Luke 6 Devotional: Explore the Lordship of Jesus over the Sabbath and the call to radical love. Study the Beatitudes, the command to love your enemies, and the importance of building your life on the Rock.Â
Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to Luke Chapter 6. Today, we follow Jesus into the harvest fields and up onto a level place where a great crowd awaits. We are about to hear teachings that challenge every natural human instinctâto love those who hate us and to bless those who curse us. Let us listen closely, for these are the words of the One who practiced perfectly what He preached.Â
The Lord of the Sabbath and the Radical Call to Mercy
Luke 6 begins with a confrontation over the Sabbath, where Jesus declares the revolutionary truth: "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath." He then chooses His twelve apostles after a night of solitary prayer and begins to teach. While similar to the Sermon on the Mount, Lukeâs "Sermon on the Plain" includes stark "Woes" alongside the "Blessings," warning those who find their comfort only in this world. He concludes with the famous parable of the two builders, urging us to be not just hearers, but doers of His Word.
What can we learn from this today? In this chapter, we see the Authority of Jesus Christ. As your Statement of Faith affirms, He is fully God and fully man, sovereign even over the sacred traditions of Israel. Jesus shows us that the heart of Godâs Law is mercy, not legalism. When He commands us to "Love your enemies," He is exposing the depth of our Humanity and Sinâwe realize we cannot love this way on our own. We need the "gift of Godâs grace" (Article 6) to transform our hearts. To build our lives on the "Rock" is to realize that Jesus is the only foundation that can withstand the storms of life and the judgment to come.
6 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.
Jesus spent the night in prayer before choosing His apostles and teaching the crowds. Following His example, let us bring our hearts before the Father, seeking the wisdom and strength that only He can provide.Â
Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You for the clarity of Your Word and the authority of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We believe that He is the Lord of all, including our time, our traditions, and our hearts. Thank You for the radical call to mercy found in Luke 6, which reminds us that Your ways are higher than our ways.
Lord, I confess that my heart often struggles to love those who are unkind to me. I ask that the Holy Spirit would dwell in me and empower me for this "impossible" kind of love. Help me to be a person of mercy, just as You are merciful to me. I choose today to build my life on the Rock of Your Word. When the storms of trial or temptation rise, let my foundation in Christ remain unshaken. Forgive me for the times I have been a "hearer" only; make me a "doer" who reflects Your character to everyone I meet.
We pray for our local community, that we would be known as a people who bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us. We lift up the universal Church, that we would be a foundation of truth in a world that is constantly shifting. We pray for a world filled with retaliation and judgment; may the beauty of the Gospel shine through our acts of kindness and our commitment to Your truth. Grant us the grace to be "salt and light" as we seek first Your Kingdom. Amen.
Jesus asks, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Is there one specific command of Jesusâperhaps regarding forgiveness or generosityâthat you have been "hearing" but haven't yet put into practice?Â
Why did Jesus call Himself "Lord of the Sabbath"? He was claiming divine authority. By doing good and healing on the Sabbath, He showed that the day was intended for restoration and worship, not for burdensome rules that prevent mercy.
What is the difference between the "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew) and the "Sermon on the Plain" (Luke)? While the teachings are similar, many scholars believe Jesus preached these core truths many times in different locations. Lukeâs version emphasizes the social and physical aspects of the Kingdom, including "Woes" to the rich and well-fed.
What does it mean to "lend, expecting nothing in return"? It is a call to radical, Christ-like generosity. It means our motive for giving should be to reflect Godâs grace, rather than seeking a personal or financial "return on investment."
Thank you for joining us for Luke 6. May your foundation be firm and your heart be full of mercy today. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the incredible miracles of faith in Luke Chapter 7.Â
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