What I Noticed Today (Luke 6-7)
Luke 6
In verses 1-5, (See also Matthew 12:1-8, Mark 2:23-28), as Jesus was passing through a grain field on a Sabbath, His disciples picked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate the grain. Pharisees challenged them, saying this was not lawful on a Sabbath. Jesus reminded the Pharisees how David fed his soldiers the temple showbread (2 Chronicles 2:4, 1 Samuel 21:1-6). Finally, Jesus said the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
Note: It was legal, according to Deuteronomy 23:25, to pick heads of grain as you passed through a field as long as you didn’t use a sickle. The Pharisees, however, said that to do this on a Sabbath constituted “work” and was, therefore, illegal. In addition, the Pharisees considered the picking as “gathering,” the rubbing in the hands as “threshing,” and blowing away the chaff as “winnowing.”
In verses 6-11, (See also Matthew 12:9-14, Mark 3:1-6), as Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, a man with a shriveled (paralyzed) hand was there. The Pharisees were watching to see if Jesus would heal him on the Sabbath. Knowing their thoughts, Jesus asked the Pharisees if it was legal to do good or do evil on the Sabbath. When they didn’t answer, Jesus healed the man’s hand. The Pharisees were furious and starting discussing amongst themselves what they could do to Jesus.
Note: The phrase “on a Sabbath” (v. 1) and “on another Sabbath” (v. 6) ties these two examples together to emphasize that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath. Since Jesus instituted the Sabbath as the Son of God, He has the authority to make exceptions.
In verses 12-16, (See also Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:13-19), Jesus went out to pray one night. Then, in the morning, he called the twelve disciples and called them apostles: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.
Note: The term “disciples” designates someone as a follower. The term “apostles” designates someone who is being called and sent out as a messenger with authority.
In verses 17-49, (See also Matthew 5-7), Jesus came down with the disciples to a large plain. People from all Judea and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon came to listen and be healed by Jesus.
Jesus’ teaching included six major sections:
- The Beatitudes (vv. 20-23). Those who trust in God are blessed and will be rewarded in heaven.
- The Woes (vv. 24-26). Those who reject God in this life will receive none of the rewards promised to those who trusted in God (the woes are the opposites of the blessings).
- True righteousness is revealed in love (vv. 27-38). Jesus establishes seven markers of unconditional love that are indicators of true righteousness.
- Love your enemies,
- Do good to those who hate you.
- Bless those who curse you.
- Pray for those who mistreat you.
- Do not retaliate against those who mistreat you.
- Give freely and generously to others.
- Treat others the way you would like to be treated (Golden Rule).
Loving others in this way separates you from the sinners. Therefore, do good, expecting nothing in return, and your reward in heaven will be great, and you will be Sons of the Most High.
- Do not judge (vv. 37-42). Two negatives (do not judge, do not condemn) are balanced by two positives (forgiveness returns forgiveness, giving returns giving). The parable of the blind guide. A disciple is not above his teacher. Get your own life in order before you worry about others (take the log out of your own eye before you take the speck out of a brother’s eye).
- A tree is known by its fruit (vv. 43-45). A good tree does not produce bad fruit, nor does a bad tree produce good fruit. Likewise, a man is known by his fruit. A good man produces good, while an evil man produces evil.
- Build on a solid foundation (vv. 46-49). A man who comes to Jesus hears Him and acts on what he hears is like a man who builds his house on a solid foundation. His house cannot be shaken. The man who hears Jesus but does not act is like a man who builds his house without a foundation. His house will be destroyed.
Luke 7
In verses 1-10, (See also Matthew 8:5-13), when Jesus had finished His teaching (Luke 6), He entered into Capernaum. A Roman centurion’s slave was near death. The centurion sent Jewish elders to Jesus, asking for Jesus to come and heal the slave. As Jesus got near, the centurion sent out messengers saying he was not worthy to have Jesus in his home but to say the word and the slave would be healed. Jesus told the crowd he had not seen this kind of faith even among the people of Israel, so He healed the slave.
In verses 11-17, soon afterward, Jesus was on His way to a town called Nain (6 miles south of Nazareth) with His disciples and a large crowd following along. As Jesus neared the city gate, a dead man was being carried out. Jesus had compassion for the man’s mother. He stopped the funeral procession and told the man to get up. The man sat up and began speaking. The people were both afraid and amazed, and word spread about Jesus.
In verses 18-23, (See also Matthew 11:2-19), John’s disciples told him about the ministry of Jesus, so John sent two disciples to the Lord to ask if He was the One. Jesus healed many people and told the disciples to return to John and tell him what they had witnessed: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, skin diseases are healed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor are told the Good News.
Note: John was in prison when this happened, so he sent two disciples to see Jesus (Matthew 11:2).
In verses 24-28, after John’s disciples left, Jesus turned to the crowd to teach them about John’s ministry:
- John was a man of conviction (not a reed blowing in the wind).
- The people saw him as a prophet, but Jesus said he was more than a prophet.
- He was the messenger sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus (Malachi 3:1).
- No one born of a woman is greater than John, but the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John. This announces the new covenant in which believers will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).
In verses 29-30, the people, including the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s way of righteousness because they had received John’s baptism of repentance. But the Pharisees and scribes had rejected John’s message of repentance.
In verses 31-35, Jesus describes the current generation (referring to religious leaders and others who had rejected John’s message and His) as children who could not be pleased: they wanted others to dance to their music or weep when they sang a lament. John would not eat or drink, and they called him a demon. Jesus came eating and drinking, and they called Him a glutton and a drunkard. Nothing pleased or satisfied these people.
In verses 36-50, Luke illustrates the principle Jesus had just taught in verses 31-35. A Pharisee named Simon rejected Jesus while a sinful woman received forgiveness and salvation.
A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to dinner. While Jesus was at the table, a sinful woman heard about Jesus being there and came and anointed Him with a jar of expensive oil, wept, and wiped His feet with her hair. The Pharisee thought if Jesus were a prophet, He would know she is a sinner. Jesus told the Pharisee a parable: two debtors are both forgiven their debt. Which one will be most grateful? The Pharisee answered the one who was forgiven the most. Jesus said the Pharisee had done nothing for Him since He arrived, but the woman had not stopped ministering to Him. Therefore, said Jesus, her many sins were forgiven because she loved much, and He dismissed her. The other guests wondered who Jesus was that He claimed to forgive sins.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- The way we, as believers, love others both separates and distinguishes us from the world.
- Our works reflect the condition of our hearts. But, do we produce the good fruit as Jesus intended?
- Neither the Roman centurion nor the sinful woman felt they were worthy of the Lord, yet they both trusted in Him to meet their needs.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
