Luke 6 Commentary

Luke narrates the first of two confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees. Who is in charge of the Sabbath: Jesus or the Pharisees?

Luke narrates the second confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees on the issue of authority over the Sabbath. The Pharisees set a trap for Jesus relating to the healing of a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath.

Luke describes the time that Jesus went to the mountain to pray through the night. The next day Jesus calls His twelve disciples and also appoints them as apostles. Luke lists the twelve apostles by name.

After spending all night in prayer on the mountain and choosing His twelve disciples the next day, Jesus went down to engage with the large crowds that were gathered. Jesus performs miracles of physical healing and casts out demons. 

Jesus begins teaching His disciples in a section commonly referred to as “the Sermon on the Mount,” or sometimes, “the Sermon on the Plain.” To describe the citizens of His Kingdom, Jesus repeats the word “Blessed” (“Makarios”)—a total sense of fulfillment. 

Jesus’s second statement focuses on the path to gain and desire to possess social harmony and righteousness. His third statement focuses on weeping as an expression of repentance. 

Jesus’s final Makarios statement deals with being righteously persecuted. Jesus reiterates this point by telling His disciples that God will reward them for their righteous living in the face of persecution.

Jesus offers and commands a radically different view of love than what is offered by the world.

Jesus flips the world system of ‘justice’ on its head. He tells His disciples to seek out opportunities to serve rather than looking for opportunities to exact payback under the letter of the law.

Jesus commands His disciples in every circumstance to treat people the same way we want them to treat us. This is a distillation of everything He has been teaching throughout His Sermon.

Jesus offers and commands a radically different view of love than what is offered by the world.

Jesus summarizes and commands the character standard of those who are in His kingdom.

Jesus teaches His disciples not to judge other people because they will be judged according to the same standard they use to criticize others. On the other hand, Jesus promises that if they give, they will receive in the same measure.

Jesus gives two parables to His disciples. One seemingly concerns other religious teachers, likely the Pharisees, and the second speaks to the disciples’ relationship with their teacher, Jesus.

Jesus teaches His disciples not to judge other people because they will be judged according to the same standard they use to criticize others. He illustrates this point with the humorous image of a man with a log coming out of his eye trying to help remove a speck of dust in his brother’s eye.

Jesus shares an analogy of a fruit tree to show the relationship between a man’s words and his heart. Words reveal the heart to our glory or shame.

Jesus calls out hypocrisy amongst those who call Him “Lord” and do not do what He commands.

Continuing His teaching on the consistency of the inner heart and outward action, Jesus compares two men and their choices. The man who takes His teachings to heart is like someone who builds a house that will be able to endure the coming storm.