Luke 6 (WEB)

Luke 6:1–5

Lord of the Sabbath

Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands. But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”

Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him, how he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?” He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

On a Sabbath, Jesus' disciples pick heads of grain as they walk through fields, rub them in their hands and eat. Some Pharisees object that this is unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus reminds them that David ate the sacred bread when he was hungry, and declares that the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.

What does this mean?

The Sabbath was the weekly day of rest, from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. "Corn" (KJV) means grain, probably wheat or barley, not maize. The "shewbread" was twelve loaves set out before God in the sanctuary and eaten by priests. The phrase "second sabbath after the first" (KJV, WEB) translates an obscure Greek word missing from many early manuscripts; its meaning is uncertain.

Historical context

The Law allowed people to pick grain by hand from a neighbour's field (Deuteronomy 23:25); the dispute is about work on the Sabbath, since picking and rubbing grain could be counted as reaping and threshing. The story of David is in 1 Samuel 21:1–6.

Why does it matter?

This is the first of several Sabbath disputes in Luke (6:6–11; 13:10–17; 14:1–6), in which Jesus claims authority to interpret the day's purpose.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Luke 6:6–11

A withered hand healed on the Sabbath

It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood. Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” He looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other. But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

In a synagogue on another Sabbath, scribes and Pharisees watch to see whether Jesus will heal a man whose right hand is withered. Jesus calls the man forward and asks them whether it is lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it. He heals the hand, and his opponents, furious, discuss what they might do to him.

What does this mean?

A "withered" hand was shrunken or paralysed.

Historical context

Jewish teachers agreed that saving a life overrode Sabbath rules; the debate concerned healing that could wait until the next day. Jesus' question reframes the issue: failing to do good is itself a kind of harm.

Why does it matter?

Only Luke notes that it was the right hand, the hand used for work, so the man's livelihood was at stake. The opponents' rage marks rising hostility, though Luke's ending is milder than Mark's, where the Pharisees plot with Herod's supporters to destroy Jesus (Mark 3:6).

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Luke 6:12–19

Jesus chooses twelve apostles

In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew; Matthew; Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus; Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor.

He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and they were being healed. All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.

Jesus spends a whole night praying on a mountain, then chooses twelve of his disciples and names them apostles. Coming down with them to a level place, he meets a great crowd from Judea, Jerusalem and the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who have come to hear him and to be healed.

What does this mean?

A "disciple" is a learner or follower; an "apostle" is someone sent out as a representative. Twelve corresponds to the twelve tribes of Israel, suggesting a renewed people of God (compare 22:30). "Zelotes" (KJV) or "the Zealot" may describe religious zeal or a link with anti-Roman militancy; scholars debate whether an organised Zealot party existed this early.

Historical context

Luke's list matches Mark's and Matthew's except that "Judas of James" appears instead of Thaddaeus; many think they are the same man. The Greek does not say whether he was James's son (WEB) or brother (KJV). Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities on the Phoenician coast.

Why does it matter?

Luke stresses prayer before major decisions. The teaching that follows is given on a "level place" (6:17), in contrast with Matthew's Sermon on the Mount.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Luke 6:20–26

The Beatitudes

He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for God’s Kingdom is yours. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation. Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

Looking at his disciples, Jesus pronounces blessings on the poor, the hungry, those who weep, and those hated for his sake, promising that their situation will be reversed. He then pronounces woes on the rich, the well fed, those who laugh now, and those of whom everyone speaks well.

What does this mean?

"Blessed" means fortunate or favoured by God. "Woe" is a prophetic cry of lament and warning, the opposite of a blessing. "Consolation" means comfort: the rich have already had theirs.

Historical context

Paired blessings and curses have deep roots in Israel's Scriptures (Deuteronomy 28; Jeremiah 17:5–8). Most people in first-century Galilee lived close to subsistence, so poverty and hunger were concrete realities for many listeners.

Why does it matter?

The reversal Mary sang about (1:52–53) becomes Jesus' teaching. Interpreters have long debated whether Luke's "poor" means the materially poor, the devout poor who depend on God, or both. This opens what is often called the Sermon on the Plain.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Told in two Gospels

Matthew 5:1–12

The Beatitudes

How Matthew tells it

Matthew has nine blessings, mostly in the third person ('Blessed are the poor in spirit'), on a mountain. Luke has four, addressed directly ('Blessed are you poor'), on a level place, followed by four matching woes. Matthew's wording often has a more spiritual or ethical focus: 'hunger and thirst for righteousness' where Luke has 'you who hunger now'.

Read Matthew’s account in Matthew 5

Continue reading in Matthew →

How Luke tells it

Luke has four blessings, each matched by a woe; Matthew has eight or nine blessings and no woes. Luke speaks directly to the hearers ("you poor") and of hunger "now," where Matthew has "poor in spirit" and hunger "after righteousness." Luke's setting is a level place, not a mountain.

Matthew sets these sayings in the Sermon on the Mount; Luke places a shorter form, with woes, in the Sermon on the Plain.

Luke 6:27–38

Love your enemies

“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also. Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

“As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

Jesus tells his hearers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, turn the other cheek and give to everyone who asks. They are to treat others as they would want to be treated, lend without expecting return, be merciful as God is merciful, and not judge or condemn.

What does this mean?

The "cloke" and "coat" (KJV) are the outer and inner garments; in Luke the picture is of a robber taking the outer one first. "Mete" (KJV) means measure out. "Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over" comes from the grain market, where a generous seller packed the measure full and poured it into the fold of the buyer's robe (KJV "bosom").

Historical context

Many ancient teachers, Jewish and Greek, taught a version of the "golden rule," often in negative form: do not do to others what you would not want done to you. Greco-Roman society ran on reciprocity: gifts, loans and invitations created obligations to be repaid.

Why does it matter?

Jesus grounds this ethic in the character of God, who is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Christians have long disagreed about how literally to apply these commands, for example on nonviolence and self-defence.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Luke 6:39–49

Judging, good fruit and the wise builder

He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye.

“For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But he who hears and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”

Jesus continues with short parables: the blind cannot lead the blind; one should remove the beam from one's own eye before the speck from someone else's; a tree is known by its fruit. He ends by contrasting a man who builds his house on deep foundations with one who builds without them, as pictures of those who hear his words and act on them and those who do not.

What does this mean?

The "mote" (KJV) or "speck" is a tiny splinter and the "beam" a large timber, a deliberately comic exaggeration. A "hypocrite" was originally a stage actor, someone playing a part.

Historical context

In Galilee, heavy winter rain could send flash floods down dry valleys, destroying poorly founded houses.

Why does it matter?

The sermon ends, as Matthew's does (Matthew 7:24–27), with a call to put the teaching into practice. Calling Jesus "Lord, Lord" without obeying him is shown to be empty. In Luke the wise builder digs deep; Matthew contrasts rock with sand.

Editorial notes, not scripture.