Luke 6:12-36. Study 13.

 In vv. 12-16 Jesus calls His apostle from among His disciples - the men who will carry on His mission "to preach the good news of the kingdom of God" (4:43). They are ordinary people.

He spends the night with prayer and comes up with Judas' name - the one who 'became' a traitor. Judas was not always a traitor. Did Jesus err in His choice?

 

Simon Peter is always the first named in the list of the apostles (the 'sent ones', messengers') cf. Mk 3:16, Mt 10:2. "Judas son of James" ias also called Thaddaeus.

 

The "Sermon on the Plain" follows. The Greek word means 'level place' and may refer to part of a mountainside. The material here overlaps with that of Mt 5:1-7:29 ("The Sermon on the Mount"). This may be because Luke and Matthew emphasize different parts of the same sermon, or that Jesus as an itinerant preacher repeated his material on different occasions. It is less likely that the evangelists compiled material into a sermon form, since their are time/occasion markers in the accounts.

 

 3. Jesus begins His sermon by contrasting two kinds of people (see 6:20-26). He discusses each in four parallel ways.

a. Who is blessed, and why?

'Blessed' is not 'happy'. The beatitudes overturn the values of the world (cf. the Magnificat 1:52-53)

 The Lucan beatitudes exalt what the world despises and reject what the world admires. 

• The poor have the kingdom. The poor = the pious needy (cf. Ps 40:17, 72:2-4), who have no resources apart from God bvgh
  
• The hungry will be satisfied = those who long for righteousness (cf. Mt 5:6)
  
• The mourning will laugh - not personal grief, but those who are pained by evil and suffering
  
• The persecuted will have a great reward in heaven - those who suffer for Christ's sake. The prophets also were treated in that way.
  

 

b. Who is pitable, and why? 

"woe" (Gk 'ouai') is not a threat, but something like 'alas', 'how terrible'

• The rich will have nothing but riches "they have received their reward" (= 'paid in full' (Mt 6:2, 5, 16). Those with everything in this life only have the pleasures of this life, but not true, eternal pleasures in God . Wealth iteself is not sinful, but it ends to cause us to be less dependent on God. The rich are not to be uncaring of the poor (Js 5:1-6)
• The full wll be hungry. Those who are not just in posession of resources, but who are contented with them and feel that the need nothing more.
• The laughing will mourn. This is laughter that is a superficial merriment. (cf. Ecc 7:4)
• The ones with universal acclaim prove that they compromised principles to be popular. True prophets are too uncomfortablet to be popular.
  

 

4. Why is the kingdom given to disciples who are poor and rejected for Jesus' sake, while people who are rich and respected are in grave danger?

From now on, all value and worth is measured by allegiance to Jesus, not to the world.

5. In general, what is Jesus' rule for life (6:27-36)?

Have a generous, loving attitude (grace) to people, even those who hate and take advantage of us.

6. From 6:27-36, explain what you think it means to love your enemies. (What is love? Who are your enemies?)

Enemies are those who hate us, not those whom we hate.

Love is doing what is best in God's sight for them.

How does a wife with an unfaithful husband respond to his constant requests for money?

How does a child who was abandoned by his parents deal with a demand from them that they need to come to stay with his family and receive support?

How does a physically abused woman respond to blows?

 

We returned to the principles of love (as defined above), non-retaliation and generosity. it is not uiltimately loving to allow people to do as they please. However, because of our fallen human hearts, our lovelessness and real love can look very similar.

 For Thought and Discussion:

What attitudes (toward self, the world, God) tempt rich and respected people to lose the greatest blessing? (See Dt 8:17-18, 9:4; Luke 8:14, 12:21-34)

 

Self-reliant pride in effort or moral character

Preoccupation with pleasure, riches and worldly concerns like food and clothing.