Luke 6
Return to The Gospel Of Luke.
Important: This is not a translation or paraphrase, but a story based on Luke 6.
[Note: In the word pronunciations I have made the vowels with a Long Sound bold while the vowels with a short sound are in normal print. Academic Associate students know that the "u" has 3 long sounds. These sounds are separated from each other with a 1, 2 or 3. Sometimes a vowel does not have a sound in a syllable. In dictionaries this is usually shown with a "ə" but I have chosen simply not to show it since it has no sound. Also, when the "r" says it name instead of its normal sound, I have put it in bold. Academic Associate students, of course, know why and when it says its name instead of its sound.]
Jesus Makes The Pharisees [Far i ses] Mad
On a Sabbath day Jesus and His disciples were walking through grain fields. His disciples were hungry and so they picked some of the heads of grain as they walked and ate the kernels. Although this was perfectly legal to do on a normal day, some Pharisees who were walking with them asked the disciples in an accusing voice, "Why are you doing what is against the rules to do on a Sabbath?"
Jesus defended His disciples by responding, "Have you, who are experts in God's word, never read what David and his companions did when they were hungry? David went into the house of God and took God's special bread - bread that only priests were suppose to eat - and ate it himself. He also gave some to his companions." Jesus looked at the Pharisees, "I, the Son of Man, am Lord of the Sabbath. I make its rules."
On another Sabbath Jesus went into a synagogue [sin u gog] and was teaching. In the building was a man whose right hand was shrivelled up. Since the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing, they watched Him closely to see if He would break their rules by healing someone on the Sabbath.
Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking, but He wasn't afraid of them. He said to the man with the shrivelled hand, "Stand up and let everyone see you." The man obeyed.
Then Jesus said the the Pharisees and teachers of the law, "Here is a question for you. On the Sabbath day is it right to do good or should you do evil, should you save life or should you destroy life?"
After looking intently at all of them Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."
When the man obeyed his hand was completely healed! But the Pharisees and teachers of the law were furious [fu1 re us] Jesus had defied their rules. They began to plot with each other what they could do to Jesus.
Jesus Choses His Disciples
One time Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning dawned, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them whom He called apostles. They were: Simon [whom He named Peter], his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew [Br thol u mu1], Matthew, Thomas, James [son of Alphaeus - Al fa us], Simon [was called the Zealot - Zel ut], Judas [son of James], and Judas Iscariot [I skar e ut], who became a traitor [tra tr].
Blessed Are You…
Jesus went down with His twelve main disciples and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His other disciples was there and so were a great number of people from all over Judea [Ju2 de u], from Jerusalem [Ju ru2 su lum], and from the coast of Tyre [Tir] and Sidon [Si dun]. They had come to hear Jesus teach and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.
Looking at His disciples, Jesus said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
Blessed are you who cry now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you, when they ignore you or insult you,
and when they reject your name as evil, because you love Me. Rejoice
when that happens. In fact, leap with joy because your reward in heaven
will be great! Remember, that is how their fathers treated God's
prophets in the past.
Be sorry if you are rich now, for you have already gotten your comfort.
Be sorry if you are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
Be sorry if you are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
Be sorry when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets."
Love Your Enemies
Jesus continued, "I tell you who are listening to Me, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who mistreat you. If someone hits you on one cheek, let him hit you on the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, do not stop him from taking your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others what you would like them to do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what benefit is it to you? Even bad people love those who love them. And if you do good only to those who are good to you, what benefit is that to you? Even bad people do that. And if you lend only to those who are going to pay you back, what benefit is that to you? Even bad people lend to bad people if they think they will be repaid in full. But, I say, love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great. You will truly be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. In fact, you will have more than you know what to do with! If you are generous with others, God will be just as generous with you."
Jesus went on to tell them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite [hip u krit]! First take the plank out of your own eyes, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
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