Luke 6, a visual study from The Lampstand Project.
Blessed are you who are poor.
Jesus heals on the Sabbath. The Pharisees plot. He chooses twelve apostles after a night of prayer. He comes down from the mountain and preaches the Sermon on the Plain.
Three movements. Sabbath controversy, the twelve, the sermon.
Luke 6 contains Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount — the Sermon on the Plain. It is shorter than Matthew’s version but more radical in its social reversal. Blessed are you who are poor. Woe to you who are rich. Love your enemies — not those who deserve love, but those who hate you. The tree produces its fruit from what it is, not from effort.
A chapter in 3 movements.
Tap any numbered marker to read its part
“Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?”
Two Sabbath controversies. The withered hand restored.
On a Sabbath the disciples pluck and eat grain. Pharisees say: why are you doing what is not lawful? Jesus answers with David eating the bread of the Presence when he was hungry. The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath. On another Sabbath a man is in the synagogue whose right hand is withered. The scribes and Pharisees watch to see whether he will heal on the Sabbath so they can find a charge.
He knows their thoughts. He says to the man: come and stand here. He says to them: is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it? He looks around at all of them and says: stretch out your hand. He does so. It is restored. They are filled with fury and discuss what to do with Jesus.
“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
“In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.”
A night of prayer. The twelve named. Power going out.
In these days Jesus goes out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continues in prayer to God. When day comes he calls his disciples and chooses twelve from them, whom he names apostles: Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot. The twelve are gathered from night prayer.
He comes down with them to a level place. A great crowd from Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits are cured. The whole crowd seeks to touch him, for power comes out from him and heals them all.
“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.”
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
The Sermon on the Plain. Blessings, woes, love, fruit.
He lifts up his eyes and says: blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed when people hate you on account of the Son of Man. Then four woes: to the rich, to the full, to those who laugh now, to those praised by all. The reversals are total and specific.
Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. Be merciful as your Father is merciful. Do not judge. Forgive. Give. Then the diagnostic question: can a blind man lead a blind man? Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The tree produces from what it is. Build on rock.
“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
The love-of-enemies command sits at the center of the Sermon on the Plain. Luke’s version is economical: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. The reason given is not sentiment but identity: the Most High is kind to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful as your Father is merciful.
The chapter of the sermon.
The chapter opens with two Sabbath controversies. The disciples pluck grain. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand. He asks: is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm? He heals the man. They are filled with fury. After spending the night in prayer on the mountain, Jesus comes down and names the twelve apostles.
He comes down to a level place. A great crowd is there from all over. He heals all who are sick. Power comes out from him. Then he lifts up his eyes and speaks: blessed are you who are poor. Blessed you who are hungry. Blessed you who weep. Then woes: to the rich, the full, those who laugh now. Love your enemies. Be merciful. Do not judge. The tree and its fruit. The two foundations.
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”Luke 6:20 ESV
All scripture quoted from the English Standard Version (ESV). A study from The Lampstand Project.