Disputes Concerning Sabbath Observance. Luke 6:1-12
The Lord of the Sabbath:
v. 1. And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the cornfields; and His disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
v. 2. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath-days?
v. 3. And Jesus, answering them, said, Have ye not read so much as this what David did when himself was an hungered, and they which were with him,
v. 4. how he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
v. 5. And He said unto them, That the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
It was on the first Sabbath after the second day of Passover that this happened. For on that day the sheaves of the first fruits of the field were offered to the Lord, and the Jews reckoned the Sabbaths until Pentecost from this day, for which reason the latter festival was known also as the Feast of Weeks. Jesus was walking through the crop, which was now in full ear and ready for cutting. The ancient paths were usually in the nature of short cuts, and were apt to lead across some man's land. But according to ancient custom, no man thought of plowing these up. The field was tilled on either side of the path, and the grain sometimes encroached on the path, but the path itself belonged to the public. As the Lord was walking along with His disciples, the latter began to pull out spikes of the ripe grain and to rub the ears between the palms of their hands to extract the kernels. This was permitted according to the Law, Deuteronomy 23:25. But the Pharisees, some of whom were present as usual in order to spy on the Lord, made this innocent act a sin against the Third Commandment, looking upon the pulling of stalks as harvesting and upon the removing of the hulls as threshing and cooking. Note: This attitude is characteristic also of modern sticklers for the so-called sanctity of the Sabbath, or Sunday. Instead of teaching the proper observance of the New Testament holiday according to the sense of the Bible, which Luther has so beautifully expressed in the explanation of the Third Commandment, they suspect base motives and objects in matters which are left absolutely to the decision of Christian liberty. The Pharisees at once attacked the disciples, but always with the point directed against Jesus. They accused them of profaning the Sabbath. Nothing would have pleased them more than if Jesus would have taken up the challenge and argued concerning the fine points of distinction between the various forms of work permitted on the Sabbath. Instead of that, the Lord turns the tables on them by challenging their knowledge of Scriptures. His words, not unmixed with irony, contain a sharp rebuke: Not even this have ye read what David did; have you so little understanding of the Old Testament? His reference is to 1 Samuel 21:6. There it is related of David that he did indeed go into the house of the Lord, into the tabernacle, which probably stood on the hill between Gibeon and Nobe, and accepted some of the showbread, the bread of the Lord's countenance, which he then ate with his men, although this bread belonged to the priests only. That was a case of emergency, in which the law of love is always the highest law. The Pharisees should now draw the conclusion from the smaller to the greater. If David had this right and did not sin in taking and eating this bread, then David's Lord must have the right with much greater authority. And if this argument would not be sufficiently strong for them, they should remember that the Son of Man, Christ, the Prophet of Nazareth, is Lord also of the Sabbath. If He chooses to dispense with, or to change, the law with reference to this holiday, it is a matter entirely in His right and power, Colossians 2:16-17; Romans 14:5.
v. 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.
v. 7. And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him. whether He would heal on the Sabbath-day, that they might find an accusation against Him.
v. 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.
v. 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?
v. 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.
v. 11. And they were filled with madness, and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
v. 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.
On the other Sabbath, the one following that on which the Lord had given the Pharisees the first lesson concerning the real meaning of the Sabbath, Jesus was again in the synagogue, teaching, as was His custom. He was preaching when the incident which is here related occurred. There was a man in the synagogue, probably brought there purposely by the Pharisees, whose right hand was withered, as the result of disease or accident. Now the scribes and Pharisees kept watching in a sly, furtive manner what Jesus would do when the condition of this man would be brought to His attention. If the Lord would heal the man, they thought they would be able to make out a case against Him from their law. But Jesus knew the hypocritical reasoning of their hearts and took up their challenge. He had the sick man stand forth in the center of the room, in order that all those present might see him and the miracle which He proposed to do to him. Jesus now directed a question to His enemies, to show them that He read the thoughts of their hearts, for He was filled with the emotions of anger and pity. He asked them pointblank whether it was the right and proper thing, whether it should be considered an obligation resting upon all those present to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to destroy it. To leave any sick and crippled person in his misery for even one minute longer than is necessary is a transgression of the Fifth Commandment; this fact they should know. There was no answer forthcoming, however, the Pharisees being convinced in their hearts, but still too stubborn to bear witness to the truth. Jesus therefore once more looked around upon the circle of faces, hoping to find some indication of yielding; but there was none. And so He performed the miracle before their eyes. At His command the sick man stretched forth his hand, and it was restored to full health and strength at once. The Pharisees were again foiled, and this fact filled them with insane fury against the Lord. Their senseless anger was directed at Jesus, especially because the miracle would tend to make Him popular with the people, since they had not been able to answer His question. From this time forth they were continually active in considering ways and means to remove Him. They frankly sought His life, Mark 3:6. So far can hypocrisy bring a person that fights against the knowledge of truth that he will excuse the most conspicuous lack of love and mercy, and will conceive a deadly hatred against any one that suggests the proper observance of the summary of the Law. But Jesus gave them no opportunity at this time to carry out their murderous designs. It was in those days, as Luke remarks, that He again withdrew to a mountain. There, in the solitude and silence, He found the right conditions under which He could, without disturbance or distraction, pour out His heart in prayer to His heavenly Father. He spent the entire night in prayer, not a minute too much under the circumstances when He was preparing to extend His ministry. Note: Regular, intimate, importunate prayer to God is the best way of obtaining strength, above all before an important step in life.
v. 13. And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples; and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles:
v. 14. Simon (whom He also named Peter) and Andrew, his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
v. 15. Matthew and Thomas, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, called Zelotes,
v. 16. and Judas, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Having prepared Himself for this important step by an all-night vigil and prayer, Jesus now carried out His plan. He called all His disciples to Him, and from their total number He selected twelve, to whom He gave the honoring title apostles, those sent forth. Their principal work was to continuing going forth in His name and spreading the glorious Gospel of His redemption. A few notices concerning the work of these men, taken from Scripture and history, may prove of interest. Simon, who later became a true Peter or rock-man, was actively engaged in missionary work in the East and West. He is said to have suffered martyrdom in Rome under Nero, by being crucified. His brother Andrew did his principal work in Scythia, north of the Black Sea, where he also suffered death by crucifixion. James, the son of Zebedee, was the first martyr from the ranks of the apostles, dying by the sword of Herod, Acts 12:2. His brother John was the beloved disciple of the Lord. He died at an advanced age in the midst of his congregation at Ephesus. Philip is said to have proclaimed the Gospel in Phrygia, where he suffered martyrdom by crucifixion. Bartholomew, or Nathanael, worked in India and suffered a like fate. Matthew Levi is said to have been the first apostle of the Ethiopians. He was put to death in a frightful manner by nails driven through his body. Thomas Didymus, the Doubter, brought the Gospel-message into the far East, into Media, Persia, and India, where he also died as a martyr. James, the son of Alphaeus, also known as the Younger, Mark 15:40, is probably to be distinguished from James, the brother of the Lord, the author of the Epistle of James. Simon of Cana, called Zelotes, is said to have journeyed as far as the British Isles and there suffered martyrdom. Judas, the son of James, to be distinguished from the brother of James of the same name, was known also as Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus. His field of activity was Arabia. The last apostle, Judas of Kerioth, was the traitor.
v. 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 Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases;
v. 18. and they that were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed.
v. 19. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him; for there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all.
This passage shows how far the influence of Christ's ministry extended. As Jesus came down from the summit of the mountain and reached a plateau on the mountainside, He had before His eyes a great gathering of people. Not only was there a large number of His own disciples, but a large multitude of people from all Judea, from proud Jerusalem, from Tyre and Sidon, the cities by the Mediterranean Sea. They all had come to hear Jesus and to be healed of various diseases. But there were also many of such as were bothered or troubled with evil spirits: all of them gathered about the great Teacher and Healer. The popularity of Jesus had reached its greatest height. All these sick people sought to touch Him; and the pity and sympathy of His Savior's heart went out to them. Strength, the power of the almighty Physician, went out from His person, and they were all healed.
v. 20. And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples and said, Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God.
v. 21. Blessed are ye that hunger now; for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now; for ye shall laugh.
v. 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.
v. 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.
This discourse is commonly considered as an extract of the Sermon on the Mount, but it is not essential to regard it as such. The Lord may well have spoken on the same subject and in much the same words upon different occasions. The words were addressed chiefly to His disciples, but the other people were also within reach of His voice and had an opportunity to take with them the golden truths which the Lord here uttered. Blessed the poor: Not so much those that are poor in the goods of this world, although the truly poor are usually found among these, but those that are poor in spirit, that in themselves and in the whole world neither have nor find what can truly delight their souls. This poverty has a glorious promise: For yours is the kingdom of God. They will receive the true riches of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Blessed that now hunger: Not spoken of physical hunger, but of that greater desire for the food from on high, the hungering and thirsting after righteousness. They will be filled: The bounteous riches of the beauty of God's table are theirs. Blessed those that weep now: Such as feel deeply the distress of sins and their consequences and live in constant sorrow because of them. For they shall laugh: The joy of the Redeemer will be theirs, filling them with a happiness beyond all human comprehension. Blessed are ye if the people hate you; if they show this hatred by withdrawing from you, by ostracizing you as people afflicted with a malignant disease; if they vituperate you and cast your name out from them and their society on account of the Savior. Note: So thoroughly has the amalgamation of the world with the Church been done, so far has it progressed, that such isolation is rare in our days, more's the shame! People that call themselves Christians will rather confine their Christianity and its profession and practice to a few hours on Sunday than to bear the reproach of the Lord, for the sake of the Savior. The spirit of martyrdom seems to have left the Church entirely. Denials of Christ are practiced daily, confessions for the sake of the Christian principle are rare. Rejoice in that day and leap: That is a reason for being happy, that the world refuses to recognize the Christians as belonging to them, that they accuse them of narrowness and bigotry, that it withdraws from them; that is an evidence of Christian profession. For, behold, your reward will be great in heaven. Just because it is a reward of mercy, it will be all the more acceptable. When Christians suffer such persecutions, they are but following in the footsteps of the early martyrs, those that preferred death to the denial of the Lord and the Christian doctrines and practices.
v. 24. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
v. 25. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
v. 26. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Woe unto you rich people! for you have your solace in advance. This is spoken, as often in Scripture, Mark 10:23; 1 Timothy 6:9, of those that place their trust in their money. The Christian that is rich does not think of putting his faith in mammon. He knows that he is not in reality the owner of the goods entered under his name, but the steward of God, with the greater responsibilities, the greater the amount of riches which men call his. And he must give an account on the last day. Those people, therefore, that consider their wealth their own to do with as they please, and who use it with this idea in mind, to receive their good things in the present lifetime, Luke 16:25, have the only solace that they will ever get, Job 31:24. They may seem satisfied and try to persuade themselves and others that they are happy; but what about the world to come? Woe unto you that are filled up; for ye shall hunger. Those that seek the satisfaction of all their desires in this life and are rewarded in such a way that they get all that they have longed for, have their ambition realized. But they will have to suffer hunger throughout eternity. Woe unto you that laugh now; for ye shall mourn and weep. Those that have the motto: Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we shall be dead, and live in accordance with it, may assume a boisterous happiness in the enjoyment of the pleasures of this world. But the time is coming when they must render account of every moment foolishly spent in the lust of the flesh, in the lust of the eyes, in the pride of life. Then there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The last woe is one directed especially to the apostles. If every one speaks well of them, praises them, the chances are that they have omitted some part of their duty, that pertaining to the fearless denunciation of sin. That has ever been a special feature of the false prophet's work that they preach to the itching ears of the people, 2 Timothy 4:3; Ezekiel 13:18-20; Isaiah 56:10. That is no recommendation, but the strongest censure that could be spoken upon a pastor's work, that he hurts no one, and that no one hurts him.
v. 27. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
v. 28. bless them that curse you,. and pray for them which despitefully use you.
v. 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.
v. 30. Give to every man that asketh of thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
v. 31. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
There is a double contrast here: Jesus had Tittered His woes against various classes of people, but that would not give others a right to act in an arbitrary way, according to their own interpretation of the saying; He had addressed His disciples mainly, but now He purposely includes all those that heard His discourse. All that were within reach of His voice at that time, and all that are in a position to hear His words today, should observe the law of love toward their enemies. The contrast throughout emphasizes the point which Jesus wishes to make: To love, not friends, for there no urging is needed, but enemies; to do good, not to those that show us every form of kindness, for there the act of reciprocating is self-evident, but to those that hate us; to bless, not those that wish us well, for there we return the greetings as a matter of course, but those that heap imprecations and curses upon us; to pray, not for those whose kind solicitude surrounds us every day, for there the remembrance is almost matter-of-fact, but those that spread calumnies about us. Needless to say, these ethical precepts of Christ must themselves in turn be explained in the spirit of Christ, for He is the highest and best example. Some practical examples to illustrate the scope of the precepts: To the smiter of one cheek the other should be turned; from him that forcibly takes the tipper garment the lower should not be withheld; to him that asks we should give; what is taken by force we should cheerfully resign. To that extent will Christian meekness in individual cases go, and where no harm is done to others incidentally. For all of these rules must themselves be understood in the light of the Golden Rule: Just as ye wish that the people should act toward you, just so do ye act toward them. "The Savior gives a touchstone into the hands of His disciples, by which they might prove themselves as to whether their demeanor towards neighbors and enemies was in agreement with their duties. His utterance contains no principle, hut the touchstone of morality, since it refers only to an outer form of action. Where it is so used, we shall discover in it a plain, simple, universally applicable precept of the practical wisdom of life, fully fitted for the purpose for which the Savior has given it.
v. 32. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them.
v. 33. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same.
v. 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.
v. 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.
There is no special favor or reward of mercy from God to be expected if we love only those that love us; in that case there is a condition of give and take which rewards the people involved. And such evidence of love is nothing extraordinary, for even the sinners, the outcasts, that profess no Christian morality do as much among themselves. The same holds true of doing good when others have done good to us. There is not even the feeling of exhilaration and joy over a good deed that animates us in such a case. And as for helping out someone that is in trouble, the mere lending of money may be a species of selfishness, for it will be for the purpose not only of having the capital returned, but of gaining the interest besides. The law of love requires in such a case rather that we help freely, without expecting anything in return. If the brother gets on his feet again, he will return the money received or pass the kindness on. Where the specific Christian character of works is concerned, the kindness must be that of pure altruism. It is for that reason that love of enemies is urged, and the doing of good where no returns are to be expected. For then the reward of mercy from the Lord will be correspondingly large, and we shall come nearer to the mind which is in our good and gracious Father in heaven. We, as children of the Highest, should exhibit the traits and characteristics of the good God. For He also, in His providence, is good and kind, even to the ungrateful and evil. And our Father will extend His favors to us in full measure, here in time and hereafter in eternity.
v. 36. Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful.
v. 37. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven;
v. 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.
Not only kindness and goodness is enjoined upon the Christians, but also mercy or mercifulness, something of that divine quality which had compassion upon us in Christ, our Savior. This will include refraining from officious judging and condemning of our neighbor, of his person and manner of life. Some forms of judging are enjoined by Scripture, as that of the erring brother, Matthew 18:15, that of people in public office under a democratic form of government, and others. But so far as the personal life and transgressions of our neighbor are concerned, we must practice forgiveness if we wish to receive forgiveness. We must give if we hope to receive; the measure of God's gracious kindness being filled in proportion to our sympathetic compassion: a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and flowing over the top will be our portion if we practice the kindness whose example we have received so richly in our own lives. The generousness of our own nature and the graciousness of God's spirit are placed side by side, for our emulation, since the thought of His plenteous redemption should be a spur for us, Psalms 130:7. "Where this mercy is not found, there is no faith. For if thy heart is full of faith that thou knowest that thy God has shown Himself thus to thee, with such mercy and goodness, without thy merit and altogether for nothing, while thou wert still His enemy and a child of eternal curse: if thou believest this, thou canst not refrain from showing thyself to thy neighbor in the same manner, and all that for love of God and for the benefit of thy neighbor. See to it, then, that thou make no difference between friend and enemy, worthy and unworthy; for thou seest that all those mentioned here have earned the opposite of our love and goodness. " "Therefore, if thy brother be a sinner, cover his sins and pray for him. If thou reveal his sin, thou art truly not a child of the merciful Father, for else thou wouldst be merciful like Him. That surely is true, that we cannot show such mercy to our neighbor as God has shown to us, but that is our great wickedness, that we act contrary to mercy; and that is a sure sign that we have no mercy."
v. 39. And He spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?
v. 40. The disciple is not above his master; but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
v. 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?
v. 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.
The proverbial saying concerning the blind people that attempt to lead others that are afflicted in the same way is here applied to such as have neither the proper understanding of mercy and goodness nor of their application in their relation toward their neighbor. Whosoever wants to show another person the way and teach him how to walk properly must first have the proper knowledge himself. He that wants to correct the sins and weaknesses of others must have gained, the right knowledge concerning his own sinful condition. For the disciple is not above his teacher; he cannot learn more than his master knows and practices. He that presumes to teach others should not demand more of them than he himself is able to perform. The master is the pupil's pattern; if the latter has attained to that perfection, he is satisfied. Therefore guard against uncharitable judging and condemning. He that is always ready with blame, censure, and condemnation is as one that readily sees the mote, the tiny speck of dust, in his brother's eye, and feels the greatest concern for his brother and his brother's welfare until he has removed the insignificant dust, while he himself, during the whole process, has a beam in his own eye, which actually prevents his seeing clearly. A hypocrite, an actor of the worst kind, the Lord calls such a person, since his own infirmity and condition makes him unfit to be a fair judge. The proverbs in use today: Let each one sweep his own stoop first; and, They that live in glass houses must not cast stones, fitly give the sense of the Lord's injunction. See Matthew 7:3. "Therefore a Christian should train himself differently. When he sees the mote in his neighbor's eye, he should first, before he judges, step to the mirror and examine himself closely. There he will find such great beams that one could make pig-troughs out of them, so that he would be obliged to say: What shall this be? My neighbor grieves me once in a quarter, a half, a whole year; and I have grown so old and have never kept my God's commandments, yea. I transgress them every hour and moment: how can I be such a desperate scoundrel? My sins are all immense oak-trees, and that poor splinter, the dust in my brother's eye, I suffer to excite me more than my great beam? But it must not be; I must first see how I may become rid of my sin; there I shall have so much to do that I may well forget the tiny splinter. For I am disobedient to God, to my government, to my father and mother, to my master, and I continue herein and do not stop sinning; and yet I want to be unmerciful against my neighbor and not overlook a single word? O no: Christians must not act thus."
v. 43. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
v. 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.
v. 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.
The heart of a man is like a tree, whose fruits are the works of the mars. It is the nature of a good tree to bring forth good fruit; it is the nature of a rotten, evil tree to bring forth bad fruit. By its fruit a tree is judged. To attempt to gather figs from thorns is just as foolish as to look for grapes on bramble bushes. Even so a man whose heart has been renewed by faith, and thus has been changed to a truly good heart, will produce out of this truly good heart good works that will stand the test of God's scrutiny. On the other hand, a person whose heart has not been changed by faith and is thus evil before God, will bring forth only such works as must be condemned in His sight. As is the heart, so is the utterance. See Psalms 36:1.
v. 46. And why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
v. 47. "Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:
v. 48. lie 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.
v. 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.
A word of searching earnestness to such as make Christianity a mere confession, but not a profession, which they practice, that make great protestations of loyalty to Christ, but do not back up their words with concrete proofs. To contradict with every act in life what one vehemently asserts to be his conviction is the most miserable form of contradiction. And in the end, the mere confessor will find his house of cards and hypocrisy toppling about his ears. To impress this fact upon His hearers, Christ places two men before them in a parable. The first one wanted to build a house; so he dug and kept on deepening his trenches until he was sure that he had struck bedrock. There he laid a solid foundation, upon which he proceeded to build his house. Then came the test. A flood came rushing in like the billows of the sea, and the angry waters tugged at the foundation of that house, but could not budge it: it was built well, with firm solidity. That is the faith of a man that trusts in Jesus with all his heart as his Savior. The second man also wanted to build a house. But he set the rafters and joists on the ground without any foundation; he built at haphazard on the surface. When the rushing stream of the flood struck this edifice to tug at its walls, it toppled over and sank down quickly, and the fall of that house was great. That is the faith and the fate of a man that confesses Christ merely with his lips and draws nigh to Him only with his mouth. In times of stress and danger, when the storms of life beat against the weak heart, there is only one rock that will weather every gale, that is Jesus the Christ, the one and only Savior of mankind. To learn to put his trust in the Redeemer and the glorious Gospel of the redemption through His blood must be the constant effort of every Christian. And the true believer will not be satisfied with a mere beginning, but will dig and keep deepening his knowledge of God's Word and will, in order that he may be prepared for the evil days, and for the hours of the valley of the shadow of death.
Summary. Jesus has two disputes with scribes and Pharisees concerning the observance of Sabbath and the works permitted thereon, selects His twelve apostles, performs many miracles, and teaches the apostles and a great many people on the mountainside.
Bibliographical Information Kretzmann, Paul E. Ph. D., D. D. "Commentary on Luke 6". "Kretzmann's Popular Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/kpc/luke-6.html. 1921-23.
Verses 1-5
Disputes Concerning Sabbath Observance. Luke 6:1-12
The Lord of the Sabbath:
v. 1. And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the cornfields; and His disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
v. 2. And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath-days?
v. 3. And Jesus, answering them, said, Have ye not read so much as this what David did when himself was an hungered, and they which were with him,
v. 4. how he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the showbread, and gave also to them that were with him, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
v. 5. And He said unto them, That the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
It was on the first Sabbath after the second day of Passover that this happened. For on that day the sheaves of the first fruits of the field were offered to the Lord, and the Jews reckoned the Sabbaths until Pentecost from this day, for which reason the latter festival was known also as the Feast of Weeks. Jesus was walking through the crop, which was now in full ear and ready for cutting. The ancient paths were usually in the nature of short cuts, and were apt to lead across some man's land. But according to ancient custom, no man thought of plowing these up. The field was tilled on either side of the path, and the grain sometimes encroached on the path, but the path itself belonged to the public. As the Lord was walking along with His disciples, the latter began to pull out spikes of the ripe grain and to rub the ears between the palms of their hands to extract the kernels. This was permitted according to the Law, Deuteronomy 23:25. But the Pharisees, some of whom were present as usual in order to spy on the Lord, made this innocent act a sin against the Third Commandment, looking upon the pulling of stalks as harvesting and upon the removing of the hulls as threshing and cooking. Note: This attitude is characteristic also of modern sticklers for the so-called sanctity of the Sabbath, or Sunday. Instead of teaching the proper observance of the New Testament holiday according to the sense of the Bible, which Luther has so beautifully expressed in the explanation of the Third Commandment, they suspect base motives and objects in matters which are left absolutely to the decision of Christian liberty. The Pharisees at once attacked the disciples, but always with the point directed against Jesus. They accused them of profaning the Sabbath. Nothing would have pleased them more than if Jesus would have taken up the challenge and argued concerning the fine points of distinction between the various forms of work permitted on the Sabbath. Instead of that, the Lord turns the tables on them by challenging their knowledge of Scriptures. His words, not unmixed with irony, contain a sharp rebuke: Not even this have ye read what David did; have you so little understanding of the Old Testament? His reference is to 1 Samuel 21:6. There it is related of David that he did indeed go into the house of the Lord, into the tabernacle, which probably stood on the hill between Gibeon and Nobe, and accepted some of the showbread, the bread of the Lord's countenance, which he then ate with his men, although this bread belonged to the priests only. That was a case of emergency, in which the law of love is always the highest law. The Pharisees should now draw the conclusion from the smaller to the greater. If David had this right and did not sin in taking and eating this bread, then David's Lord must have the right with much greater authority. And if this argument would not be sufficiently strong for them, they should remember that the Son of Man, Christ, the Prophet of Nazareth, is Lord also of the Sabbath. If He chooses to dispense with, or to change, the law with reference to this holiday, it is a matter entirely in His right and power, Colossians 2:16-17; Romans 14:5.
Verses 6-12
The man with the withered hand:
v. 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.
v. 7. And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him. whether He would heal on the Sabbath-day, that they might find an accusation against Him.
v. 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.
v. 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?
v. 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.
v. 11. And they were filled with madness, and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
v. 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.
On the other Sabbath, the one following that on which the Lord had given the Pharisees the first lesson concerning the real meaning of the Sabbath, Jesus was again in the synagogue, teaching, as was His custom. He was preaching when the incident which is here related occurred. There was a man in the synagogue, probably brought there purposely by the Pharisees, whose right hand was withered, as the result of disease or accident. Now the scribes and Pharisees kept watching in a sly, furtive manner what Jesus would do when the condition of this man would be brought to His attention. If the Lord would heal the man, they thought they would be able to make out a case against Him from their law. But Jesus knew the hypocritical reasoning of their hearts and took up their challenge. He had the sick man stand forth in the center of the room, in order that all those present might see him and the miracle which He proposed to do to him. Jesus now directed a question to His enemies, to show them that He read the thoughts of their hearts, for He was filled with the emotions of anger and pity. He asked them pointblank whether it was the right and proper thing, whether it should be considered an obligation resting upon all those present to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to destroy it. To leave any sick and crippled person in his misery for even one minute longer than is necessary is a transgression of the Fifth Commandment; this fact they should know. There was no answer forthcoming, however, the Pharisees being convinced in their hearts, but still too stubborn to bear witness to the truth. Jesus therefore once more looked around upon the circle of faces, hoping to find some indication of yielding; but there was none. And so He performed the miracle before their eyes. At His command the sick man stretched forth his hand, and it was restored to full health and strength at once. The Pharisees were again foiled, and this fact filled them with insane fury against the Lord. Their senseless anger was directed at Jesus, especially because the miracle would tend to make Him popular with the people, since they had not been able to answer His question. From this time forth they were continually active in considering ways and means to remove Him. They frankly sought His life, Mark 3:6. So far can hypocrisy bring a person that fights against the knowledge of truth that he will excuse the most conspicuous lack of love and mercy, and will conceive a deadly hatred against any one that suggests the proper observance of the summary of the Law. But Jesus gave them no opportunity at this time to carry out their murderous designs. It was in those days, as Luke remarks, that He again withdrew to a mountain. There, in the solitude and silence, He found the right conditions under which He could, without disturbance or distraction, pour out His heart in prayer to His heavenly Father. He spent the entire night in prayer, not a minute too much under the circumstances when He was preparing to extend His ministry. Note: Regular, intimate, importunate prayer to God is the best way of obtaining strength, above all before an important step in life.
Verses 13-16
The Twelve Apostles. Luke 6:13-16
v. 13. And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples; and of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles:
v. 14. Simon (whom He also named Peter) and Andrew, his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
v. 15. Matthew and Thomas, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, called Zelotes,
v. 16. and Judas, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Having prepared Himself for this important step by an all-night vigil and prayer, Jesus now carried out His plan. He called all His disciples to Him, and from their total number He selected twelve, to whom He gave the honoring title apostles, those sent forth. Their principal work was to continuing going forth in His name and spreading the glorious Gospel of His redemption. A few notices concerning the work of these men, taken from Scripture and history, may prove of interest. Simon, who later became a true Peter or rock-man, was actively engaged in missionary work in the East and West. He is said to have suffered martyrdom in Rome under Nero, by being crucified. His brother Andrew did his principal work in Scythia, north of the Black Sea, where he also suffered death by crucifixion. James, the son of Zebedee, was the first martyr from the ranks of the apostles, dying by the sword of Herod, Acts 12:2. His brother John was the beloved disciple of the Lord. He died at an advanced age in the midst of his congregation at Ephesus. Philip is said to have proclaimed the Gospel in Phrygia, where he suffered martyrdom by crucifixion. Bartholomew, or Nathanael, worked in India and suffered a like fate. Matthew Levi is said to have been the first apostle of the Ethiopians. He was put to death in a frightful manner by nails driven through his body. Thomas Didymus, the Doubter, brought the Gospel-message into the far East, into Media, Persia, and India, where he also died as a martyr. James, the son of Alphaeus, also known as the Younger, Mark 15:40, is probably to be distinguished from James, the brother of the Lord, the author of the Epistle of James. Simon of Cana, called Zelotes, is said to have journeyed as far as the British Isles and there suffered martyrdom. Judas, the son of James, to be distinguished from the brother of James of the same name, was known also as Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus. His field of activity was Arabia. The last apostle, Judas of Kerioth, was the traitor.
Verses 17-19
Miracles of Healing and Preaching. Luke 6:17-49
Healings of various kinds:
v. 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 Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear Him, and to be healed of their diseases;
v. 18. and they that were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed.
v. 19. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him; for there went virtue out of Him, and healed them all.
This passage shows how far the influence of Christ's ministry extended. As Jesus came down from the summit of the mountain and reached a plateau on the mountainside, He had before His eyes a great gathering of people. Not only was there a large number of His own disciples, but a large multitude of people from all Judea, from proud Jerusalem, from Tyre and Sidon, the cities by the Mediterranean Sea. They all had come to hear Jesus and to be healed of various diseases. But there were also many of such as were bothered or troubled with evil spirits: all of them gathered about the great Teacher and Healer. The popularity of Jesus had reached its greatest height. All these sick people sought to touch Him; and the pity and sympathy of His Savior's heart went out to them. Strength, the power of the almighty Physician, went out from His person, and they were all healed.
Verses 20-23
The beginning of the sermon:
v. 20. And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples and said, Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of God.
v. 21. Blessed are ye that hunger now; for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now; for ye shall laugh.
v. 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.
v. 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.
This discourse is commonly considered as an extract of the Sermon on the Mount, but it is not essential to regard it as such. The Lord may well have spoken on the same subject and in much the same words upon different occasions. The words were addressed chiefly to His disciples, but the other people were also within reach of His voice and had an opportunity to take with them the golden truths which the Lord here uttered. Blessed the poor: Not so much those that are poor in the goods of this world, although the truly poor are usually found among these, but those that are poor in spirit, that in themselves and in the whole world neither have nor find what can truly delight their souls. This poverty has a glorious promise: For yours is the kingdom of God. They will receive the true riches of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Blessed that now hunger: Not spoken of physical hunger, but of that greater desire for the food from on high, the hungering and thirsting after righteousness. They will be filled: The bounteous riches of the beauty of God's table are theirs. Blessed those that weep now: Such as feel deeply the distress of sins and their consequences and live in constant sorrow because of them. For they shall laugh: The joy of the Redeemer will be theirs, filling them with a happiness beyond all human comprehension. Blessed are ye if the people hate you; if they show this hatred by withdrawing from you, by ostracizing you as people afflicted with a malignant disease; if they vituperate you and cast your name out from them and their society on account of the Savior. Note: So thoroughly has the amalgamation of the world with the Church been done, so far has it progressed, that such isolation is rare in our days, more's the shame! People that call themselves Christians will rather confine their Christianity and its profession and practice to a few hours on Sunday than to bear the reproach of the Lord, for the sake of the Savior. The spirit of martyrdom seems to have left the Church entirely. Denials of Christ are practiced daily, confessions for the sake of the Christian principle are rare. Rejoice in that day and leap: That is a reason for being happy, that the world refuses to recognize the Christians as belonging to them, that they accuse them of narrowness and bigotry, that it withdraws from them; that is an evidence of Christian profession. For, behold, your reward will be great in heaven. Just because it is a reward of mercy, it will be all the more acceptable. When Christians suffer such persecutions, they are but following in the footsteps of the early martyrs, those that preferred death to the denial of the Lord and the Christian doctrines and practices.
Verses 24-26
A threefold woe:
v. 24. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
v. 25. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
v. 26. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Woe unto you rich people! for you have your solace in advance. This is spoken, as often in Scripture, Mark 10:23; 1 Timothy 6:9, of those that place their trust in their money. The Christian that is rich does not think of putting his faith in mammon. He knows that he is not in reality the owner of the goods entered under his name, but the steward of God, with the greater responsibilities, the greater the amount of riches which men call his. And he must give an account on the last day. Those people, therefore, that consider their wealth their own to do with as they please, and who use it with this idea in mind, to receive their good things in the present lifetime, Luke 16:25, have the only solace that they will ever get, Job 31:24. They may seem satisfied and try to persuade themselves and others that they are happy; but what about the world to come? Woe unto you that are filled up; for ye shall hunger. Those that seek the satisfaction of all their desires in this life and are rewarded in such a way that they get all that they have longed for, have their ambition realized. But they will have to suffer hunger throughout eternity. Woe unto you that laugh now; for ye shall mourn and weep. Those that have the motto: Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we shall be dead, and live in accordance with it, may assume a boisterous happiness in the enjoyment of the pleasures of this world. But the time is coming when they must render account of every moment foolishly spent in the lust of the flesh, in the lust of the eyes, in the pride of life. Then there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The last woe is one directed especially to the apostles. If every one speaks well of them, praises them, the chances are that they have omitted some part of their duty, that pertaining to the fearless denunciation of sin. That has ever been a special feature of the false prophet's work that they preach to the itching ears of the people, 2 Timothy 4:3; Ezekiel 13:18-20; Isaiah 56:10. That is no recommendation, but the strongest censure that could be spoken upon a pastor's work, that he hurts no one, and that no one hurts him.
Verses 27-31
The law of love:
v. 27. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
v. 28. bless them that curse you,. and pray for them which despitefully use you.
v. 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.
v. 30. Give to every man that asketh of thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
v. 31. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
There is a double contrast here: Jesus had Tittered His woes against various classes of people, but that would not give others a right to act in an arbitrary way, according to their own interpretation of the saying; He had addressed His disciples mainly, but now He purposely includes all those that heard His discourse. All that were within reach of His voice at that time, and all that are in a position to hear His words today, should observe the law of love toward their enemies. The contrast throughout emphasizes the point which Jesus wishes to make: To love, not friends, for there no urging is needed, but enemies; to do good, not to those that show us every form of kindness, for there the act of reciprocating is self-evident, but to those that hate us; to bless, not those that wish us well, for there we return the greetings as a matter of course, but those that heap imprecations and curses upon us; to pray, not for those whose kind solicitude surrounds us every day, for there the remembrance is almost matter-of-fact, but those that spread calumnies about us. Needless to say, these ethical precepts of Christ must themselves in turn be explained in the spirit of Christ, for He is the highest and best example. Some practical examples to illustrate the scope of the precepts: To the smiter of one cheek the other should be turned; from him that forcibly takes the tipper garment the lower should not be withheld; to him that asks we should give; what is taken by force we should cheerfully resign. To that extent will Christian meekness in individual cases go, and where no harm is done to others incidentally. For all of these rules must themselves be understood in the light of the Golden Rule: Just as ye wish that the people should act toward you, just so do ye act toward them. "The Savior gives a touchstone into the hands of His disciples, by which they might prove themselves as to whether their demeanor towards neighbors and enemies was in agreement with their duties. His utterance contains no principle, hut the touchstone of morality, since it refers only to an outer form of action. Where it is so used, we shall discover in it a plain, simple, universally applicable precept of the practical wisdom of life, fully fitted for the purpose for which the Savior has given it.
Verses 32-35
The application of the Golden Rule:
v. 32. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them.
v. 33. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same.
v. 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.
v. 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.
There is no special favor or reward of mercy from God to be expected if we love only those that love us; in that case there is a condition of give and take which rewards the people involved. And such evidence of love is nothing extraordinary, for even the sinners, the outcasts, that profess no Christian morality do as much among themselves. The same holds true of doing good when others have done good to us. There is not even the feeling of exhilaration and joy over a good deed that animates us in such a case. And as for helping out someone that is in trouble, the mere lending of money may be a species of selfishness, for it will be for the purpose not only of having the capital returned, but of gaining the interest besides. The law of love requires in such a case rather that we help freely, without expecting anything in return. If the brother gets on his feet again, he will return the money received or pass the kindness on. Where the specific Christian character of works is concerned, the kindness must be that of pure altruism. It is for that reason that love of enemies is urged, and the doing of good where no returns are to be expected. For then the reward of mercy from the Lord will be correspondingly large, and we shall come nearer to the mind which is in our good and gracious Father in heaven. We, as children of the Highest, should exhibit the traits and characteristics of the good God. For He also, in His providence, is good and kind, even to the ungrateful and evil. And our Father will extend His favors to us in full measure, here in time and hereafter in eternity.
Verses 36-38
The measure of mercifulness:
v. 36. Be ye therefore merciful as your Father also is merciful.
v. 37. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven;
v. 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.
Not only kindness and goodness is enjoined upon the Christians, but also mercy or mercifulness, something of that divine quality which had compassion upon us in Christ, our Savior. This will include refraining from officious judging and condemning of our neighbor, of his person and manner of life. Some forms of judging are enjoined by Scripture, as that of the erring brother, Matthew 18:15, that of people in public office under a democratic form of government, and others. But so far as the personal life and transgressions of our neighbor are concerned, we must practice forgiveness if we wish to receive forgiveness. We must give if we hope to receive; the measure of God's gracious kindness being filled in proportion to our sympathetic compassion: a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and flowing over the top will be our portion if we practice the kindness whose example we have received so richly in our own lives. The generousness of our own nature and the graciousness of God's spirit are placed side by side, for our emulation, since the thought of His plenteous redemption should be a spur for us, Psalms 130:7. "Where this mercy is not found, there is no faith. For if thy heart is full of faith that thou knowest that thy God has shown Himself thus to thee, with such mercy and goodness, without thy merit and altogether for nothing, while thou wert still His enemy and a child of eternal curse: if thou believest this, thou canst not refrain from showing thyself to thy neighbor in the same manner, and all that for love of God and for the benefit of thy neighbor. See to it, then, that thou make no difference between friend and enemy, worthy and unworthy; for thou seest that all those mentioned here have earned the opposite of our love and goodness. " "Therefore, if thy brother be a sinner, cover his sins and pray for him. If thou reveal his sin, thou art truly not a child of the merciful Father, for else thou wouldst be merciful like Him. That surely is true, that we cannot show such mercy to our neighbor as God has shown to us, but that is our great wickedness, that we act contrary to mercy; and that is a sure sign that we have no mercy."
Verses 39-42
Parabolic sayings:
v. 39. And He spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?
v. 40. The disciple is not above his master; but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
v. 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?
v. 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.
The proverbial saying concerning the blind people that attempt to lead others that are afflicted in the same way is here applied to such as have neither the proper understanding of mercy and goodness nor of their application in their relation toward their neighbor. Whosoever wants to show another person the way and teach him how to walk properly must first have the proper knowledge himself. He that wants to correct the sins and weaknesses of others must have gained, the right knowledge concerning his own sinful condition. For the disciple is not above his teacher; he cannot learn more than his master knows and practices. He that presumes to teach others should not demand more of them than he himself is able to perform. The master is the pupil's pattern; if the latter has attained to that perfection, he is satisfied. Therefore guard against uncharitable judging and condemning. He that is always ready with blame, censure, and condemnation is as one that readily sees the mote, the tiny speck of dust, in his brother's eye, and feels the greatest concern for his brother and his brother's welfare until he has removed the insignificant dust, while he himself, during the whole process, has a beam in his own eye, which actually prevents his seeing clearly. A hypocrite, an actor of the worst kind, the Lord calls such a person, since his own infirmity and condition makes him unfit to be a fair judge. The proverbs in use today: Let each one sweep his own stoop first; and, They that live in glass houses must not cast stones, fitly give the sense of the Lord's injunction. See Matthew 7:3. "Therefore a Christian should train himself differently. When he sees the mote in his neighbor's eye, he should first, before he judges, step to the mirror and examine himself closely. There he will find such great beams that one could make pig-troughs out of them, so that he would be obliged to say: What shall this be? My neighbor grieves me once in a quarter, a half, a whole year; and I have grown so old and have never kept my God's commandments, yea. I transgress them every hour and moment: how can I be such a desperate scoundrel? My sins are all immense oak-trees, and that poor splinter, the dust in my brother's eye, I suffer to excite me more than my great beam? But it must not be; I must first see how I may become rid of my sin; there I shall have so much to do that I may well forget the tiny splinter. For I am disobedient to God, to my government, to my father and mother, to my master, and I continue herein and do not stop sinning; and yet I want to be unmerciful against my neighbor and not overlook a single word? O no: Christians must not act thus."
Verses 43-45
A further application:
v. 43. For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
v. 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.
v. 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.
The heart of a man is like a tree, whose fruits are the works of the mars. It is the nature of a good tree to bring forth good fruit; it is the nature of a rotten, evil tree to bring forth bad fruit. By its fruit a tree is judged. To attempt to gather figs from thorns is just as foolish as to look for grapes on bramble bushes. Even so a man whose heart has been renewed by faith, and thus has been changed to a truly good heart, will produce out of this truly good heart good works that will stand the test of God's scrutiny. On the other hand, a person whose heart has not been changed by faith and is thus evil before God, will bring forth only such works as must be condemned in His sight. As is the heart, so is the utterance. See Psalms 36:1.
Verses 46-49
A warning in conclusion:
v. 46. And why call ye Me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
v. 47. "Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:
v. 48. lie 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.
v. 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.
A word of searching earnestness to such as make Christianity a mere confession, but not a profession, which they practice, that make great protestations of loyalty to Christ, but do not back up their words with concrete proofs. To contradict with every act in life what one vehemently asserts to be his conviction is the most miserable form of contradiction. And in the end, the mere confessor will find his house of cards and hypocrisy toppling about his ears. To impress this fact upon His hearers, Christ places two men before them in a parable. The first one wanted to build a house; so he dug and kept on deepening his trenches until he was sure that he had struck bedrock. There he laid a solid foundation, upon which he proceeded to build his house. Then came the test. A flood came rushing in like the billows of the sea, and the angry waters tugged at the foundation of that house, but could not budge it: it was built well, with firm solidity. That is the faith of a man that trusts in Jesus with all his heart as his Savior. The second man also wanted to build a house. But he set the rafters and joists on the ground without any foundation; he built at haphazard on the surface. When the rushing stream of the flood struck this edifice to tug at its walls, it toppled over and sank down quickly, and the fall of that house was great. That is the faith and the fate of a man that confesses Christ merely with his lips and draws nigh to Him only with his mouth. In times of stress and danger, when the storms of life beat against the weak heart, there is only one rock that will weather every gale, that is Jesus the Christ, the one and only Savior of mankind. To learn to put his trust in the Redeemer and the glorious Gospel of the redemption through His blood must be the constant effort of every Christian. And the true believer will not be satisfied with a mere beginning, but will dig and keep deepening his knowledge of God's Word and will, in order that he may be prepared for the evil days, and for the hours of the valley of the shadow of death.
Summary. Jesus has two disputes with scribes and Pharisees concerning the observance of Sabbath and the works permitted thereon, selects His twelve apostles, performs many miracles, and teaches the apostles and a great many people on the mountainside.