therefore belong totally to Him (1 Cor. 6:19-20; 7:23).(See Matthew Commentary) Herbert Lockyer in his excellent book "All the apostles of the Bible (borrow a copy)" has some excellent introductory remarks regarding the apostles - "Some time ago, The Reader's Digest carried a most illuminating article by Ernest Hauser on The Miracle of the Twelve, which bore the subtitle, Hand-picked by Jesus, they were the missionaries of a message that changed the world." Who were these men whom Jesus chose, in whose honor cathedrals have been built, around whom legend has spun golden webs, and whose names have been used naming multitudes since? How was it that principally through the evangelistic efforts within three and a half centuries, proud imperial Rome succumbed to the glad tidings of the Redeemer from the East? A fact we cannot deny is that no body of men, few or many, has ever exercised so vast an influence on the world as the small circle of ordinary men Jesus called, trained, commissioned, and empowered to further His cause. surveyed from the human angle, the twelve had meager equipment for the great tasks before them. They are referred to as being "unlettered and ignorant men," which means they were unprofessional men absolutely outside the current schools of philosophical, political and religious thought. To all appearances no mission seemed more hopeless than theirs. Were they not facing and enterprise doomed to failure, seeing they had no social status no organization behind them, no wealth of their own or wealthy backers? How could they then expect success in the world wide campaign awaiting them? They became companions of a Man who was born in poverty, spent most of His years in obscurity, never had any position in life, never wrote a book, was gibbeted as a felon between two thieves, and who lived for only 33 years. How could they expect to bring the impact of their witness to bear upon the world as followers of One who was despised and rejected of men? Yet forward they went to summon the world to His feet, and the world came - and is still coming, for in spite of the godlessness of our age, there are millions today in the world who love this Man of Galilee... ...they were men with like passions as ourselves. With all their noble qualities, they had their imperfections and limitations...He called them to follow Him, not because of what they were in themselves when He met them for the first time, but because of what under His tuition, and by His power they would become... ...It is not what we are, in ourselves, when we hear and respond to Christ's call, but what by His grace and power He can make us as we company with Him. When Jesus called those first disciples, He said,"Follow me, and I will make you" - and there are no self-made Christians in His service;... ...those whom the Lord wants and wins are those He is able to fashion into human books to tell the story of His love and grace. As did those He gathered around Him in the days of His flesh, disciples today begin their apprenticeship by following Christ, daily learning of, and from Him (Matt. 11:29). Then as they grow in grace and knowledge, they become more fitted to represent the Savior in a world of sin and need... ...To us, the apostles were not exceptional men, strangers to our weakness, temptations and difficulties. Jesus chose twelve typical representative men...He chose those who were poor and teachable as the clay out of which to fashion spiritual greatness... ...The twelve Christ chose, then, were twelve men, distinguished by marked degrees of difference and varieties of temper and disposition... ...These twelve types were selected as a representation of a narrow circle of the whole human race, in which there is a great variety of types... ...It has been suggested that in the choice of the twelve, Christ was experimenting on the entire human race. If He could bring these twelve under His power and subdue them to His qualities, it would be proof that all men might be made to yield to His sway. It was a prophetic demonstration that His salvation was adapted to all classes with varieties of disposition and qualities. The selection was also proof that Jesus was both willing and able to employ all manner of gifts and all manner of natures in His service. Doubtless if the choice had been ours we should have left several of the twelve out, and chosen others.... The names of the twelve appear on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem which their devotion and dedication helped to build"... ...Twelve is the number establishing governmental perfection...it is a clear illustration to the tribes of a new people. It happily expresses that Jesus was the Divine Messianic King. Luke 6:14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; KJV Luke 6:14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Simon Lk 5:8; John 1:40-42; 21:15-20; Acts 1:13; 2 Peter 1:1 Andrew Matthew 4:18; John 6:8 James Lk 5:10; Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19,29; 5:37; 9:2; 14:33; John 21:20-24; Acts 12:2 Philip Matthew 10:3; John 1:45; 6:5; 14:8; Acts 1:13 Luke 6:12-13 Common Men, Uncommon Calling - John MacArthur Luke 6:14 Common Men, Uncommon Calling: Peter, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 6:14 Common Men, Uncommon Calling: Peter, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 6:14 Common Men, Uncommon Calling: Peter, Part 3 - John MacArthur Luke 6:14 Common Men, Uncommon Calling: Andrew and James - John MacArthur Luke 6:14 Common Men, Uncommon Calling: John - John MacArthur Matthew 10:2 Peter: A Lesson in Leadership - John MacArthur Matthew 10:2 The Master's Men Andrew, James Son of Zebedee, John - John MacArthur Matthew 10:3 The Master's Men, Philip and Bartholomew - John MacArthur See Gene Brooks interesting chart of Jesus' Family Tree and the Apostles Luke 6:12-19 The Master’s Men and Method - Steven Cole Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE LIST OF THE CLOSEST DISCIPLES Parallel Passage: Words in bold in Mark and Matthew not found in Luke Mark 3:16+ And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17 and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder” [descriptive of their hotheaded and judgmental attitude as in Lk 9:54-note]); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew.... THOUGHT: It is notable that John is often considered the apostle of love and yet he began as the "apostle of thunder!" What happened? He met Jesus and Jesus transformed his life. Do you know someone who invariably acts like a "son of thunder?" Beloved, pray for them to meet Jesus, Who alone can transform them into a son of love! There is always hope! Matthew 10:2+ Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew.... Acts 1:13+ When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. The four lists of the twelve disciples/apostles - Mt 10:1-4; Mk 3:13-19; Lk 6:12-16; Acts 1:13. Note that the names of the disciples are combined in pairs, probably because it was by pairs that they were sent out "by two and two" (Mark 6:7 = "And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.") on their first missionary assignment (Mt 10:1-4, 5). John Phillips gives us an interesting "summary" of some of the twelve - Most of the Master's men are little more than mere names to us, but the Lord knew them through and through-doubting Thomas, devoted John, diligent Matthew, devious Judas, dependable Andrew, daring Peter, discerning Nathaniel. (See Exploring the Gospel of Luke) Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John - These four experienced the most intimacy with Jesus (as recorded in the NT) and were considered Jesus' "inner circle." As you progress down the next two groups of four there is a decreasing amount of Scriptural information known about each one and also a decreasing degree of intimacy with Jesus (reaching its nadir with Judas Iscariot). Notice that in this first group of four, there are 2 sets of brothers, and all were fishermen. It is interesting that other than our knowledge of Matthew as a tax collector, we know nothing of the the occupations of the other seven apostles. Simon, whom He also named Peter (Petros) - Luke uses the name Peter except in Lk 22:31 and Lk 24:34. Peter is mentioned first in all three lists (Mk 3:16, Mt 10:2, cf Acts 1:13) and Judas Iscariot is last in all three (Lk 6:16, Mk 3:16, Mt 10:4). Peter (4074) (Petros; Latin = Petrus) is a masculine proper noun which means a "stone" and generally a smaller stone than the feminine form petra which refers to a massive rock or a foundation boulder (eg Mt 7:24+). Peter is the Greek equivalent of the Syriac or Aramaic name Cephas (Kephas from Aramaic kay fah) which was assigned to Simon by Jesus. Peter was not always a model of rock-like (petros is a symbol of imperturbability as determined from used in Greek literature) firmness. Note for example his actions in Gethsemane, his denial three times of Christ, his unsuccessful attempt at walking on water and his conduct at Antioch (Gal 2:11-21+) where he is called Cephas. Despite all this Peter was clearly the leader of Jesus’ disciples, the spokesman for the Twelve and one of the three closest to Jesus. A T
Lucas 6
Cole writes that "Later in Luke, some wealthy women are favorably mentioned who helped support Jesus and the apostles (Lu 8:1-3). And, Jesus welcomes the rich tax collector, Zaccheus, into the kingdom (Lu 19:1-10). So Jesus is not issuing a blanket approval on everyone who is financially poor, nor a blanket condemnation on everyone who is financially rich.....We would be mistaken to understand Jesus to be teaching that simply by being in these categories a person is somehow blessed or under woes to come....(TO BE SURE) those who are destitute of life’s essentials are often much more aware of their spiritual need before God. Those who are rich in this world’s goods often do not sense their desperate need for God (Lk 18:25)....when Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor,” He is referring to those who have recognized that the greatest need in life is spiritual, not material. Rather than pursuing a life of accumulating the world’s goods, these people have recognized their spiritual poverty before God and have come to Him, often at the expense of worldly success." (Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After) Leon
Lucas 6
Cole - The kingdom Jesus speaks of is both a present reality and a future promise. To the poor who have followed Him, Jesus says, “Yours is the kingdom of God.” They presently possess it. In this sense, the kingdom means living decidedly under the lordship of Jesus, obeying His commands, living with the aim of pleasing Him. But, the kingdom is also a future promise, in that Jesus plainly taught that He would return to reign on the throne of David and to rule the nations with a rod of iron. In this sense, Jesus’ followers all mourn at the present reign of darkness under the prince of this world, and we long for the soon-coming day when, according to His promise, there will be a new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells (2Pe 3:13). So, if you want to live happily ever after, you must see that there are two and only two ways to live. You can live for the things and pleasures of this world, which are destined to perish. Or, you can submit yourself to Jesus Christ and live for His present and coming kingdom. Every follower of Jesus, not just the super-dedicated, will be in the second camp. There is no middle ground, sort-of Christian, with one foot in the world and one in Jesus’ kingdom. You must get off the fence and declare yourself to be on Jesus’ side. (Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After) Leifeld adds "There may also be an element of "inaugurated eschatology" in the present tense—i.e., the presence of some aspects of the coming kingdom of God. In this case, the poor can rejoice even in the midst of their destitution because they are already able to partake of some of the kingdom blessings." (ED: I SAY A LOUD "HALLELUJAH!" AND HEARTY "AMEN!" TO THAT COMMENT!) (Borrow the The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Luke) The NET Bible translation is "the kingdom of God belongs to you" and the NET Note says "The present tense (belongs) here is significant. Jesus makes the kingdom and its blessings currently available. This phrase is unlike the others in the list with the possessive pronoun being emphasized. Jesus was saying, in effect, “the kingdom belongs even now to people like you.” (ED: Why? Because those who have believed experience the reign of the Jesus, the King of that Kingdom!) As with the Sermon on the Mount (of which Luke's version may be a condensation), Jesus is not teaching the Gospel, nor is He teaching that by following or obeying the commands in this sermon one will attain the Kingdom of God. On the other hand He is teaching that people must come to an understanding of their spiritual condition (poor...in spirit) and in this state come to recognize their need for the Savior. While this is not the Gospel, the truth is that part of the Gospel taught by Paul is first the bad news (Romans 1:18-3:23), a recognition of which (energized by the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit - Jn 16:8) prepares one for the reception of the Good News (Romans 3:21-5:21)! Sinners cannot keep this sermon in their own power but must be born again and then by continual reliance on the indwelling Holy Spirit, they are supernaturally energized with the desire and the power (Php 2:13NLT+) to obey Jesus' teachings. The Kingdom of God - One must understand that there are two aspects of the Kingdom of God. The first is the invisible, internal Kingdom of God which Jesus is referring to in this passage and which He later described as "in your midst” (Lk 17:21+), the Kingdom in which the King reigns in the heart of the person who has accepted Jesus as Messiah. When the King returns on "the day that the Son of Man is revealed," (Lk 17:30+) the heart of every person will also be revealed as to whether they sought the kingdom of "self" or the kingdom of the Savior! One aspect of the future phase of the Kingdom of God is known as the Messianic Age or the Millennial Kingdom. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - these are notes on Matthew 5:3 but clearly "poor" in Lk 6:20 means "poor in spirit" and for that reason they are referenced... Poor in Spirit: to acknowledge spiritual poverty. It is poverty, absolute and abject poverty of spirit. It is being destitute and conspicuously poor in spirit. Note several significant facts about the poor in spirit. a. Being poor in spirit does not mean that a man must be poverty-stricken and financially poor. Hunger, nakedness, and slums are not pleasing to God, especially in a world of plenty. Christ is not talking about material poverty. He means what He says: poor in spirit. Being “poor in spirit” means several things. 1) To acknowledge our utter helplessness before God, our spiritual poverty, our spiritual need. We are solely dependent upon God to meet our need. 2) To acknowledge our utter lack in facing life and eternity apart from God. To acknowledge that the real blessings of life and eternity come only from a right relationship with God (see note—Ep. 1:3; see Jn. 10:10; Ga. 5:22–23). 3) To acknowledge our utter lack of superiority before all others and our spiritual deadness before God. To acknowledge that we are no better, no richer, no more superior than the next person—no matter what we have achieved in this world (fame, fortune, power). Our attitude toward others is not proud and haughty, not superior and overbearing. To be poor in spirit means acknowledging that every human being is a real person just like everyone else—a person who has a significant contribution to make to society and to the world. The person poor in spirit approaches life in humility and appreciation, not as though life owes him, but as though he owes life. He has been given the privilege of living; therefore, he journeys through life with a humble attitude and he contributes all he can to a needy world out of a spirit of appreciation. b. The opposite of being poor in spirit is having a spirit that is full of self. There is a world of difference between these two spirits. There is the difference of thinking that we are righteous versus acknowledging that we need the righteousness of Christ. There is the difference of being self-righteous versus being given the righteousness of Christ. Self-righteousness goes no farther than self; that is, it goes no farther than death. Self dies and everything with self including our self-righteousness. But the righteousness that is of Christ lives forever. (See Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible or borrow a copy of POSB) Blessed (3107)(makarios from root makar, but others say from mak = large or lengthy) means to be happy, but not in the usual sense of happiness based on positive circumstances. From the Biblical perspective Makarios describes the person who is free from daily cares and worries because his every breath and circumstance is in the hands of His Maker Who gives him such an assurance (such a "blessing"). As discussed below makarios was used to describe the kind of happiness that comes from receiving divine favor. (See also preceding THOUGHT) Bock - The term blessed refers to one who is the object of grace and is happy because of it. Those who are blessed do not face an easy life. (Ibid) A T
Lucas 6
Cole - When Jesus blesses the hungry and pronounces woe on the well-fed, He is not speaking primarily in physical terms. The main point is spiritual. Those who are physically hungry are truly blessed if they come to God in their end and learn to rely on Him for all their needs as their caring Father. Those who are physically well-fed are truly to be pitied if they ignore their spiritual starvation and need for God, who sustains us both physically and spiritually. (Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After) Jesus turned human need into human contentment. --Trent Butler You shall be satisfied (chortazo) - The passive voice here is the "divine passive" for the satisfaction referred to is an inner soul satisfaction that only God Himself can fill. NET Note adds that Jesus' "promise you will be satisfied is the first of several “reversals” noted in these promises. The beatitudes and the reversals that accompany them serve in the sermon as an invitation to enter into God’s care, because one can know God cares for those who turn to Him." THOUGHT - Have you turned to Him? Where do you do for true, lasting satisfaction? Don't be like Mick Jagger and be forced to sing "I Can't Get No Satisfaction!" Yes you can, but you have to come to Jesus for He declared “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst." (Jn 6:35). Jesus is the fountain of living water for as Jesus promised "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (Jn 4:14+) Don't rely on your own "broken cisterns that can hold no water." (Jer 2:13). Blaise Pascal alludes to man's desperate desire and need for divine filling in his book Pensées - chapter VII writing “What is it, then, that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself. He only is our true good, and since we have forsaken Him, it is a strange thing that there is nothing in nature which has not been serviceable in taking His place; the stars, the heavens, earth, the elements, plants, cabbages, leeks, animals, insects, calves, serpents, fever, pestilence, war, famine, vices, adultery, incest. And since man has lost the true good, everything can appear equally good to him, even his own destruction, though so opposed to God, to reason, and to the whole course of nature." IVP Background Commentary - Being “filled” (sustained) was a hoped-for blessing of the messianic era. Hunger struck poor families in times of famine (the situation in rural Palestine was better than that of rural Egypt but worse than that of Corinth or Italy). (See The IVP Bible Background Commentary). THIRD PARADOX: BLESSED ARE THE WEEPERS Blessed (makarios) are you who weep (klaio) now, for you shall laugh - This beatitude is unique to the Gospel of Luke and is not found in the Sermon on the Mount (one of the reasons some see these as similar but distinct sermons). Weep (klaio) is in the present tense indicating weeping continually. Shall laugh is future tense and will be especially fulfilled when we enter the literal future Kingdom of Heaven (we are in the spiritual kingdom now but there is much more to come and it will be much better and will be forever). Laughter expresses inner joy and that inner joy will reach its consummation when we see Jesus face to face and joy and laughter will be our lot for all eternity. What a glorious future awaits every believer! For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. -- Psalm 30:5 Weep (klaio) speaks of repentance for the "sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation” (2Cor. 7:10+). Weeping was a sign of mourning or repentance. We see this is one of the largest conversions in the Bible (if not the largest) in the pagan nation of Nineveh in the 8th cent. BC. In Jonah we read that in response to Jonah's message “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4b - notice Jonah did not even tell them to "Repent!" and yet they did). Jonah goes on to record the king's words stating that "both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth (the Septuagint adds "and cried earnestly to God"); and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands (REPENTANCE). “Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.” (Jonah 3:8,9)
Lucas 6
Cole - When Jesus blesses those who are hated, ostracized, insulted, and spurned for His sake, He compares their treatment to that of the godly prophets. The reason for their ill treatment is that they have stood for God’s truth and righteousness, which sinners, especially religious hypocrites, hate. Jesus’ disciples who are so mistreated should rejoice and leap for joy, because they have great reward in heaven. But Jesus compares those who are well-spoken of to the false prophets. It’s never hard to gain a following: Just flatter people and tell them how wonderful they are. They will flock to hear you and buy your books. You will be famous and successful on earth, but rejected in heaven. One reason Jesus paints with these broad strokes of black and white, with no gray, is to draw the line and make us examine ourselves. Which side are you on? I immediately want to say, “Lord, how about someone who isn’t poor or rich? I’m just kind of middle class! How about someone who isn’t starving, but I’m not a glutton? I’m not going around weeping, but neither am I a comedian. People aren’t throwing rotten eggs at me, but neither am I Mr. Popular. Isn’t there room for a guy like me in the middle?” Jesus replies, “No, you’re either decidedly for Me or you are decidedly against Me. There’s no middle ground.” He forces us to get off the fence and decide: Are we living for this life and its temporary pleasures or are we living for Jesus and His eternal kingdom? (Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After)
Lucas 6
Cole adds that "When Jesus says, “Woe (ouai) to you who are rich (plousios) , for you are receiving your comfort in full,” He is referring to those who are living as if this world is all there is. They are not rich toward God by laying up treasures in heaven (Lu 12:21). They are living for selfish pleasures and comforts and they are relying on themselves to gain these things. In light of eternity, it’s a foolish way to live. (Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After) In this and the following two verses Jesus speaks "Woes" upon those who are rich (Lk 6:24), well-fed (Lk 6:25), laugh (Lk 6:25) and when all men speak well of you (popular)(Lk 6:26). The implication is that He is addressing some in the crowd about whom these attributes are true. In a sense we know for certain, there was ONE! His name was Judas Iscariot, and it would have been better for him not to have even been born (Mt 26:24). As an aside, Jesus' message would not preach well in America in general and sadly not even in many (? most) churches! NLT Study Bible. - Promises of blessing for the poor and oppressed are balanced in Luke with predictions of sorrow for the rich and powerful. Those who trust in themselves will be humbled, while those who depend on God will be blessed. The OT prophets often pronounced woes against nations and rulers who oppressed God's people and rejected his sovereignty (e.g., Isa 3:11; 5:8; Jer 50:27; Zech 11:17). (Borrow NLT Study Bible) Mattoon on woe (ouai) - It doesn't mean "Woe Nellie," which was an expression to tell a horse to stop. This word "Woe" means "pain, grief, horror, lamentation, a state of intense hardship and distress." In other words, you could bluntly say that your circumstances will be, "Not Good. Not Good." In this part of His message to these people, Jesus identifies what I call "pillars" that people tend to use to build or prop up their lives. They seek or lean upon these pillars, thinking they will bring them serenity and stability in their life when this is not the case at all. They are pillars with flimsy footings. What are they?There are four we will examine and give you the reasons why they are built upon flimsy footings The Pillar of Prosperity or Possessions -The Pillar of being Packed with Plenty - The Pillar of a Party Mentality -The Pillar of Popularity or the Praise of Men. (Treasures from the Scriptures) Plousios is used again to present a striking contrast in Luke 19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich (plousios) . 3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. 7 When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner (JEWS DETESTED JEWISH TAX COLLECTORS).” 8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a (SPIRITUAL, NOT JUST PHYSICAL) son of Abraham. 10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:1-10+) James the half brother of Jesus gives a sobering warning (at least it should be sobering!) to all those who are rich in this world but poor toward heaven... Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. (James 5:1-6+) (Ed: If you still have envy for the rich, take a moment and read the words of Asaph in Ps 73:1-28 and notice the "turning point" in his attitude toward the rich in Ps 73:17!) Rod Mattoon - What is this all about? Does this mean it is wrong to be rich? Is Jesus condemning wealth? No, that can't be true because some of the godliest men and women of the Bible were wealthy including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, David, Job and Lydia. There are many godly, wealthy people today, whom God has used in a powerful way because they followed the Lord's leadership about their finances. They viewed their prosperity as a tool of blessing to be used to glorify God and help others. They put into practice Ephesians 4:28. Jesus does not decry riches themselves but their effect on people. Riches cause people to feel self-sufficient and to feel that they have found the happiness for which they were seeking. Those who try to find fulfillment through wealth and not the Lord, will find that wealth is the only reward they will ever get and that it does not last. (Ed: Regarding the snare of wealth, I would add it's not how much we have, but how much has us, so to speak!) (Treasures from the Scriptures) For - term of explanation. What's Jesus explaining? You are receiving your comfort in full - NLT says "you have your only happiness now." Isaiah 22:13 says "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die." A beer commercial in the 1960's said ""You only go around once in life: Go for all the gusto you can." If you are destined to spend eternity in hell, that is not an unreasonable philosophy! Why? Because for unbelievers, this life is as good as it gets! On the other hand, for believers, this life is as bad as it gets! In the story of the poor man Lazarus (see below) and the rich man, Jesus declared to the rich man in torment in Hades "during your life you received your good things." "Ironically the language of reward shows that what the rich have received is all they will get. This result looks at a current situation, just as the start of the beatitudes did. The rest of the conclusions to the woes look to the future at the time of judgment." (NET) The idea of receiving is that they are PAID IN FULL. This life is all they get! They forfeit everything with their last heart beat. The wealthy too often live for NOW (used in Lk 6:25), not THEN, for TIME, not ETERNITY! Is this true of all wealthy people? Of course not, because many wealthy Christians have laid up their treasures in Heaven. This is where their hearts are focused and where they have transferred their funds. The Bible speaks more about money (~2350 verses) than even faith and prayer combined. Jesus had more to say more about money than about both heaven and hell combined and so we do well to hear and heed His wise advice to the wealthy (and the poor): But store up (present imperative = command to make this your life long activity!) for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; FOR (a "strategic" term of explanation) where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:20-21+) Jesus gives us the greatest insider tip in the history of the world, for one day all economies and currencies of the world will totally fail. You can't take it with you, but you can send it ahead and earn eternal dividends! Do you really believe Jesus? Does your "check book" back up your profession that you believe Him? Martin Luther said this way - I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess. Jim Elliot said - He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. Randy Alcorn comments on Elliot's oft quoted passage - We miss something in missionary martyr Jim Elliot’s famous words...We focus on his willingness to sacrifice and serve, but we neglect his passion for personal gain. Reread his words and you’ll see that Jim Elliot was a profit seeker! What separated him from the common Christian wasn’t that he didn’t want treasure, but that he wanted true and lasting treasure. He wasn’t satisfied with treasure that would be lost, only treasure that would last. Randy Alcorn asks "What is our treasure? A. W. Tozer suggested we may discover the answer by responding to four basic questions: What do we value most? What would we most hate to lose? What do our thoughts turn to most frequently when we are free to think of what we will? And finally, what affords us the greatest pleasure?" (Ed: You may want to read those again prayerfully pondering your answer.) John
Lucas 6
Cole explains that what Jesus is saying is "If we are generous, we will be treated generously. Does our Lord mean that people will treat us that way? Or, does He mean that God will treat us that way? I take it to mean both. On the human plane, the statements are proverbial in the sense that they are generally true, not absolutely true in every case. It is generally true that if you are a merciful person, not condemning others for their faults, others will be gracious toward you. If you are quick to forgive, others will be prone to forgive you. If you are generous, others will be generous toward you. On the other hand, if you condemn people, if you refuse to forgive, if you are stingy, it will come back to you. (ILLUSTRATION) This is illustrated by an incident in the childhood of Louis Mayer, the founder of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio. He had a fight with another boy and lost. While his mother was bathing his black eye, he told her how the fight was entirely the other boy’s fault. His mother said nothing, but after dressing his eye, she took Louis to the back door of their home. Nearby were several hills that created a fine echo. She told him to call those hills all the bad names he could think of. He did so and the bad names all came back to him. “Now,” she said, “call out, ‘God bless you.’” He did so and back came “God bless you.” Mayer said he never forgot that lesson. How you treat others comes back to you. But Jesus’ words also apply to God’s treatment of us, both now (through other people, as just mentioned) and in the future judgment when we stand before Him. If we truly are in Christ through faith in His shed blood, there is no eternal condemnation (Ro 8:1+). But our deeds will be judged and those that are wood, hay, and stubble will be burned and we will suffer loss. We will be saved, yet so as through fire (1 Co 3:15+; 2 Co 5:10+). The Bible says that God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (1Pe 5:5+). As we’ve seen, a judgmental person who refuses to forgive others is self-righteous and proud. We put ourselves in opposition to God if we condemn and refuse to forgive those who have wronged us. If we persist in our stubborn refusal to obey the merciful Father, it may reveal that He is not our Father, in which case we are under His judgment and wrath. General Oglethorpe once said to John Wesley, “I never forgive and I never forget.” Wesley replied, “Then, sir, I hope you never sin.” If we are sinners who need mercy, we must show God’s mercy to those who have wronged us. Jesus goes on to show us that rather than judging others, our focus should be on judging ourselves. (Luke 6:36-45 Judging Others, Judging Self) (Bolding added) The OT frequently spoke of the blessings upon the generous: Deuteronomy 15:10 “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. Proverbs 19:17 One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, And He will repay him for his good deed. Proverbs 22:9 He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor. Proverbs 28:8 He who increases his wealth by interest and usury Gathers it for him who is gracious to the poor. Lap (2859)(kolpos) refers to the front of the body between the arms and so the bosom, breast, or chest (Jn 13:23 = a place of honor and close fellowship at a meal. cf Lk 16:22-23+ = a place of honor among the righteous dead and Jn 1:18+ = close beside the Father). Lk 6:38 uses kolpos in a second sense to refer to the fold of a garment, formed as it falls from the chest over the girdle, allowing it to be used as a pocket. A third NT nuance is found in Acts 27:39+ where kolpos refers to an inward extension of a sea and this an inlet, a bay or a gulf of the sea. The fold of a garment, formed as it falls from the chest over the girdle, used as a pocket. It was a fold of the robe pulled out above the girdle to form a pocket. The fold of the wide upper garment bound by the girdle made a pocket in common use (Ex. 4:6; Pr. 6:27; Ps 79:12; Isa. 65:6,7.; Jer. 32:18). Here are all 6 uses in the NT - bay(1), bosom(4), lap(1). - Lk. 6:38; Lk. 16:22; Lk. 16:23; Jn. 1:18; Jn. 13:23; Acts 27:39 Kolpos has many more uses 39x in 33v - Ge 16:5; Ex 4:6-7; Nu 11:12; Dt. 13:6; 28:54,56; Ruth 4:16; 2 Sa 12:3,8; 1 Ki. 3:20; 17:19; 22:35; Job 19:27; 23:12; 31:34; Ps. 35:13; 74:11; 79:12; 89:50; 129:7; Pr. 6:27; 16:33; 17:23; 19:24; 26:15; 30:4; Eccl. 7:9; Isa. 49:22; 65:6-7; Jer. 32:18; Lam. 2:12; Hos. 8:1 Marvin
Lucas 6
Cole - Some commentators struggle with the flow of thought here, but I think there is a logical flow. Jesus was speaking primarily to His disciples, whom He was training to be leaders. Rather than judging others (Lu 6:36-38), they must judge themselves or they will be like blind guides of the blind, whose followers would be just like them (Lu 6:39-40). Thus they must take the log out of their own eye before they try to help others with the speck in their eye (Lu 6:41-42). As they examine themselves, they should look at their fruit (Lu 6:43-45). If their words are judgmental, bitter, and evil, it indicates that their hearts are evil. But if they are merciful, forgiving, and generous, it indicates that God has truly done a work of grace in their hearts. That is the flow of thought here. (Judging Others, Judging Self) (Bolding added) Parable (symbol) (3850)(parabole from para = beside, near + ballo = throw, cast; English "parable") is literally a throwing beside or placing of one thing by the side of another (juxtaposition as of ships in battle in classic Greek). The metaphorical meaning is to place or lay something besides something else for the purpose of comparison. (Mt 24:32, Mk 13:28, Mk 3:23, Lk 14:7). An illustration (Mt 13:3).
Lucas 6
Cole - We must judge our own sins, or we are like the blind leading the blind (Lk 6:39-40). Jesus is pushing His disciples to examine themselves. (ED: AND IN CONTEXT AS COLE SUGGESTS HE IS SPEAKING TO THE "SPECK INSPECTORS" PAR EXCELLENCE, THE PHARISEES IN THE AUDIENCE!) If they are blind to their own sins, how can they help others deal with their sins? Although Luke does not mention it here, the backdrop for Jesus’ illustration was the Pharisees, whom He called blind guides of the blind (Mt 15:14; Mt 23:16, Mat 23:24). These men were marked by spiritual pride (ED: AND GRANDIOSE HYPOCRISY). They did not confront their own sins and acknowledge their constant need of God’s grace (ED: THEY FOCUSED ON THE EXTERNALS NOT THE INTERNALS!). If the disciples followed them, they would become like them, falling into the pit of self-righteousness. But if they will follow the merciful Lord Jesus, they will become like Him. It’s a warning to be careful to follow spiritual leaders who confront their own sins and to avoid leaders who are self-righteous. (Judging Others, Judging Self) Do not notice the log (dokos) that is in your own eye - Clearly Jesus is exaggerating for no one could literally have a huge piece of lumber in their eye. Jesus often used hyperbole or exaggeration as a means of teaching spiritual truth (Mt. 5:29-30; Mt 19:24; Mt 23:24). His point is that you cannot see clearly what is in another's eye because you have a major personal problem that first needs to be corrected. When looking for faults, use a mirror, not a telescope. R C H
Lucas 6
Cole - We must judge our own sins as the prerequisite to helping others with their sins (Luke 6:41-42). Note that Jesus does not say that we should not help a brother with the speck in his eye, but rather, we should first take the log out of our own eye so that we can see clearly to help him with his speck. The word for “log” refers to the main supporting beam of a house. Your fellow worker has a speck of sawdust in his eye that he needs help removing. But how ridiculous for you to try to help when you have a beam in your own eye! Jesus is humorously pointing out how prone we all are to focus on and exaggerate the faults of others but to minimize or even ignore our own glaring faults. We’re quick to blame others, but we’re slow to blame ourselves. If someone else is late for an appointment with me, I think, “How inconsiderate! Doesn’t he know that I’m busy?” But if I’m late for an appointment, I think, “He’ll just have to realize that I’m a busy man. I couldn’t help being late.” If I’m in a hurry, I ride the tail of the guy in front of me, muttering, “Step on it! I don’t have all day!” But if a guy is riding my tail, I say, “Back off! What’s the big rush, man?” I see this often when I counsel couples with marriage problems. I ask her what their main problem is and she says, “I have my faults, but I could be a good wife if my husband wasn’t so inconsiderate and selfish!” And off she goes! Then I ask him what the problem is and he says, “I’m not perfect, but that woman is impossible to please!” Off he goes listing all of her faults. But you won’t begin to love the other person as you should and you won’t grow spiritually until you begin to confront your own sins with God’s Word. The Word is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, exposing us before God’s holy standards (Heb 4:12-13). Have you ever been working outside until dark? You thought you were not very dirty. Then you went into the bathroom, flipped on the light, and looked in the mirror. The light and the mirror showed you that you were filthy! God’s Word is like that. You think you’re a pretty loving person until you read Lu 6:27-38 or 1Co 13! Then you realize that you’ve got a lot of growing to do. If you want to please God by loving others as you should, you must be in God’s Word, applying it to your heart, not to the heart of the person that you’re having difficulty with. Once God’s Word helps you get the log out of your eye, you will be much more compassionate in helping a brother with his speck. You’ll say, “Brother, I sympathize with you, because I used to have far more than a speck in my eye. Let me share how God can help you get your speck out.” Rather than being proud, you will be humble. Rather than being judgmental, you will be merciful. Rather than being insensitive, you’ll be understanding. (Judging Others, Judging Self) R Kent Hughes gives an illustration of this critical spirit in the experience of a young bachelor - Every time he brought a prospective wife home, his mother criticized her unmercifully. The young man was at his wit's end when a friend offered this advice: "Find someone like your mother." So he looked and looked until he found a clone. She looked like his mother, her gait was like his mother's, she talked like his mother, and she even thought like his mother. It was amazing! So he took her home. The next time he saw the friend who had given the advice and was asked how his mother liked the girl, the bachelor answered, "It went great. My mother loved her, but my father couldn't stand her." (See The Sermon on the Mount) Speaking of logs - When the family returned from Sunday morning service, father criticized the sermon, daughter thought the choir's singing atrocious, and mother found fault with the organist's playing. But the subject had to be dropped when the small boy of the family piped up: "But it was a good show for a nickel, don't you think, Dad?" Did you read the true story about a Connecticut city, where 53 residents of a certain neighborhood signed a petition to stop reckless driving on their streets. The police set a watch. Guess what happened! A few nights later five violators were caught. All five had signed the petition! A Cure For Criticism - A church bulletin had a clever poem about criticism that began: A little seed lay in the ground And soon began to sprout; "Now, which of all the flowers around, Shall I," it mused, "come out?" The seed could then be heard saying, "I don't care to be a rose. It has thorns. I have no desire to be a lily. It's too colorless. And I certainly wouldn't want to be a violet. It's too small, and it grows too close to the ground." The poem concludes with this verse about that faultfinding seed: And so it criticized each flower, That supercilious seed, Until it woke one summer hour And found itself a weed! The apostle Paul indicated in Ro 12:3 that we are not to think of ourselves too highly. Rather, we are "to think soberly." To the church in Philippi he wrote, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself" (Php 2:3). When we fail to follow these instructions and begin finding fault with others, we are actually passing judgment on ourselves (Mt. 7:1, 2; Ro 2:1, 2-notes; Ro 2:3). When you see faults in someone else, Before you criticize, beware; For you have flaws and failures too That other people have to bear. --Sper Be patient with the faults of others; They have to be patient with yours Helpful Humor - Humor can be cruel and offensive, but it can also be kind and helpful. I have used it in sermons to make a point or in meetings to break the tension. I have also profited from humor when it pointed out my faults. Recently, while watching a film series on family living, I laughed at the comical examples of foibles and failures to which we as husbands are so prone. Yet even though I was amused, I saw enough of myself in these funny situations to feel convicted. As a result, I think I'll be a better husband from now on -- and after more than 50 years of marriage! God gave us the gift of humor and the capacity to laugh. I believe Jesus had a twinkle in His eye when He said that a person should take the plank out of his own eye before trying to remove a speck of sawdust from the eye of someone else (Mt. 7:4). I can just see His listeners smile and hear them laugh softly. But I'm sure they also understood His point, and some may have been convicted about their own judgmental attitude. Similarly, the writer of Proverbs portrayed a lazy man in three exaggerated word pictures (26:13-16). They are humorous, but they drive home a solemn warning. Give us a sense of humor, Lord, Give us the grace to laugh and smile; But check our lips from needless jest That what we speak may be worthwhile. - Anon Humor can make a serious difference. Logs And Dust - Jesus sometimes used humor to drive home a truth. Think of the serious point in His humorous description in our Bible reading today. He accused the religious leaders of being like a man with a great big beam in his eye offering to remove a tiny speck from his brother's eye (Mt. 7:1-6). How ludicrous! We are so blind to our own faults but think we can detect the slightest inconsistency in others. We carry two measuring sticks—one for ourselves and one for others. We have two different sets of words to describe our actions. A "bad temper" in another, we call "righteous indignation" in ourselves. "Stinginess" in others is "frugality" when we practice it. In addition, we tend to blame others for our own faults. A husband and wife, married 20 years, were driving along, when she suddenly remarked, "You know, John, you are not like you used to be in our early married years—romantic, loving, and affectionate. Then we used to sit close to each other when we went driving, and now you sit so far from me." The husband gently replied, "Mary dear, I am sitting exactly where I always sit when I drive." Let me be a little kinder, to the faults of others blinder; Let me praise a little more. Let me walk in full surrender, and like Jesus be more tender; Blessing all who pass my door. —HGB One who has a true Christian spirit takes no delight in the faults of others. Look (take heed) (991) blepo basically means to have sight, to see, to look at, then to observe, to discern, to perceive with the eye, and frequently implies special contemplation (e.g., often in the sense of “keep your eyes open,” or “beware”). Blepo in Luke - Lk. 6:41; Lk. 6:42; Lk. 7:21; Lk. 7:44; Lk. 8:10; Lk. 8:16; Lk. 8:18; Lk. 9:62; Lk. 10:23; Lk. 10:24; Lk. 11:33; Lk. 21:8; Lk. 21:30; Lk. 24:12; Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11; Acts 2:33; Acts 3:4; Acts 4:14; Acts 8:6; Acts 9:8; Acts 9:9; Acts 12:9; Acts 13:11; Acts 13:40; Acts 27:12; Acts 28:26; Speck (2595)(karphos from karpho - to dry up, wither) any small dry piece of straw, wood, etc. speck, splinter, chaff, and figuratively to denote something quite insignificant Speck is a small piece of wood (like a piece of sawdust), chaff, or straw and is used figuratively of faults (defects of secondary importance, slight imperfections, minor personal faults, small moral faults) we detect and pick on in others. "Speck was used by Classical Greek writers for the material that made up a bird's nest. Therefore, we are talking about bits of plant material and similar insignificant small items." (Utley) Gilbrant - Attested to in both Aeschylus and Herodotus (Fifth Century B.C.), karphos, “chip of wood, dry stalk,” was often used to speak of something that was insignificant. Polybius made reference to a small piece of wood upon which the watchword was written (6.36.3). An example of the use of karphos in the Septuagint is at Genesis 8:11, referring to the “olive branch” brought to Noah by the dove. In the New Testament karphos is used figuratively of the “mote” (a rather insignificant weakness in one’s life) that some will point to in another’s eye while they themselves have a dokos (1379), “beam” (a worse failure in one’s life) in their own eye (Matthew 7:3; Luke 6:41). (Complete Biblical Library) Moulton-Milligan - Karphos is found in a sepulchral epitaph Kaibel 9809 where it is said of the pious man (ὁ εὐσεβής)—οὐδὲ κάρφος ἐβλάβη, “he was not a whit injured” (cf. LS s.v.): see Mt 7:3, where all our English versions from Wycliffe down to RV adopt the translation “mote” = “a very small particle.” The Old Lat. has stipula, and the Vulg. festuca: cf. Hesych. κάρφος· ἄχυρον, χόρτος. κεραία ξύλου λεπτή. Liddell-Scott - κάρφος, εος, τό, any small dry body, esp. dry stalk, as of the dry sticks of cinnamon, Hdt.3.111; of rice-straw, Polyaen.4.3.32, cf. Luc.Herm.33: generally, in pl., dry twigs, chips, straws, bits of wool, such as birds make their nests of, Ar.Av.643, Sophr.32, Arist.HA612b23, AP10.14 (Agath.) κάρφη· ξύλα λεπτά, καὶ ξηρά Hsch.: collectively in sg., A.Fr.24, Arist.HA560b8, Ath.5.187c: in sg., chip of wood, Ar.V.249; toothpick, Alciphr.1.22: prov., κονοῦσα μηδὲ κ. ‘not stirring an inch’, Ar.Lys.474, cf. Herod.3.67; οὐδὲ κ. ἐβλάβη Epigr.Gr.980.9 (Philae); ἀπὸ τῆς κύλικος κάρφος τῷ μικρῷ δακτύλῳ ἀφαιρετεῖν Ion Hist.1. 2. hay (cf. κάρφη), SEG9.35 (Cyrene, iii B.C.). II. = Lat. festuca, Plu.2.550b, cf. καρπίζω (B). III. a small piece of wood on which the watchword was written, Plb.6.36.3. IV. in pl., ripe fruit, Nic.Al.230, 491, Th.893, 941. V. = τῆλις, Dsc.2.102. (σκάρφος is v.l. (perh. right) in A.l.c., Plb. l.c.: perh. cogn. with Engl. sharp.), Plin.HN24.184. Karphos - 6x in 5v - Matt. 7:3; Matt. 7:4; Matt. 7:5; Lk. 6:41; Lk. 6:42. Used only once in Septuagint - Ge 8:11 Notice (behold) (2657) katanoeo from kata = down [kata can be used to intensify the meaning] + noéo = to perceive or think) means literally to put the mind down on something and so to observe or consider carefully and attentively. It means to fix one’s eyes or mind upon and to perceive clearly. Katanoeo means to look carefully, cautiously, observantly. The idea is to think about something very carefully or consider closely which denotes the action of one's mind apprehending certain facts about a thing so as to give one the proper and decisive thought about the thing considered. Vine writes that katanoeo "denotes the action of the mind in apprehending certain facts about a thing." Katanoeo - 14v - consider(4), contemplated(1), detected(1), look(1), look more closely(1), looked(1), looks(1), notice(2), observe(1), observing(1). Matt. 7:3; Lk. 6:41; Lk. 12:24; Lk. 12:27; Lk. 20:23; Acts 7:31; Acts 7:32; Acts 11:6; Acts 27:39; Rom. 4:19; Heb. 3:1; Heb. 10:24; Jas. 1:23; Jas. 1:24 Log (1385)(dokos from dechomai through the idea of holding up) a beam of timber. BDAG - "a piece of heavy timber such as a beam used in roof construction or to bar a door, beam of wood " Extra-Biblical references commonly indicate that this word is generally used to indicate very large beams of wood suitable to provide heavy foundational support for large buildings and construction needs. Moulton-Milligan - In P Petr II. 33A. 24 (a steward’s account) we have mention of δοκοί in a fragmentary context, but following τὰ ξύλα. Cf. P Lond 28011 (A.D. 55) (= II. p. 194, Chrest. I. p. 371) ἐκ τῶν ἐμ]ῶν δαπανῶ[ν μ]ηχανὴν ἐλαιου[ργικὴν καὶ τ]ῆς αὐτῆς θυίαν καὶ τὰ ἀνήκοντα ξυλικὰ ἀργαλεῖ[α] καὶ δοκὸν τὴν ὑπὲρ τ[ὴ]ν μηχανὴν προσανγέλλω, τοῦτο κτλ., Chrest. I. 17615 (middle i/A.D.) ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐλαιουργῖον συνεχυτρώθη καὶ ἠναγκάσθην δοκοὺς καὶ ἐρείσματα παρατιθένα[ι, “props” for the repair of an oil-press, P Flor II. 1275 (A.D. 256) τὸ βαλανεῖον παντὶ τρόπῳ ποίησον ὑποκαυθῆναι καὶ δοκοὺς εἰς αὐτὸ παρενεχθῆναι ποιήσας, “logs” for the heating of a bath. Syll 58762 (B.C. 329–8) mentions δοκοί and στρωτῆρες together in the accounts for the building of a temple τοῖν θεοῖν: Dittenberger shows that the prices indicate the former to be heavy beams on which the latter were laid transversely. It is obvious that the Oriental hyperbole in Mt 7:3 ff. will admit of no tempering from the usage of the word. A new verb δοκόω, “furnish with beams,” occurs in the P Grenf II 356 (B.C. 98), P Amh II. 5113, 28 (B.C. 88), P Ryl II. 2493 (B.C. 118). Liddell-Scott - δοκός, ἡ, later also ὁ, Luc.VH2.1: (δέχομαι):—bearing-beam, main beam, esp. in the roof or floor of a house, Od.22.176, Ar.Nu.1496; any balk or beam, Il.17.744, Th.4.112; bar of a gate or door, Ar.V.201: also, in pl., firewood, PFlor.127.5 (iii A.D.): prov., ὁ τὴν δοκὸν φέρων of a stiff or inflexible speaker, Arist.Rh.1413b28; ἐν δοκοῖσι is prob. f.l. for ἐνδόκοισι in Archil.66.3, cf. Hsch. s.v. ἔνδοκος. II. a kind of meteor, Plin.HN2.96, Lyd.Ost.10b, Hsch.; cf. δοκεύς, δοκίας, δοκίς II. Dokos - 6x in 5v - Matt. 7:3; Matt. 7:4; Matt. 7:5; Lk. 6:41; Lk. 6:42 Speck Inspectors - Why do some people seem to be experts at finding a speck in the eye of someone else? (Mt 7:3). Is it because the fault stands out like Santa Claus at a Fourth of July picnic? No, they deliberately search for specks because they're looking for something to criticize. The chief speck inspector is Satan. When the Lord called his attention to the good character of Job, the devil responded with a raised eyebrow. "Does Job fear God for nothing?" he smirked (Job 1:9). He insinuated that Job was good only because God made it pay to be good. Satan was so sharp-eyed he could see a speck that wasn't there. Faultfinders are never reliable fact-finders. The enemies of our Lord even tried to find fault in the only One who ever lived a perfect life (Mt. 12:24; Lk. 7:34; Jn. 9:16). Because they looked for the worst, they were blind to the best. Do we really understand the wickedness of faultfinding? It's a cruel habit that damages ourselves and those around us. Let me not judge my fellowmen, But understand them, Lord, and when The casting of the stones begins, Remind me of my many sins. --Vandegrift Inspect your own life before you look for specks in others. The Speck —Luke 6:41 It was just a speck, a tiny foreign object flying through the air on a windy day while I was cutting the grass. Somehow that speck made its way into my left eye. For the next few hours that little speck caused quite a bit of irritation. I tried washing it out. My wife, Sue, a nurse, tried everything she could think of. Finally, we went to a Med Center, where the medical personnel on duty couldn’t get it out either. Only after applying some ointment and waiting several more annoying hours did I get relief from the speck. This tiny, nagging irritant made me think anew about Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7 about criticizing others. My first thought was to be impressed with the practicality of Jesus’ illustration. Using the effective literary tool of hyperbole, or exaggeration, He explained for His listeners how foolish it is for a person to criticize someone without seeing that he or she is also guilty of error. If you can find someone else’s little speck while ignoring the hunk of wood in your own eye, something’s wrong. It should be unthinkable to ignore our own faults while pointing out someone else’s. An attitude of self-righteousness has no place in the Christian life. That should be plain to see. A Prayer: Lord, help me not to get caught up in pointing out the “little” sins in others’ lives, while ignoring my own glaring sin. I’m thankful that with repentance comes forgiveness. Amen. Inspect your own life before you look for specks in others. Luke 6:42 "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. KJV 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 own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. hypocrite Lk 13:15; Matthew 23:13-15; Acts 8:21; 13:10 take out Lk 22:32; Ps 50:16-21; 51:9-13; Proverbs 18:17; Matthew 26:75; Acts 2:38; 9:9-20; Romans 2:1,21-29; 2 Corinthians 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Philemon 1:10,11 Matthew 6:22,23; 2 Timothy 2:21; 2 Peter 1:9; Revelation 3:17,18 Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 6:39-45 The Danger of Following the Wrong Spiritual Teacher - John MacArthur Luke 6:36-45 Judging Others, Judging Self - Steven Cole Luke 6:17-49 Jesus' Teaching - Darrell Bock DISCIPLES ARE NOT TO JUDGE HYPOCRITICALLY Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck (karphos) that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log (dokos) that is in your own eye? - The practical teaching of this section is we are in no position to judge or criticize others until we have "looked in the mirror" (of God's Word - cf James 1:23-24) and washed ourselves of the dirt (shortcomings) on our own face! Bock writes that "Foolish arrogance insists on carefully examining others, while not paying any attention to obvious faults in oneself." (Ibid) As someone has said "Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours." Lenski on you say (how canst thou say - KJV) - The present infinitive how canst thou “be saying” sounds as if the man who has the beam in his eye is by repetition urging the other as if he were reluctant about submitting to the operation. A grand eye specialist this man would be! By even only approaching him he might knock out both of the other man’s eyes. (Ibid)
Lucas 6
Cole - Jesus gives another illustration to show that we must examine the fruit that comes from our lives. Such fruit reveals our hearts, because we produce according to what we are. Our words reveal what fills our hearts. We must judge our own sins down to the heart level (Lk 6:43-45). Jesus’ point is obvious: A tree produces after its nature. The fruit primarily refers to our words which reveal that which fills our hearts (Lu 6:45). What is inside comes out of our mouths. If you are often spewing out angry, bitter words that tear down others, that blame them for all your problems, then your heart is not right before God. Jesus is not teaching here that some people are inherently good, while others are not. The only way you can get a good heart is to be born again through the power of God’s Spirit. Once you are born again, it is not automatic to live by the new man or heart. There will be a struggle between the old and the new. But those who truly have tasted the Father’s mercy will strive to put off the old man and put on the new. They will seek to please God, beginning on the thought level. As those who have received mercy, they will focus on showing God’s mercy toward others. Note that the good man has a good treasure or storehouse in his heart (Lu 6:45). Where does this come from? It comes from meditating often on God’s great mercy in Christ toward you. As Paul said, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Ga 2:20). Let God’s great mercy fill your thoughts and you will have a storehouse of mercy to serve to others. Conclusion - Ask yourself these questions: Am I marked more by a merciful spirit or by a critical, judgmental spirit? Am I blaming God or others for my problems, or am I working on removing the log in my own eye? Am I frequently judging my own life, down to the thought level, by God’s Word? Am I truly born again? Is pleasing Christ the focus of my life? To love others, especially those who have wronged us, as Jesus commands, we must focus on showing mercy to others, but on judging our own sins. Discussion Questions What is the difference between being judgmental and being discerning? Why is this distinction important? How can we know when to show mercy to someone who has wronged us and when to confront? Are these in opposition? How can a bitter person who was terribly mistreated overcome his or her feelings? What counsel would you give? How can we forgive when we don’t feel forgiving? What does biblical forgiveness mean? (Luke 6:36-45 Judging Others, Judging Self ) Honey Or Vinegar? —Luke 6:43 Bible teacher Robert J. Little wrote about two jars whose contents looked the same but were actually quite different. When the first jar was turned on its side, vinegar ran out. Then the other jar was tipped over and honey came out of it. The two jars appeared to be similar, but when they were upset their true contents were revealed. An excellent test of character is the way a person reacts under the pressure of a difficult situation. Under normal conditions, most people behave in a socially acceptable manner. They give the impression that everything is under control. When they are caught off guard or are unexpectedly upset, however, they reveal their true disposition. What is deep down inside of us will spill out when we are tested. Our reactions to pressure can reveal what we are. Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Lk. 6:45). What comes out of your heart—honey or vinegar? When someone does something you don’t like, how do you react? By maintaining your fellowship with God and relying on His Holy Spirit’s guidance, what spills out of you will be pure and good. When irritated and upset, Do you explode and gripe and fret? Or is your life controlled inside Because in Jesus you confide? —JDB Our true character is revealed in the unguarded moment. Luke 6:44 "For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. KJV For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. For Galatians 5:19-23; Titus 2:11-13; James 3:12; Jude 1:12 Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 6:39-45 The Danger of Following the Wrong Spiritual Teacher - John MacArthur Luke 6:36-45 Judging Others, Judging Self - Steve Cole Luke 6:17-49 Jesus' Teaching - Darrell Bock YOU PRODUCE WHAT YOUR ARE! For each tree is known by its own fruit (karpos) - Fruit is something one could see. Don't tell me you are a "good" tree. Show me. Jesus' point is that fruit is always a true reflection of one's character. "The fruit of each tree reveals its actual character. It is the final test." (Robertson) Being determines doing (or in context "one's being determines one's speaking"). In other words the quality of the character of a person determines the quality of the fruit of that person. Just as one knows the character of a fruit tree by its fruit, so too one can know the character of a man (or more precisely his heart - Lk 6:45) by his words. The principle is clear "That which cannot produce fruit, does not produce fruit." (NET) And to reiterate as shown in the next verse the fruit stands not for what one does but for what one says. One produces what one is. - NET Note For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush - For (gar) is a term of explanation and simply illustrates with these two agricultural examples that one will produce what they are and not something different. Figs and grapes are good fruit and do come from thorns and briar bushes respectively.
Lucas 6
Cole - A widespread false teaching in the evangelical church today is that you can accept Jesus as your Savior, but that obeying Him as Lord of your life is optional. Those who promote this teaching mistakenly think that they are preserving the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith, apart from human works. They do not deny the importance of submitting to Christ as Lord, but they do insist that it has nothing to do with saving faith. And so they teach that it is possible for a person truly to believe in Christ as Savior even though he never submits to Him as Lord. I believe that this teaching rests on a mistaken notion of the nature of saving faith and that it gives false assurance to many who think they are Christians, but are not truly saved. Scripture is clear that without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14). Genuine saving faith always results in a life of progressive godliness. If a person claims to be saved, but has no hunger for God’s Word, no growing hatred of sin, and no growth in godly living, he needs to examine whether he is truly in the faith (2Co 13:5). As Jesus comes to the end of a sermon in which He has said some difficult things, He drives home the necessity of obeying what He has taught. He asks pointedly, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Then He concludes with His familiar parable of two men building separate houses. The first lays a foundation on the rock, so that his house stands firm when the flood bursts against it. The second foolishly builds his house without the proper foundation, so that it is destroyed by the flood. In the parable, the foundation is obedience to Christ’s teaching. The man who did not build on the foundation heard Jesus’ teaching. He agreed with it superficially, as seen by the fact that he calls Jesus “Lord.” But he did not obey Jesus’ teaching, resulting in tragic loss. Thus Jesus is showing us that … Obedience to Christ is not optional because it is at the very foundation of the Christian life. Some may say, “Now, wait a minute! I thought that faith, not obedience, is the foundation of the Christian life.” After all, we are saved by grace through faith apart from works (Eph 2:8, Eph 2:9). The one who believes in Jesus has eternal life (Jn 3:16). So how can you say that obedience is foundational? The answer centers on the nature of saving faith. Saving faith inevitably and necessarily results in a life of holiness and good deeds. Many who quote Eph 2:8-9, that we are saved by grace through faith, not as a result of works, fail to go on to quote verse Eph 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Those who quote Jn 3:16 fail to go on to Jn 3:36, which states, “He who believes the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Many other New Testament verses virtually equate saving faith with obedience and unbelief with disobedience, because the connection is inseparable (see Ac 5:32; Ac 6:7; Ro 1:5; Ro 2:4-10; Ro 6:16; Ro 10:16, Ro 10:21; Ro 15:18; Ro 16:19, Ro 16:26; 2Th 1:8; Heb 3:18, Heb 3:19; Heb 5:9; Heb 11:8, Heb 11:31; 1Pe 1:2, 1Pe 1:22; 1Pe 2:8; 1Pe 4:17). As we saw in our last study, the nature of the tree determines the type of fruit. If a person has received a new nature through faith in Christ, that new nature will bear good fruit. We are saved by grace through faith apart from works, but the faith that saves always results in good works. Also, at the outset we must be clear that Jesus was not teaching that His followers can be sinlessly perfect in this life. If the requirement of getting into heaven is perfectly obeying all that Jesus taught, no one will be in heaven. Not even the most devoted Christian loves God all the time with every fiber of his being. No one perfectly loves his neighbor as himself. The apostle John tells us, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1Jn 1:8). Thus Jesus is not teaching that we must achieve sinless perfection in order to enter His kingdom. Rather, He is teaching what James later underscored in his epistle, that faith without works is dead (Jam 2:17, Ja 2:26). Genuine faith is not simply intellectual assent. Genuine faith submits to the lordship of Jesus, resulting in a life of progressive holiness. Jesus here shows three reasons why obedience to Him as Lord is not optional: first, because it is the true test of professing Christ (Lu 6:46); second, because it is the foundation that will withstand the tests of time and eternity (Lu 6:47-48); and, third, because those who do not obey Christ face sudden and final destruction (Lu 6:49). 1. Obedience is not optional because it is the true test of professing Christ (Luke 6:46). If we call Him our Lord, we prove it by doing what He tells us to do in His Word. Note that Jesus unequivocally asserts His rightful position as Lord. He does not say, “Don’t call me Lord. Only God is Lord.” Rather, He assumes that He has the rightful authority to be Lord. His lordship governs all of life, down to our very thoughts. Thus obedience to Jesus as Lord is not just an option for some who want to be more committed. It is part and parcel of the Christian life. Those who do not submit to the lordship of Jesus have good cause to question whether they are truly Christians. Implicit in Jesus’ words is the fact that there is the real danger of a false profession of allegiance to Christ. In the parallel in Mt 7:21, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” He goes on to cite examples of those who even have done impressive things in His name, but who will be rejected at the gate of heaven because they also practiced lawlessness. Outwardly these men would have seemed to others to be righteous, but God tests the hearts. God knew their selfish motives, their lustful thoughts, and their greedy desires. So even though they had prophesied, performed miracles, and cast out demons in Jesus’ name, they were turned away from heaven. Outward obedience is not enough; God demands that we judge our evil thoughts and attitudes, bringing every thought into submission to Christ. If we name Jesus as Lord, we must enthrone Him as Lord of all our lives, even down to the thought level. We will miss the thrust of Jesus’ words here if we do not recognize that He is giving us a strong warning. His warning implies the danger of deception. This is a matter where we could be faked out. These men who did all these things in His name are shocked when Jesus tells them that He never knew them and commands them to depart from His presence. Further, He is addressing His warning to those who call Him “Lord,” not to those who do not. If you asked these folks, “Are you a Christian, a follower of Jesus?” they would have responded, “Oh, yes! Amen! Jesus is Lord!” But, they were sadly deceived. Not only did these folks call Jesus “Lord,” they called Him Lord with feeling and with emphasis. That is the implication of the double vocative, “Lord, Lord.” They didn’t lower their voices and mumble when they said it. They would have strongly asserted that Jesus was their Lord. And yet, as Jesus’ parable goes on to show, they were heading for major destruction because their profession was superficial and false. Thus Jesus’ warning is addressed to most of us. Most of us here would say, “Yes, I’m a Christian. Jesus is my Lord and Savior.” But Jesus is saying, “Examine your heart! Do you really seek to obey Me, beginning on the thought level? Do you judge your sin in the light of My Word? Or, could you be fooling yourself? Are you excusing your disobedience by claiming to be under grace? Are you justifying yourself by thinking, ‘Everyone does this’?” Obedience to Jesus on the heart level is not optional, just for the super-committed. It is the true test of whether your faith in Christ is genuine or counterfeit. Jesus goes on to show by His parable of the two house-builders further reasons why obedience is not optional. First He shows us the necessity of obedience by a positive example, and then by a negative one. He ends His sermon abruptly with the negative example, leaving us to think about the tragic scene of a house destroyed by the flood. (Luke 6:46-49 Why Obedience is Not Optional ) Much Talk, No Work - Why do you call Me "Lord, Lord," and not do the things which I say? —Luke 6:46 An elderly man visited a church during a business meeting. After a number of reports were presented, the chairman of the evangelism committee stood and solemnly stated that there were 200 homes in their county without a Bible. There was a moment of silence, and then the elderly visitor rose and asked, “How did you obtain the information about these 200 families?” The chairman proudly reported that the committee had canvassed the area, filled out forms, and compiled all the data. The old man then replied, “There are at least 200 people in this meeting. Each one could take a Bible to one family in less time than you are spending here listening to statistics and reports. You are only playing at religion. It’s all talk, only talk!” Too many churches have become just religious clubs with committees, boards, and programs, but are producing nothing. If half the energy spent in talking about the program of the church could be channeled into spreading the gospel, countless thousands could be won for Christ. Pious talk and lengthy resolutions cannot take the place of proclaiming the precious message of the grace of God. Let’s have less talk and more work! To the work! To the work! We are servants of God, Let us follow the path that our Master has trod; With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew, Let us do with our might what our hands find to do. —Crosby After all is said and done, there is far more said than done. Value Test —Luke 6:46 Robert Ginnett, a researcher at the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs, has found that the values we claim to have are not as closely linked to our actual behavior as we might like to believe. One business executive, who said his 5-year-old daughter was the most important part of his life, realized that he usually went to work before she got up in the morning and often returned home after she was in bed at night. So to spend time with her, he took her to work with him one Saturday. After looking around his office, she asked, “Daddy, is this where you live?” He may have acknowledged that his daughter was important, but his behavior revealed what he truly valued. In our relationship with Christ, He asks for our obedience, not a warm feeling or a statement of belief. He asked those following Him, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). Jesus illustrated His point with the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Lk 6:47-49). The rock-solid foundation of the wise builder’s house illustrates the result of our obedience to God. This honors Christ and enables us to withstand the storms of life. What we do, more than anything we say, reveals what we truly value the most. Fill up each hour with what will last; Buy up the moments as they go; The life above, when this is past, Is the ripe fruit of life below. —Bonar To show that you value eternity, make good use of your time. The Lübeck Cathedral is a Lutheran church building that was begun in 1173 and completed around 1230. A famous inscription is written on one of the walls: Ye call Me Master and obey Me not, Ye call Me Light and see Me not, Ye call Me Way and walk Me not, Ye call Me Life and desire Me not, Ye call Me Wise and follow Me not, Ye call Me Fair and love Me not, Ye call Me Rich and ask Me not, Ye call Me Eternal and seek Me not, Ye call Me Gracious and trust Me not, Ye call Me Noble and serve Me not, Ye call Me Mighty and honor Me not, Ye call Me Just and fear Me not, If I condemn you, blame Me not. Lessons Of Obedience This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. —1 John 5:3 When young Kofi came home after Sunday school, his mother asked him what he had learned that morning. His quick reply spoke volumes: “Obedience . . . again!” Although I’m many years older than Kofi, I agree that obedience toGod is a lesson that we must, sometimes reluctantly, learn over and over again. Oswald Chambers wrote: “The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear. If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says . . . . If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” When we are obedient, we show God that we love Him and have more faith in Him than we do in ourselves. Arthur W. Pink said that love is “a principle of action, and it expresses itself . . . by deeds which please the object loved.” To obey God means to relinquish what we want and to choose to do what He asks. God requires the obedience of His followers, and Jesus placed great importance on it. He asked, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). And He issued this challenge: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). To say we follow Jesus Christ Without attempting to obey Reveals our lack of faith that He Will lead us right in every way. —Sper Obedience to God is an expression of our love for God. Luke 6:47 "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like KJV Luke 6:47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: Everyone who comes to Me - Lk 14:26; Isaiah 55:3; Matthew 11:28; John 5:40; 6:35,37,44,45; 1 Peter 2:4 hears My words - Matthew 7:24,25; 17:5; John 8:52; 9:27,28; 10:27 acts on them - Lk 8:8,13; 11:28; Matthew 11:29; 12:50; John 13:17; 14:15,21-24; 15:9-14; Romans 2:7-10; Hebrews 5:9; James 1:22-25; 4:17; 2 Peter 1:10; 1 John 2:29; 3:7; Revelation 22:14 Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 6:46-49 The Ultimate Religious Decision - John MacArthur Luke 6:46-49 Why Obedience is Not Optional - Steven Cole Luke 6:17-49 Jesus' Teaching - Darrell Bock HEARERS OF THE WORD WHO DO THE WORD Everyone who comes to Me and hears (cf Lk 6:27+) My words - What words? The Good News as summarized in the Gospel of Mark writing that "after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel." (Mark 1:14-15). John
Lucas 6
Cole writes that "Obedience is not optional because it is the foundation that will withstand the tests of time and eternity (Luke 6:47-48). The first home-builder represents the man who not only hears, but acts upon, Jesus’ words. He goes to the trouble of digging deep into the soil until he hits bedrock. He anchors his foundation to the bedrock, so that his house rests on a solid foundation. When the storm hit and the flash flood burst against that house, it stood firm because it was well built. The house represents our lives. We’re all building a house. The question is, are we building our lives on the sure foundation of obedience to Jesus or are we building it on the sand of empty profession? To build a house involves a lot of time and expense. It’s not like throwing up a shed, where you don’t plan to spend much time inside and it isn’t expected to last. In a new home, you can install the finest hardwood cabinets. You can spend extra money on brass doorknobs and crystal chandeliers. You can put in a custom masonry fireplace. But if the house is not resting on a solid foundation, you’re throwing your money away. If you build the house of your life without obedience to Jesus on the heart level, it’s like wasting your money on a house without a foundation. When you build a house you can be sure, no matter where you build it, that storms will come to test your foundation. The geography and climate of Palestine is much like that of Arizona, subject to sudden flash floods. Dry streambeds can quickly turn into raging torrents that sweep away almost everything in their paths. If you’re building your home near such a streambed, you had better make sure that it has a solid foundation. The flood refers both to the trials of this life as well as to the flood of future judgment when we all must stand before God. The context in Matthew emphasizes more the future judgment, while Luke focuses more on the trials of life. But neither passage refers exclusively to one or the other. The person who has built his life on obedience to Jesus Christ has a solid foundation that will carry him through both the floods of this life and the future judgment. The person who professes to know Christ, but who is not walking in obedience, will be wiped out when trials hit in this life. And, he will be totally ruined when he stands before God at the judgment. There are only two final results: the one house stands, while the other house falls. There is no middle possibility of sustaining just a bit of damage. This points to the fact that there are two and only two final destinies, heaven and hell. Those who truly believe in Jesus as revealed by their obedience to Him will be in heaven. Those who profess to believe in Jesus but deny Him by their disobedient life will go to hell (Titus 1:16). Before the flood, both houses would look the same to the casual observer, but there was a vast difference between them after the flood hit. One stood firm, the other was a shambles. The difference was in the hidden part, the foundation. Foundations aren’t very glamorous, but they are absolutely essential if you want a building to stand over the long haul. The foundation of obedience enables a Christian to stand firm when trials hit. What are some of those inevitable floods that test our faith? There are the trials that we all face—disappointments, setbacks, sickness, loss of loved ones, the loss of a job, being let down by family members or friends, etc. There are the certain floods that go along with growing older—the loss of health and strength, being confined by the limitations of our bodies. And, of course, there is the steady, relentless approach of our own death. All these trials test whether we are true disciples of Jesus Christ or just fair-weather followers who were not sincere in our faith. Further, there are the floods of temptation that come at us from the world, the flesh, and the devil. This evil world, under the dominion of Satan, presses on us relentlessly, often in subtle ways we are not aware of. It may be an enticement to cheat on an exam in school, to steal, to indulge in immorality, to set our minds on the fleeting pleasures of riches. When those blue-collar workers recently won the world’s largest lottery jackpot, most of us were tempted by the greedy thought, “What would I do if I won all that money?” Some may have yielded to the temptation of buying a lottery ticket, hoping to strike it rich. Few of us thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to win all that money so that I could give it all to the Lord’s work!” The point is, if you’re not establishing the habit of obedience to Jesus every day, taking every thought captive to Him, confessing and forsaking all known sin, you are building your life on sand. When these inevitable temptations come, they will sweep away any profession of faith that you have made. Of course, the final trial we all must face is to die and stand before God. He knows everything about us (Heb 4:13). If we have been hypocrites, putting up a good front before others, claiming to be Christians, but all the while living in disobedience, it will all come crashing down in the flood of God’s judgment. The Bible is abundantly clear that that day is both certain and final. Everyone will be called to account before God’s throne. Those who may have fooled everyone on earth will not fool God in heaven. Only those who have lived in obedience to God’s Word, constantly examining themselves by it, judging their sin, seeking to be pleasing to God, will stand. Those who have said, “Lord, Lord,” but who have not sought to obey Him, will be ruined finally and forever. That leads to the final reason Jesus gives that obedience is not optional. It is not optional because it is the true test of professing Christ; it is not optional because it is the only foundation that will withstand the tests of time and eternity. (Luke 6:46-49 Why Obedience is Not Optional ) Table Rock: Luke 6:46–49 A large, illuminated cross stands erect on Table Rock, a rocky plateau overlooking my hometown. Several homes were built on neighboring land, but recently the owners have been forced to move out due to safety concerns. Despite their close proximity to the firm bedrock of Table Rock, these homes aren’t secure. They have been shifting atop their foundations—nearly three inches every day—causing risk of major water pipes breaking, which would accelerate the sliding. Jesus compares those who hear and obey His words to those who build their homes on rock (Luke 6:47–48). These homes survive the storms. By contrast, He says homes built without a firm foundation—like people who don’t heed His instruction—cannot weather the torrents. Lord, thank you for being my firm foundation. On many occasions, I’ve been tempted to ignore my conscience when I knew God asked more of me than I had given, thinking my response had been “close enough.” Yet the homes in the shifting foothills nearby have depicted for me that being “close” is nowhere near enough when it comes to obeying Him. To be like those who built their homes on a firm foundation and withstand the storms of life that so often assail us, we must heed the words of our Lord completely. Help me, Lord, to obey You fully and with my whole heart. Thank You for being my firm foundation. God’s Word is the only sure foundation for life. Luke 6:48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built KJV Luke 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. laid a foundation - Proverbs 10:25; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 7:25,26; 1 Corinthians 3:10-12; Ephesians 2:20; 2 Timothy 2:19 rock Deuteronomy 32:15,18,31; 1 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 22:2,32,47; 23:3; Ps 95:1; Isaiah 26:4; 1 Peter 2:4-6 Torrent - 2 Samuel 22:5; Psalms 32:6; 93:3,4; 125:1,2; Isaiah 59:19; Nahum 1:8; John 16:33; Acts 14:22; Romans 8:35-38; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 15:55-58; 2 Peter 3:10-14; 1 John 2:28; Revelation 6:14-17; 20:11-15 Could not shake it - 2 Peter 1:10; Jude 1:24 for Ps 46:1-3; 62:2 Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 6:46-49 The Ultimate Religious Decision - John MacArthur Luke 6:46-49 Why Obedience is Not Optional - Steven Cole Luke 6:17-49 Jesus' Teaching - Darrell Bock Related Passage: Jesus closed the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 with a similar description of true believers versus "pseudo-believers"... Therefore everyone who hears (present tense) these words of Mine and acts (present tense) on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. (THE STRIKING CONTRAST NOW WITH A PROFESSOR) Everyone who hears (present tense) these words of Mine and does not act (present tense) on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:24-27+) JESUS CHRIST THE BELIEVER'S FIRM FOUNDATION He is like a man building (oikodomeo) a house - Jesus uses a simile to depict the fate of the soul who trusts in Him for his or her eternal salvation. He is the one who hears the Gospel and lives out the Gospel in the power of the Spirit. In simple terms, this man obeys God's commands, whereas the one who builds on a poor foundation (Lk 6:49) is the man who gives Christ "lip service" but does not obey His will as revealed in His Word.
Lucas 6
Cole explains that "Obedience is not optional because those who do not obey Christ face sudden and final destruction (Luke 6:49). As you consider the man who built his house without a foundation, you have to ask, “Why would he do such a dumb thing?” There could be several reasons. First, it involved a lot of time and hard work to dig by hand down to the bedrock and the foolish man was lazy. It was much easier to throw up the house without all the hassle of putting in a proper foundation. So he followed the path of least resistance. If you’ve ever done home improvement projects, you’ve come across situations where the previous owner “fixed” a problem by doing it the easy way, but it wasn’t right. In the long run it would have been better to do it right in the first place, because you have to tear apart his botched up easy fix in order to really fix the problem. There’s a spiritual parallel. Disobedience is usually much easier than obedience, and it seems at the time like it will get you where you want to go more quickly than the more difficult path of obedience. The guy who threw up his house without a foundation was sitting inside sipping lemonade while his neighbor was out in the hot sun dripping with sweat as he dug his foundation. You young men see a guy who is living with his beautiful girl friend, enjoying all the pleasures of sex with seemingly no consequences. Meanwhile, you’re in the trenches battling for moral purity in obedience to Jesus, and you wonder, “Why am I digging this foundation while that guy sits in his comfortable house with his girl friend on his lap?” Wait till the flood hits and you’ll know the reason! Another reason the guy didn’t bother to dig a proper foundation is that he wanted the immediate benefits of the house without the necessary labor and time to build it correctly. He had a roof over his head and all his furniture nicely arranged while his neighbor wasn’t even above ground yet. Spiritually, a lot of people come to Jesus for the benefits He offers. Seemingly, they’re instantly enjoying the blessings of salvation even though they have never repented of sin and they are not daily judging their sin by His Word. They enjoy the good feelings of singing praise songs and swaying with the music. They like the love and fellowship of the body. But in their private lives, they are not digging the foundation of obedience to God’s Word. The flood will hit and their spiritual house will come crashing down. A third reason this guy didn’t bother to put in a foundation is that he was short-sighted. He was living for the here and now, without thought for the future. It wasn’t raining when he threw up his house. The riverbed was dry. Flood? What flood? A flood was not in his thinking. He just wanted to get inside his new house and enjoy the comforts it provided. Spiritually, we are fools if we do not live in light of death and the judgment to follow. This very day your soul may be required of you, and then where will you be? If you profess to be a Christian, but you’ve been living all these years for self, with no regard for furthering the kingdom of God, your life is built on sand. It will collapse when the flood of God’s judgment hits. When you peel away the outside, so many professing Christians, even many who are engaged in ministry, are just living for self. What motivates their Christian service is not the glory of the Savior who gave Himself for them. They’re not doing what they do because they love the Lord Jesus. They’re motivated by the strokes they get from serving. They love the affirmation. But if their service goes unrecognized or someone else gets the credit, they get angry and quit. Their motive was to please self, not to please the Lord. They were not laboring with a view to the future judgment when they would hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Conclusion - What can we do to make sure that our house is built on the rock of obedience to Christ, not on the sand? Jesus mentions three things (Lu 6:47): Come to Him, hear His words, and act on them. First, you must come to Jesus. This implies a personal, one-to-one relationship between Jesus and you. In the parallel passage in Matthew, Jesus says to the hypocrites who had done all their impressive works in His name, “I never knew you” (Mt 7:23). Do you know Jesus and does Jesus know you? Christianity is not a system of rules where you decide you will start working on the list. It is fundamentally a personal relationship with the risen, living Savior. Your sins have separated you from Him. But He shed His blood to reconcile to God every sinner who will stop trusting in himself and his own good deeds and who will trust in Jesus’ blood as the only satisfaction for sin. Second, you must hear Jesus’ words. This implies growing in your knowledge and understanding of His teaching as revealed in the Bible. If you are not feeding daily on God’s Word, learning from it how He wants you to live, you are living according to the desires of the flesh. You are being squeezed into the world’s mold. The teaching of the Bible centers on two main subjects: how to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul; and, how to love your neighbor as you do in fact love yourself. In other words, the Bible shows us how to relate properly to God and to others. As you read and study your Bible, your aim should not be simply to fill your head with knowledge, although proper knowledge is essential. The bottom line for biblical knowledge is that you will please God by loving Him and loving others as He commands. Third, Jesus says that you must act upon His words. This implies soul-searching obedience, down to our very thoughts, motives, and attitudes. It means continually examining ourselves in light of Scripture. When you read a psalm that says, “Praise the Lord and sing for joy,” you ask yourself, “Is my mind filled with praise to God and joy in Him, or am I marked by grumbling and complaining?” You apply Scripture to your life. The bottom line of our time in His Word should be, “How then should I live?” The forecast is that there is a 100 percent chance of a flood hitting your life in the near future. In light of that forecast, now is the time to check your foundation. If you are living in daily obedience to Jesus on the heart level, your house will stand. If you call Him “Lord” but you are living for self, you had better start digging! Discussion Questions How would you answer a professing Christian who said, “I’ve accepted Jesus as my Savior, but not as my Lord”? How does “lordship salvation” differ from works salvation? Is there a danger of crossing that crucial line? You are witnessing to a guy who is living with his girlfriend. Must he give up his immorality in order to be saved? If so, is this works salvation? Why must all obedience begin on the heart (or thought) level? Does this mean that we should not obey outwardly if our heart is not in it? How can we become obedient from the heart? (Luke 6:46-49 Why Obedience is Not Optional)