1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
22 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.
23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
42 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.
43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
44 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.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
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.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.
The sixth chapter of the Book of Luke in the King James Version of the Holy Bible is a pivotal one, comprising many important teachings and events. This chapter is an amalgamation of various themes such as the Sabbath, the choosing of the twelve apostles, the Sermon on the Plain, love for enemies, and judgment and fruitfulness. This essay will dissect these themes and their meanings, providing a comprehensive understanding of this crucial chapter.
The chapter begins with Jesus and his disciples walking through a field of grain on the Sabbath. The disciples, being hungry, pluck and eat the grain. This action raises the ire of the Pharisees, who accuse them of breaking the Sabbath law, which forbade work. Jesus responds by citing an incident from the Old Testament involving King David. He points out that David and his men ate the consecrated bread, which was against the law, when they were hungry. Jesus uses this example to demonstrate that human need sometimes supersedes religious law. He concludes by stating, "The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath." This statement asserts Jesus' authority over the Sabbath, implying that he has the power to interpret its laws.
After the Sabbath controversy, Jesus retreats to a mountainside to pray. He spends the whole night in prayer before selecting twelve of his disciples and designating them as apostles. These twelve men include Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon called Zelotes, Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would later betray him. The naming of the twelve apostles marks a significant stage in Jesus' ministry. These men form the core group who will continue Jesus' work after his death and resurrection.
Jesus then descends to a level place with his newly appointed apostles, where a large crowd has gathered. He begins to teach them, delivering what is known as the Sermon on the Plain. This sermon is similar to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's gospel but contains different content. Jesus begins his sermon with a series of blessings and woes. He pronounces blessings on the poor, the hungry, those who weep, and those who are hated and excluded because of him. Conversely, he pronounces woes on the rich, those who are full, those who laugh, and those who are spoken well of. These blessings and woes challenge the conventional wisdom that equates wealth and comfort with God's favor and poverty and suffering with God's disfavor.
Jesus continues his sermon with radical teachings on love for enemies and non-retributive justice. He instructs his followers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them. He also tells them to turn the other cheek when struck and to give to anyone who asks. These teachings challenge the traditional notions of justice and revenge, promoting instead a model of love, generosity, and forgiveness.
The final part of Jesus' sermon addresses the themes of judgment and fruitfulness. Jesus warns against judging others, stating that the same measure used to judge will be used in return. He uses the analogy of the blind leading the blind and a student not being above the teacher to illustrate the foolishness of judging others without first examining oneself. He then uses the metaphor of a tree and its fruit to convey the message that a person's actions reveal their true character. He concludes his sermon with a parable about two builders, one who built his house on a rock and the other on sand. The house on the rock, which represents a person who hears and acts on Jesus' words, withstands the storm, while the house on the sand, representing a person who hears but does not act, collapses. This parable underscores the importance of not only hearing Jesus' teachings but also putting them into practice.
In conclusion, the sixth chapter of the Book of Luke presents a multitude of profound teachings and events. It portrays Jesus as an authoritative figure who challenges traditional religious practices and societal norms. His teachings on love, forgiveness, judgment, and action offer a radical new way of living and relating to others. They invite us to examine our attitudes towards wealth, suffering, enemies, and justice. They call us to be generous, forgiving, non-judgmental, and fruitful, and to build our lives on the firm foundation of his words. This chapter, therefore, presents a transformative vision of life in the kingdom of God.
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