Luke 6 – shortcode

Lord of the Sabbath

1. Now, it happened on a Sabbath that He went to pass through some grain fields and His disciples were picking and were eating the heads of grain, rubbing the kernels out of the husks in their hands.
2. But some of the Pharisees said: “Why are you doing what isn’t lawful to do on the Sabbaths?”
3. And answering them, Jesus said: “Did you not even read about this?  About what David himself did when he hungered, he and the men with¹“the men with” is literally: “the men being with” him?
4. “How he entered into the house of God, and having taken the consecrated bread of the presence, he ate it and gave it to the men with him, bread which isn’t lawful to eat except for the priests only.”
5. And He was telling them: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
6. Now, it happened on another Sabbath that He entered into the synagogue to teach there, and a man was there and his right hand was withered.
7. And the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely to see if He heals on the Sabbath so they might find a charge to accuse Him.
8. Yet He had known their reasonings and He told the man having the withered hand: “Rise and stand in the middle of the room.”  And having risen, he stood there.
9. And Jesus said to them: “I ask you if it’s lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil?  To save a life or to destroy it?”
10. And having looked around at all of them, He told him: “Extend your hand.”  And the man did, and his hand was restored.
11. And they were filled with irrational rage and were discussing to one another what they may do to Jesus.

Choosing the Apostles

12. Now, it happened in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray and was spending the whole night in prayer to God.
13. And when it became day, He summoned His disciples and chose twelve from among them whom He also named as apostles:
14. Simon (whom He also named Peter) and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew;
15. And Matthew and Thomas; and James son of Alphaeus; and Simon, the man called a Zealot;
16. And Judas son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Blessings and cursings

17. And having descended with them, He stood on a flat place.  And there was a numerous crowd of His disciples and a numerous multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon
18. who came to listen to Him and to be healed of their diseases, and the men troubled with unclean spirits were being cured.
19. And everyone in the crowd was seeking to touch Him because power was coming out from Him and was healing all of them.
20. And He, having lifted His eyes upon His disciples, He was saying: “Blessed are the poor because the kingdom of God is yours.
21. “Blessed are the men hungering now because you will be filled.  Blessed are the men weeping now because you will laugh
22. “You are blessed when men hate you, and when they ostracize you, and disgrace and accuse² “disgrace and accuse” is one word in Greek.  It can mean either, but both definitions were included because they both fit the context and it seems likely that both were intended. you, and banish your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
23. “Rejoice in that day and jump for joy, for behold: your reward is numerous in heaven, for the forefathers were doing these things³“these things” is literally “them” to the prophets in the same manner.
24. Moreover, woe to you rich men because you are receiving⁴“you are receiving” This Greek word contains the sense of receiving something because you are far away from something else. your comfort now.
25. “Woe to you men who have satisfied yourselves now because you will hunger.  Woe to men laughing now because you will mourn and you will weep.
26. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for the forefathers were doing these things⁵“these things” is literally “them” to the false prophets in the same manner.

Love your enemies

27. “But I say to you men hearing this: ^Love your enemies, do good to the men hating you,
28. “bless the men cursing you, pray for the men slandering you.
29. “To the man striking you on the cheek, also offer the other cheek.  And the man taking your cloak away from you, also don’t withhold your tunic.
30. “Give to every man asking of you and don’t demand back from the man taking what’s yours.
31. “And exactly as you desire that men would do to you, do the same to them.
32. “And if you ^love the men ^loving you, what grace⁶“grace” The Greek word here is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace” or “gift”.  It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place.  The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis) for someone.  A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron.  The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful”.  Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation.  A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons.  The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met.  Christian Grace and Faith is well picture by this system.  The Heavenly Patron (God the Father) freely gave a gift (Jesus’ blood), and the clients who accept it (Christians) are expected to “be faithful” out of gratitude. is it to you?  For even sinful men ^love the men ^loving them.
33. “For also, if you do good to the men doing good to you, what grace is it to you?  Even sinful men do the same.
34. “And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what grace is it to you?  Even sinful men lend to sinners so they might recover back identical amounts.
35. “Moreover, ^love your enemies, and do good to them, and lend without expecting interest and your reward will be numerous and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is benevolent towards the ungrateful and wicked.
36. “Be merciful just as your Father is also merciful.

Don’t Judge

37. “And don’t judge and you definitely won’t be judged, and don’t condemn and you definitely won’t be condemned.  Forgive and you will be forgiven.
38. “Give and it will be given to you; they will give a good measure into your bosom, *pressed-down, *shaken to compact it, and overflowing.  For by whichever measure you measure, it will be measured back to you.”
39. And He also told a parable to them: “A blind man isn’t able to lead a blind man, is he?  Won’t they both certainly fall into a pit?
40. “A disciple isn’t above the teacher, yet everyone will be like his teacher when properly *prepared.
41. “And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye and not notice the log in your own eye?
42. “How are you able to tell your brother: ‘Brother, allow me to cast out the splinter in your eye’ while you yourself aren’t seeing the log in your eye?  You hypocrite; first cast out the log in your eye and then you will see clearly to take out the splinter in your brother’s eye.

Know them by their fruit

43. “For there’s no lovely tree producing rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree producing lovely fruit,
44. “for each tree is known by its own fruit.  For they don’t collect figs from brambles nor gather grapes from a thorn bush, do they?
45. “The good man produces what’s good from the good treasure of his heart, and the wicked man produces what’s wicked from his wicked heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart.
46. “And why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’, and don’t do what I say?
47. “Every man coming to Me, and hearing My words, and doing them, I will show⁷“show” could also be translated “warn” or “forewarn” you whom he is like.
48. “He is like a man building a house who dug, and excavated, and laid a foundation on a rock.  And a flood having happened, the floodwater burst against that house and wasn’t strong enough to shake it because it was well *built.
49. “But the man who heard and didn’t do it, he is like a man who built a house on earth without a foundation, against which the floodwater burst and it immediately fell, and the fracturing of that house became great.