Luke 7:36–50 – Forgiven much, loves much

We cannot read the account of the act of that sinful woman without feeling her deep gratitude towards Jesus. She did not just bathe Jesus’s feet with her tears but also wipe them dry with her hair. More than that, she also anointed them with the costly perfume from her alabaster box. It’s a true response from a heart that’s overflowing with gratitude.  With that act of expressing her gratitude, the whole drama in Simon’s house immediately switched. For in verse 39, we are told that Simon mused, saying to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” That thought not only showed his estimate of Jesus but also his evaluation of Jesus.

Simon of course had over-priced his own righteousness. He would have preferred to toss that repentant woman out to the street and back into prostitution. He read the act of repentance and devotion as sinful. His heart was dead cold and frozen, and absolutely without grace. Jesus of course could discern everything. He knew the heart of that woman and certainly that of Simon. So He turned to him and said, “I have something to say to you.” Simon was obviously unaware of what’s coming. So he responded by asking him to just say it. So Jesus began by telling him the parable of the debtors. He told of two debtors. Each owed a money lender a debt. One owed him 500 denarii and the other 50. One denari is equivalent to the wage of a common worker for one day. For the one with a bigger debt, it would take approximately one year and three months of working days to clear his debt. For the other it would take about one and a half months to do so. But in the parable, both were unable to discharge their debts. The money lender forgave both of them and wiped out their debts. So Jesus asked Simon which of the two would love the money lender more.  Simon’s response was spot on. The person with the bigger debt would certainly love more.

The implication is this: the woman was a “500 sinner” and Simon the “50 sinner.” Outwardly, the woman was a bigger sinner than Simon. She was ten times more sinful.  What Simon did not factor into the equation was that both could not discharge the debt by themselves. Whether a moralist or a downright sinner, both owed a debt that they could not pay. Both could not wipe out their status as debtors or sinners. If one cannot pay, no matter how huge the debt may be, one remains a debtor. Period!  This is the problem of the whole human race, rich or poor. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  No one could be good enough to stand before God, because sin had invaded every area of everyone’s life, regardless. Simon was blinded to his need by his self-righteousness. But the woman was enlightened by her sin and the need for forgiveness.

Pointing to her act, Jesus told Simon his flaw. He was unconscious of his own sin, whereas the woman realized hers. This is the starting point to a life of liberty. One cannot be freed from the guilt of sin unless one becomes aware of one’s sinful status. The depth of love one will show to the Lord is often determined by one’s ability to see how one had been forgiven. The starting point in life with God is to realize our personal inadequacy and that Christ alone can see us through. It is His more than sufficient grace that will see us through. But we must also know that our spiritual health rest on the knowledge that no matter how much we have grown spiritually, we are still in constant need of His grace. We will never reach a point when we have no need of God’s grace. Are we like the woman? Or are we like Simon? The one who is forgiven much, always loves much. Is our love for him growing? This is the barometer of our spiritual health and life.

Luke 7:36–39 – Jesus anointed by a sinful woman

In this passage, Jesus was invited to the house of a Pharisee for dinner. We are not told the occasion but what we are told is that the host was Simon. Usually a guest-of-honor would be treated with respect. However, in this feast Jesus was not accorded the common courtesies. In fact the whole event was laced with a tint of animosity.   Normally the host would place his hand on the guest’s shoulder and offer a kiss of peace. Jesus did not get one. By practice, the sandals of the guest would be removed and his feet washed, when he entered the house to recline at the table. This would remove the dust gathered during His journey. In this case, the feet of Jesus were not cleansed as it should. Furthermore, the guest would also be anointed with a touch of olive oil. But Simon didn’t show Jesus such kindness. He cold-heartedly treated Jesus with a heartless-unfeeling attitude.  And everyone at the table could sense it.

With a bit of imagination, we can see Jesus reclining at the low table, with the left elbow supporting His head, and eating with His right hand. His unwashed feet would be extended away from the table. At such feast, the door was usually opened, and those town folks who were not invited could wander in to observe and hear the conversation taking place at the feast. We can expect to see a host of people watching what was going on. They could tell that Simon did not accord Jesus the right courtesy from His unwashed feet. But Jesus would be perfectly comfortable, though the conversation would be quite awkward for Simon. The host certainly would avoid question like “How was your journey here?” What could one say to a guest whom he had just insulted?

While everyone was intensely expecting a lively exchange, that no one noticed a lone lady appearing on the scene and stood behind the feet of Jesus. Luke said that she was a sinful woman from the town. Most people reading this passage would interpret this woman to be a prostitute from the town. Never mind what she was but she brought with her an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind Jesus’ feet, she was weeping and the tears dropped on to the Master’s feet. And she kept on wiping them with her hair, kissed them and poured the perfume she brought on them. When the onlookers saw that, there must be perfect silence. Here was a lady, deeply expressing her unrestrained gratitude to the Master. We are not told when, but she must have been touched by Jesus at some gathering. She must have felt forgiven and deeply moved. So this was a good opportunity to express her gratitude, for she probably couldn’t bear to see her Lord being dishonored, at a feast where He was invited as the guest-of-honor.

What a gracious Lord this Jesus is! He was not put off by this woman’s audacious act. He was not here to judge her. He did not condemn her for He could see what had prompted her act. In fact Jesus freely accepted her act of love, and freed her from all her sin and shame, as she came to Him in faith and repentance. Up to now, everyone was shocked into silence. No one addressed that woman. But it won’t be long before Simon the host would sanctimoniously judge the Lord. He mused to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” We will see Jesus’ response to the woman, as well as Simon in our next discussion.  

What we must say as we stop here is this: This wonderful Jesus is still the same. Over time and through the years, He never change. His love still remains. As He forgave that woman, His hands are also extended toward us, offering His forgiveness and love.  There remain one appropriate response from us, to draw near to Him in deep expression of gratitude and devotion. Let our love for Him be unrestrained!

Luke 7:24-35 – Jesus validates John the Baptist

The answers that Jesus gave to John’s messengers sounded like a cryptic message. But we know He was talking about His reign. He controls the spirit realm, though unseen, yet the impact can be felt in the physical realm. So He told John’s messengers to go back and tell John that “The blind received sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf speak, the dead are raised and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” He knew John would understand. And when the messengers left, Jesus began to validate the ministry of John by asking a series of questions with inferences concerning him.  “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet?”

What Jesus was saying is: firstly that John was not like a reed shaken by the wind. In His estimate, he was a person of substance and not easily swayed by the fads of society. Unlike the reed that bends with the wind, John was not. He dared to confront the status quo of his day. Secondly, he was not one like a well-dressed and pampered by luxury sort of a person. People with such a lifestyle could only be found in royal palaces. John was not one who was seduced by a soft culture. Thirdly, John was a prophet, one who was sent from God to herald the Kingdom. But he was more than just a proclaimer, he was a fulfilment of the Word. He did not just preach the Word, he lived the Word. He came to fulfil Isaiah’s prophecy. He was the messenger sent to prepare the way of the Messiah. Here’s a lesson. God still needs people with John-like character, people of substance. People who are not easily influenced by our indulgent society. People who dare to proclaim the Gospel. And people who would practice the Word. Let us be such people!

The tricky part of this passage is found in verse 28. Jesus said that “…among those born of women there is no one greater than John and yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” What was Jesus saying? Jesus was talking about the prophets of two dispensations – the old and the new. Every prophet from Moses onwards up till John, were prophets of the Old dispensation. John the Baptist was the last who came to proclaim the Kingdom of the Messiah. Of all those prophets, John was regarded as the greatest because he came to prepare the path for the Savior. Jesus’ purpose was not to highlight John’s prominence but to show that people of the new dispensation are more privileged, because they live in the moment of fulfilment.

When Jesus said that, the common people, especially the outcasts, agreed with Jesus’ evaluation of John’s ministries. They were the people who were impacted by his ministry. So they acknowledged that God is just. But there were those leaders and Pharisees, who purported to know the Law, rejected Jesus’ evaluation. They were those who were not baptized by John. There were many reasons why they would not agree. Let’s list some of them: self-righteousness, familiarity, shallowness, and even the grip of sin in one’s life. Repentance was the crux of John’s message. Those religious leaders and Pharisees felt that they were the custodians of the law, and hence were exempted from the Baptism of John.  Let us not have such a perception.

In verses 31-35, Jesus then went on to talk about the spiritual problem of the scribes and Pharisees. They complained that John did not dance, when the flute was played. Then they complained that Jesus did not cry when the dirge was sang. The problem was that they could not accept the ministry of either, so they came up with these excuses. They demonized John because he did not come eating bread or drinking wine. They insisted that he was deranged, to live an ascetic lifestyle and insisted on repentance as evidence of change in one’s life. Then they scandalized Jesus when He came eating and drinking. They called Him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. They were mocking Jesus, all because they couldn’t accept His ministry. They were calling Jesus a sinner and an apostate. They would find fault, all because they wouldn’t honestly evaluate their own life. They would only see fault no matter what. There are people like that today too. Some sermons are too unbiblical, others are poor exegesis. Some are too doctrinal and others too deep and technical. Nothing will please the heart that can feel no sin. Such people only want preachers to dance to their tune. 

For us who are willing to flow with God, we will realize that practicing what He says always bring us nearer and closer to Him. When we accept, practice and obey the instruction of God, our positive experience and behavior will always affirm the wisdom of God.      

Luke 7:18-23 – Jesus’ answer to the doubts of John the Baptist

From similar account in Matthew, we know that John the Baptist was in prison. He had offended Herod when he told him it was morally wrong for him to marry his brother’s wife. Offended, Herod threw him into prison. John had been declaring that Jesus was the Expected One, the Messiah, whom they had been waiting for. The Jews expected to be free from the dominion of the Romans when the Messiah had arrived. In prison John heard of the things that Jesus was doing but then the Romans was still in firm control. So confused and discouraged, he sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was truly the Messiah or should they look for another. So the two disciples of John came to Jesus and did as requested by John.

At that point, Jesus was doing miraculous ministry among the needy, and He had healed and cured many afflicted by sicknesses. Those affected by demons had been delivered and set free too. And many blind had received their sight again. Jesus then told those two enquiring disciples to “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

In essence Jesus was saying that He was indeed the expected Messiah. Many were being healed. Victims of the fallen world, caused and debilitated by sins and demonic powers, were being healed and delivered. He had been operating in the realm which all the ills of men began. He, the King, has taken control of the unseen realm, and that had been translated into healing and deliverance in the physical realm. The message of the Lord is about His Kingdom. It is about the rule of Jesus the King in the realm of the unseen that has impact on the realm of the seen. And He is reigning and freeing man from the dominion and slavery to sin that had brought with it sickness, oppression and death. And truly blessed is everyone who does not take offense at Him. For then they are poised to receive the blessings that He, the King, came to give. So Jesus sent John’s disciples back to him with overwhelming experiential and Scriptural evidence that the messianic power was in fact flowing through Him. With that, He actually validated His own awesome ministry. Apparently that was sufficient answer for John, although he was not delivered from prison and was eventually beheaded there.

Patience is what we need most of the time. When we don’t understand, we just hold on to God’s Word. He will definitely reveal to us in His good time. But whatever we have heard and understood, we must obey and act on them. This will ensure that we steadily build a strong life. This will help us to weather the tough circumstances of life. For He is faithful who has promised help in times of need. Trust Him!

Luke 7:11–17 – Raising of the widow’s son

The scene had shifted from Capernaum. Jesus was now in Nain, a town of about 25 miles away and a day’s journey from where He had healed the centurion’s servant. He was accompanied by His disciples and a large crowd. At the gate of the city of Nain, He and His disciples came across a funeral procession. And there was a boy, the only son of a widow, dead and lying lifeless in an open coffin, and being carried outside the city to be buried. Preceding the crowd in the procession stood a pitiful, lonely grieving lady, bereft of hope. It was bad enough to be without a husband, now henceforth she would be without her only son.

It's undeniable that one of life's greatest agonies to a mother is the death of her only son. That's why we cannot read Luke 7:11-17 without feeling the deep sorrow of that widow of Nain. Yet at the same time, we rejoice with her because she met the Lord of life and was tenderly touched by Him. As providence would have it, the sorrowing widow's journey to the graveyard to bury her son was halted by the One Who controls destiny. Luke wants us to see the heart of Jesus. He is always so full of compassion. Unsolicited, He just went to the poor grieving widow, mourning and without hope. There is always hope when one meets Jesus.

To touch a coffin would make one unclean according to the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament. However, Jesus was exercising mercy above sacrifice. Jesus just took control. So verse 14 tells us, “Then he (Jesus) went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still.” That authoritative touch halted everything, forcing a deep and telling silence. Life and death stood momentarily facing each other. With the Lord of Life, death just had to bow. No wonder Paul boldly asked, “O Death where is your sting!” This incident was no co-incidence. Luke was clearly and unambiguously telling us that Jesus is the Lord even over death.    

So one moment the widow was mourning and bereft of hope, and next she heard the Lord’s tender words. The Sovereign Lord said to her, "Do not weep". Before she could make sense of what she heard, came other death defying words, "Young man I say to you, arise!" Those two liners forever altered the destiny of her life. Immediately, that young man sat in that open coffin and began to speak. The Lord of life took and returned him to his now shocked but elated mother. Prior to the encounter, her heart was rent apart and she was in deep despair. Then her hope was rekindled and her only son, who was dead, returned to her alive. This incidence would naturally remind the audience of another situation at Zarephath, where the prophet Elijah raised a poor widow’s son. No wonder the people “…were all filled with awe and praised God”. They exclaimed, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us.’ They said. ‘God has come to help his people’. However, this death did not give in to a prophet but to the Son of the Living God.  

Although we may not be in the widow’s kind of predicament, some of us may be wallowing in other dire miseries. We may be grieving not only death, but the loss of a relationship. Whether it’s the agony over a broken relationship; or hurt; or feeling of rejection; or loneliness; or some unresolved conflicts, the Lord of compassion still sees your situation. As He said to the widow, He is saying those tender words to you. "Do not weep." And He also says, "Arise! Pick up your broken pieces and place them in My hand, and let's journey together."

Luke 7:1-10 – Perspectives of faith

One critical life principle is to learn to see situations as they really are. The wise learn to look at life honestly. Like it or not, this principle applies to every aspect of life. Whether concerning our strength or weakness, we must face it with honesty. More so when we come to the issue of faith. Effective faith is always exercised in reality. In this account of the centurion seeking Jesus to touch his sick servant, we see true faith in action. This story shows us different perspectives of faith.    

Jesus had come to Capernaum after the appointment of the Twelve, and giving that great sermon of the plain. He had just challenged His hearers to hear and act on His Word. Here a centurion who had a servant, whom he valued highly, was sick and about to die. Luke tells us that this was an unusual centurion. Any ordinary centurion would have left the sick servant to die. But this centurion in question was not any ordinary centurion, that’s why he had an extraordinary compassion for his sick servant. There were many centurions in the Roman army who held the rank equivalent to a captain in our day. He is called a centurion most likely because he took command of 100 soldiers. And although death was a common experience in that ancient world, he wished that his servant would be spared. Why? He saw in the servant more than just an equipment to be used. He cared for him as a person, something that tells us he was a gracious master.

In verses 3-5, we are introduced to the Jewish friends of the centurion. What’s unusual in this account is that the centurion, a Gentile, should ask the Jewish elders to help him seek Jesus’ help. It’s also unusual to note that those elders did it eagerly. It’s unusual because, synagogue leaders were not used to running errands for anyone, much less a Gentile. Nevertheless they came to Jesus and earnestly, on the centurion’s behalf, implored Him to help. Whatever they said about the centurion was glowing. They told Jesus that, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” Centurions would only help the Jews if it was advantageous to them. But this one was different. Unlike many of his colleagues, he was drawn to the Jewish God. In those days such people were known as God-fearers, meaning that they were interested to worship the monotheistic God but refused to be a proselyte to Judaism. The centurion was certainly a helpful man to Israel, but to say he deserves help was probably the elder’s own concoction to get Jesus to help. Why so? The centurion’s own admission to Jesus tells us how he felt about himself. He felt unworthy to have Jesus come under his roof. While it’s true that this centurion loved Israel, the elders measured him based on the external. They measured him based on the external deeds he had done for them. They said he was good to the nation of Israel and built them their synagogue. Isn’t this how some people today would think? They felt that God should accept people because they have contributed to the church building funds.

In verses 6-7, we see the informed perspective of the centurion himself. Before Jesus arrived, he quickly dispatched another delegate to Jesus, to tell Him not to trouble Himself, for he did not deserve to have Jesus come to his home. That’s the reason he did not go to Jesus personally. He did not feel worthy to meet Jesus personally. The centurion had a proper estimate of himself. He was conscious of his own personal unworthiness. That’s a wholesome self-perspective. More importantly, He had the right estimate of Jesus. He knew Jesus had the authority and power over the realm of the unseen. He need not be present in his home, all He needed was to speak the word and his servant’s sickness would have to go. What he said implied that he knew that Jesus is the Son of God. What an informed perspective of Jesus! He realized that Jesus had the power over sickness and death. He was conscious of the divinity of Christ and hence felt unworthy to meet Him.

From what he said, Jesus concluded and told the crowd that the centurion had a great faith that was not even seen among Israel. There are only two times that we saw Jesus being amazed. Besides being amazed by the centurion’s faith, the other time is found in in the account recorded in Luke 4:14-30. He began his public ministry in his hometown of Nazareth then, and His fellow Jews rejected him: “he was amazed at their lack of faith”

How do we see Jesus? And how do we see ourselves? Do we think that God should accept us because we attend church regularly, and that we give regularly?  God accepts us not because of our giving or our commitment to church. He accepts us because we recognize and accept Christ for Who He really is. He is the Son of God and we need Him in our life. And with that knowledge, we surrender our all to Him and yield in total abandonment to His Lordship.    

Luke 6:46–49 – Acting on the Word of Jesus

Can a Christian who claims to be a disciple of Christ not obey His Word? Verse 46 tells us that it is possible. If not, why should the Lord ask the question, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I say?” The implication in this verse is obvious. There are those who would listen to Christ’s Word but not obey what He says. Notice that word “Lord” is mentioned twice in verse 46. It indicates a forceful affirmation of allegiance. Such people apparently strongly assert their allegiance, but would then fail to live through their assertion by not obeying His Word. There were those among His disciples that did not do what He said nor made a habit of obeying His Word. Hence, Jesus here gave warning of what would happen when His Word is not obeyed. In it He also gave instruction to be obedient to all that He had said.

Using a house as an illustration, He said that one who hears His word but not act upon it is like a house built without foundation. It cannot stand the storm of life. It collapses during hard time. Let this be a warning to us too. Whether we stand or fall depends largely on whether we hear and act on His Word or not. With Jesus there is no middle ground. Those with a foundation in life are those who hear the Word of Christ and act on it. This is where faithful disciples can be differentiated. They are Christians who faithfully come to the Word of God, hear it, then go and act upon it. He is like one who has built his house on the foundation of Christ the Rock. Notice that it requires effort to accomplish that. It requires digging and laying a foundation on the rock. All these suggest efforts and diligent work. 

Notice the three parts of the process - coming, hearing and acting. The process always begins with coming. Drawing near to Jesus is critical. There must be the willingness. When a willing heart is there, we will make the time and the effort to come to Him in devotion, in solitude and in corporate worship in church, to meet and encounter Him. Coming and drawing near to Him brings us to the second part of the process i.e. hearing. Drawing close enables us to then hear what He has to say. This part requires attentiveness. Jesus words are always audible when we are attentive. If you have ever taken an airplane to anywhere, you would have been exposed to the time when the flight attendants explain the use of air mask and life vest and emergency procedure. Many people may be in the flight but most would pay no attention to the instruction. In other words they are not attentive. Like them some would come to Jesus, but pay no attention to hear what He is saying. But a true disciple not only draws near, he also pays attention to what the Lord would say. Coming and hearing are two critical parts of the process of building a strong life. But they cannot take the place of acting upon the instruction given. We must always seek to practice what we have heard from the Lord. Every time we hear the Word and are touched, we must make up our mind to put the word into practice. It takes the will and resolve of a person.

Whether we come or not come, hear or not hear, do or not do, the outcome is revealing. So let’s start right today. We must make it a point to draw near to Christ and be a hearer and truly listen. Having done that, resolve to act on it. There are only two kinds of house we can build out of our life – one with a foundation or one without. Which house do we prefer? The choice is ours!   

Luke 6:43-45 – The principle of right judging

The issue in verses 36-38, we have discovered, is not about not judging, but being not judgmental and critical. We have established that Jesus did not ask us not to use our brain. He expects us to make sound moral judgment. In the life of the Pharisees, through the many encounters with Jesus, we see clear illustrations of them being judgmental. They were blind to their own sin but quick to see it in others. Jesus does not want this to be found among His disciples. Hence His call is not to try to remove the speck in our brother’s eye, before taking the log out of ours. But Jesus did not forbid us from making sound moral evaluation. In fact in these three verses, He is asking His disciples to make lifestyle judgment. They must be able to analyze and be discerning. Remember that at the onset of this great sermon, Jesus gazed at His disciples as He started His message. From there we conclude that He was telling us< His followers to exercise moral discernment and to make right Biblical judgments. He illustrated this with a horticultural and then a human example.

^“For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.” To a durian lover, we can put it this way, “Good durians do not come from bad durian trees, and bad durians do not come from good durian trees.” From that statement, Jesus shows us a principle gleaned from horticulture. He said, “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.” Conversely, therefore “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil, for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” In other words, what is within the inner disposition of a person determines the way he conducts himself and the words he would utter. He may put up a show outwardly and give a veneer of wholeness, the real proof is in his action and his words. Implicitly, Jesus is saying that it is his mouth that we should watch out for. It would be where the evidence of his true colors would come from.   

What is Jesus saying then? We recognize a person by looking at his character. If he is a good character, like good trees, you will see good character. Hence, we must evaluate everything that we hear. There's always a clear connection between a person's words and his heart. Idle and corrupt words reveal the true state of one's heart, because that is the center of that person's affection. Be discerning, start by evaluating where and who you are learning from. Bear in mind that if you run into a skunk, you'll smell like a skunk. And if you don’t like the fruit you are cultivating, check and see where you have planted your roots.

Is judging necessary? Jesus made it clear in this passage that we should. In our day where there is a proliferation of teachings from internet, seminars, books, magazines and the countless purported good churches, being discerning is something we can’t do without. We must put our confidence in the moral standards set by the Word of God. We refuse to be gullible. We must be like the Christians in Berea recorded in Acts 17. Paul said that they were more honorable than those who were at Thessalonica. For after hearing the Word of God preached by Paul, they went home and check with the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was so.

Our world tells us that truth is absolutely relative. But Jesus tells us that there are no two ways to an absolute truth. It is or it is not. Its certainty can be verified by the result of a person’s life and moral conduct. Watch for them, they tell no lie, we won’t be hoodwinked!

Luke 6:39-42 – Spiritual perception

Jesus made some parabolic statements after telling His disciples to be magnanimous.  He knew that the disciples’ mission would include imparting spiritual life to others. And if they are to do so effectively, they need to have the ability to navigate their own spiritual life first. If not, it would be impossible to lead others to find that life. Private leadership always precedes public leadership. So Jesus’ first statement is found in Luke 6:39. Here, He is stating the obvious. “A blind man cannot guide a blind man, can he? Will they not both fall into a pit?” A blind guide leading another, who is also blind, spells disaster. They are both in danger of falling into a pit. The reason is obvious. Being blind, both cannot detect the presence of a lurking danger. This illustration points to a spiritual reality. One who is oblivious of God's working can never be of help to a similar kind, to discover God's truth. The fact remains that one can only assist another when he himself is connected to the source. 

In verse 40, Jesus added. “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” Every student can only attain what the teacher had taught and trained him to be, he cannot rise beyond his teacher. Jesus has in mind that a disciple must be a model of spirituality. People whom we are guiding as disciples, can never rise beyond our level of maturity. We can only take them to where we are. It is therefore imperative that we keep growing if we are to guide them into greater depth with God. To do that, we ourselves will need to have good spiritual sight. We must cultivate the ability to see if we are to be of help to others. We must take care of our spiritual perception and be connected to Jesus, our Master. This is what an ancient Persian poem has to say:

He who knows not and knows not he knows not, is a fool, shun him!

He who knows not and knows he knows not, is humble, teach him!

He who knows and knows not he knows, is asleep, wake him!

He who knows and knows he knows, is wise, follow him!

Concern for the quality of His disciples, Jesus now make another humorous statement. It is a call to examine one’s own life before we seek to correct others. “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” This is a hyperbole. Like it or not we all do have blind spots in our life. If we are unaware of our big weakness, we should not try to highlight the smaller weakness of others. To do so would make us a hypocrite. To be helpful, we must first submit our life to the searchlight of God’s Word. We need to ensure that our spiritual vision is not marred by our sin. Only when we have confessed our sin and the dusts and logs removed, then only then, can we see the needs of our brothers clearly.   

The quality of our inner life is crucial to effective discipleship. We need to do regular introspection to identify and rectify our own weakness before we seek to help others in theirs. Do take Psalm 139:23-24 and make it our daily and personal cry, at the close of each day:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

Luke 6:37-38 – Be magnanimous

To be magnanimous is to have a great spirit. It is derived from two Latin words: “magnus” meaning great, and “animus” meaning spirit. Hence, to have magnanimity is to have a great spirit. It’s a spirit that’s generous and forgiving. Jesus’ disciples must be people that reflect such a spirit. It is His desire that we should be like Him in this respect. So in Luke 6:37-38, He said, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” The command not to judge had often been misinterpreted. People conclude that one must suspend all judgment and to accept everything said or done, even if it is downright sin. In fact we should evaluate every situation, and measure it with the Word of God. We must not equate this call of Jesus as a call to be gullible. Those who interpret it this way forget that Jesus also told His disciples to judge people by the fruit they produced in verses 43-45. The question to ask is: What then is Jesus disallowing?

Clearly understood, He is saying that His followers must not have a judgmental and critical spirit. Know it or not, being judgmental is usually a sign of one’s own tendency to project what is in oneself on others. One clear example is found in 2 Samuel 12:5-7. It’s the story of David committing adultery with Bathsheba, then later killed her husband Uriah, who was one of his faithful soldiers. Though his sin was greater, he condemned the guilty man in the story the prophet Nathan told him. David judged him and said that he deserved to be put to death. He realized that that man was himself only when Nathan eventually pointed it out to him. God said he was that man. David was so blind to his own condition that he was infuriated at the sin of others. People who are judgmental imagine they are less guilty by judging the sin of others.

There is one more truth about people who are judgmental. They are merciless. They often see others in the worst light. They assume the place of God. It is a sign of spiritual cancer, and at its worst it’s a sure symptom of spiritual death. Here Jesus did not hold back when He said, people who judge others will be judged and people who condemn others will be condemned. Are we judgmental and condemning? Jesus here is promoting a forgiving spirit. So He followed up by saying “Pardon and you will be pardoned.” He is not saying that our sins can be forgiven when we forgive others. What Jesus is saying is this: forgiveness finds its root in the truth that it is God’s grace who has saved and changed us. The willingness to forgive others is an indication that we have been forgiven by the grace of God.

Besides, we should not only have a forgiving spirit, we must also develop the spirit of giving. The call in verse 38 is: “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” We must remember God will never owe us anything. Whatever we have given, He will return to us in much greater measure. When He gives there will not be enough room to store all that He will pour out on us. It’s like putting grain into a container. When the amount of grain we poured in have already taken all the seeming space, we shake the container so that the grain will be compacted, making room for more to be poured in. As if this is not enough, Luke added that God will cause what He pours out to us to overflow what we can contain. In other words, there is no way we can contain all the blessings of God when we choose to be giving. Remember, whatever measure we dished out to others, good or bad, the same measure and more will be dished out to us!

The truth of all that Jesus is saying is this: our God, the great Arbitrator of the universe, will never point out our sin without being merciful. He will forgive us. And not only that, He will also provide the remedy to our sin. His condemnation is reserved only for those who are unwilling to repent. Remember He hung between heaven and earth bearing the guilt and weight of all our sins. Even then His cry was, “Father forgive them…” Let us develop not only a forgiving spirit but also a great and generous giving spirit!  

Luke 6:27-36 – God’s kind of love

The mission Jesus came to do is founded on love and is accomplished with love. John 3:16 tells us its origin. It is rooted in God. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Now with the newly appointed twelve, Jesus wanted them to get their foundation right. So it is not a surprise that His first call to them and His followers, is for them to love as He loves. However, without Christ, that level of love is not possible. Bear in mind that this call to love was given while the disciples were still reeling from the earlier announcement that to be in the blessed state, one needs to be poor, hungry, sorrowful, and rejected. The context was and still is indeed radical. Anyway love must be radical.

We can imagine Jesus looking straight at His disciples and declared, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” The love Jesus calls His followers to show is the unilateral kind of love. It’s not love “because of” but love “in spite of.” To show love to a friend who had offended us is already difficult, let alone loving someone who is an enemy. This will take the highest degree of self-denial. It’s the way God loves. While we were yet His enemies, Christ died for us. Not only that, we are to do good to those who hate us. Just think of someone who hates you. Then think again of something nice that you can do for him or her. We know that it’s unnatural, but with Christ’s help it can be done. Then we are to bless those who curse us. That is: to speak well of a person even though we know that he or she had said something negative about us. And we are also to pray for those who mistreat and misuse us. This kind of love can only be supernaturally inspired and enabled.

Next Jesus demands that His disciples live a life of non-retaliation. In fact He urges us to go beyond non-retaliation. We are to act in ways that will reflect the very nature and character of God. Turning the other cheek when we are slapped; giving our shirt when someone ask for our coat; not demanding back what is taken from you, are not to be taken literally. They are just hyperbolic languages. Jesus is not denying the right to our property or to personal defence. He is advocating a generous and giving spirit, a spirit that dares to give and give. As people called to love, we can only do it when we develop the spirit of giving. It is unconventional and requires quantum magnanimity to accomplish. But we are to do so. Further, Jesus demands that we treat others in ways that we expect to be treated. This is how we should treat people whether they are considered our friends or enemies. Is it possible to live at this level? We know that this is possible only with the help of God.

 

In verses 32-36, Jesus defines what this kind love ethics entails. He tells us that we would be no different from the world if we only do what they would do. For example, they only do good when someone has done something good for them. They would lend something to someone but they also expect whatever borrowed to be returned. They expect to be reciprocated. But believers must behave as God did. He loves us even when we were at ought with Him. It is in His nature to give and give. If we say we are His children we must act like He had acted. How different can we be from the worldly people if we do exactly what they would do? We must live above the law of reciprocity. We must be magnanimous and generous in showing mercy even as God is merciful.

If we consider ourselves Christ’s disciples, this sermon is also for us. We are to love our enemies and to truly love them. If we cannot forgive someone who has offended us, the reality is that Christ is not reigning in our life. So let’s love, even when we know that a person has considered us his enemy! Let us do good even to those whom we know hate us! And let us pray for those who are mistreating us! Let’s be merciful as God is merciful!

When we repay good for good, we do what an ordinary person will do.

When we repay evil for evil, we do what an animal would do.

When we repay evil for good, we do what the devil will do.

When we repay good for evil, we do exactly what God would do.  

Luke 6:20-26 – Kingdom values

There were three different groups of people: the Twelve, The larger group of disciples and the masses listening to Jesus in this great sermon. However, Luke seems to indicate that this message was more for His disciples. He particularly qualifies it by saying that He turned His gaze on His disciples as He addressed the crowd. It was intended for the disciples, but he Lord allows the rest to listen to what He was saying. In this passage we see four sets of paradoxical statements. Luke first states it positively in verses 20-23, then negatively in verses 24-26. There is no way anyone can get it wrong. Luke first tells us that to be poor, to be hungry, to be mournful and to be rejected are states of blessedness. Then He said that to be rich, well-fed, joyful and accepted are woeful states. These certainly contradict the reality of human experiences. How can one be poor and yet blessed, be hungry yet full, be mournful yet happy and rejected yet be full of hilarity? How can one be rich, well-fed, joyful and accepted yet be seen as woeful?

In some translation of the New Testament, the word “blessed” is being translated as happy. However, we need to know that there are distinct differences between being happy and being blessed. It is possible to have no feeling of happiness yet be in a state of blessedness. Jesus is not talking about the warm, bubbly feeling of elation but rather about a state of certainty and assuredness, that all is well despite one’s condition. This can only come about as a result of one’s rested-ness in Him.

The first paradoxical statement states. “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” There are definitely four ways that can make a person poor. Laziness and refusal to work that can get one into the state of poverty very quickly. Secondly, calamity or some natural disasters that had fallen can make one poor. Thirdly, a person can be a victim of ruthless oppression and be made poor. Fourthly, by deliberate choice, a person can give up the comfort of material riches and become poor in order to seek God. Such a person thinks that riches can hinder his complete trust in God so he makes himself poor. Matthew’s version of this verse included a qualification. He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” If we accept this, it would naturally exclude all the four categories mentioned. Matthew tells us that in saying a person is proud, arrogant, self-centered, self-absorbed and self-sufficient, he will find it hard to trust God completely. His focus will not be on God but on his riches and personal capability.

  

In the second and third paradoxical statement, Luke’s emphasis is on the difference between now and later. He states it this way, ‘Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh’. Jesus is stating what it would be like when God’s justice reigns. There must be a different outlook for people living under the Kingly rule of Christ and those who are not. The attitude of those outside of Christ’s rule is seen in the “I-want-it-now” or the “Get-it-now” mentality. Such mentalities show no concern for the future consequences for their present action. We must develop heavenly mindedness by setting our minds on things above and not on things on earth. Jesus is saying that what happens right now counts eternally.

The fourth paradoxical statement deals with what we value. “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.” People today think the source of happiness is found in one’s popularity. How can rejection and being ostracized be a blessing?  Rightly interpreted, what Christ is saying refers to those who are rejected for His sake. He is not talking about random and indiscriminate rejection by mankind. We know that the world will only accept its kind. When we stand and live up the principles laid down by Christ, we will inevitably suffer some rejection by people who don’t. Christ is promising heaven to us who would remain faithful to Him despite the rejection we have to endure for His sake. His followers are exhorted to rejoice in the presence of hardship. Verses 24-26 take the four positive paradoxical statements and restate them in the negative form. They essentially teach the same truth. But this time it is in the form of warnings. They are Jesus’ serious call to take heed to all that He has said.

Christ holds out the promise that there’s a place where we experience all the blessings without the residue of the fallen world. Meanwhile, we are called to persevere in this present world despite the different value system it has. For whatever earthly experiences we encounter, they are there to train us for eternity. One day, we will be translated into God’s eternal realm, to the joy of His eternal presence. There, we will enjoy Him forever, for the faithful completion of our time here on earth.   

Luke 6:17-19 - Getting ready to receive

Jesus had just appointed the twelve apostles. So Luke now describes the scene that morning when He and the Twelve came down from the mountain. This was just before He gave the great sermon. Matthew tells us that the sermon was given on the mountain which came to be known as the Sermon on the Mount. Here in Luke we are told that the disciples came down from the mountain and Jesus was with them, and He stood on a level place. From there Jesus would then give the sermon, so here this sermon is known as Sermon on the Plain. We must not think Matthew and Luke contradicted each other. In Luke we see Jesus coming down from the mountain where He found a level plain on the slope, slightly elevated. From there He could see the multitudes that had gathered by now to hear Him. So He stood there to give His sermon. The Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain are not two separate occasions. Just looking at the same event from different angles.  

In these verses Luke was describing the great crowds that had gathered. He wants us to picture the scene and know that by this time many had already come to believe in Jesus. He had a large following, so he described them as a large crowd of disciples. And this sermon Jesus was about to deliver was most certainly delivered at the height of His ministry, just before the opposition intensified, when He had to move further to the far boarder of the land. Here among the large crowd of disciples was also a great throng of people, a mix of Jews and Gentiles from Judea, Jerusalem, and the Coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.

We can be sure that the people were not there for just one day. They probably had come a few days earlier and had intended to stay. Their purpose was to hear His great teachings and to be healed of their diseases. Of course we know that not all of them had a disease, but that many brought along their sick folks with them. Verse 8 tells us that the sick and demon-troubled people attained what they came for. Here Luke classified those troubled by demons as separate from suffering from other ailments. It is interesting to note that Luke used two words to describe them being restored. For those who were sick, he said they were healed. To those troubled by demons and unclean spirits, he said they were cured. Irrespective of their conditions, Jesus gave them what they needed. He healed them all.

We are told that those people among the crowds who were sick sought to touch Him. They were probably pressing forward because of the throng of people. And Luke said the power was coming out of Him and He was healing all. We can just imagine that when He began preaching the great sermon, there was not a single suffering person in the entire audience, who were longing to hear His word, because He healed them all. Yes Jesus did a lot for the people. However, the healing part was not the centerpiece of the day. It was just the prelude to something far greater that was coming. Here in Luke what’s coming is called the Sermon on the Plain, the sermon given from a level place. It would be here that Jesus would dramatically level with the Twelve and all those who would follow Him. We need to poise our spirit and adjust it in a way that we will be receptive to the message of Jesus. The Lord will always do His part to get us well, but we ourselves must adjust our attitude and set our mind in readiness, not only to hear but also to act what He will say to us.     

Luke 6:12-16 – The 12 apostles appointed

In the earlier chapters of this Gospel, Luke has already hinted about the authority of Jesus on many occasions. We saw how at Capernaum, the people were amazed by His teachings for He taught as one with authority. That day in the Synagogue, after He dealt with the demon-possessed man, Luke 4:36 tells us that “All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!’ ” Besides, His authority was demonstrated in all the healings that took place. Peter also recognized it when at His command he let down the net and caught a great amount of fish, even though he had already labored all night and caught precious little. These and numerous others left us without doubt about Jesus’ authority.

In Luke 6:12-16, we scale the summit of the theme on authority in this Gospel. The calling of the 12 apostles was in deed a historic moment for Israel and the church. As the twelve tribes of Israel was key to Israel, so also was the twelve apostles key to the church. This choosing of the Twelve allows us to see Jesus’ authority and how it will impact the lives of the church and all the followers of Jesus. No wonder we see Jesus began with prayer that span right through the whole night. Although it was His regular habit to find time to pray, yet for this purpose, He specially set aside a longer duration to pray. He prayed from dusk to dawn, a good ten hours. Just imagine Him praying His knee in tensely. When He started praying, His clothe was dry, and when He stopped, it was drenched with the dew of the morning. 

Why this protracted engagement with the Heavenly Father? It’s because He had a huge decision to make. He needed to know who would be appropriate to appoint and mentor to the key task of continuing with the work of the Kingdom after His departure. He was going to pour out His life upon them. So it was needful to appoint the right ones. Our natural questions would be: isn’t Jesus God? If He is, than shouldn’t He be all knowing? Why does He need to have this lengthy prayer session? Bear in mind that at this point Jesus was a human like us, except that He was without sin. He had laid aside His divine attributes and left everything at the pleasure of the Father. So He had to depend on God to aid Him in making the right choice. Furthermore, Jesus already had a fairly large following by now. This plus the necessity to submit each one individually to God in prayer.

Yes, though He was a Son yet He learnt obedience through the course of His life. He never did anything without hearing from the Father. Prayer was everything to Jesus. It was through prayer that He lived His perfect life of obedience. Here’s a thought for our consideration. If Jesus, the perfect Son of God, had to pray, what makes us think that we can get away without praying! It would be even more foolish to know the importance of prayer and yet never get down to it. All our accomplishment in life must be a divine-human collaboration. Prayer is exactly that. It ensures the effectiveness of our life as well as that of the church. It’s a discipline we cannot afford to do without.

At sunrise, Jesus was sure who should make up the Twelve. Decisively, He called the disciples to Him and chose twelve whom He designated apostles. They were God’s sovereign choice. None of them had a part in the decision. There was no campaigning like what we see during election time. The choice was entirely at God’s direction. So through the turbulent years that ensued, they could comfort themselves that it was Jesus, and not they, who was responsible for the choice. Scriptures didn’t specifically tell us the chronological order of the call. Luke in this list placed Peter at the start and put the traitor Judas Iscariot at the end. The list of the Twelve were: Simon Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot. All of them were Galileans except for Judas Isacariot. To betray Jesus was a choice that Judas Iscariot made, that’s why Luke said, he became a traitor. All these did not come from exceptional background. They were unschooled ordinary men, hated tax collector, and etc. Not one of them was famous, rich or well-connected. None of them was highly qualified, but God qualifies their call.

When ordinary men and women are called to serve him, that call is always effectual, regardless of a person’s talent or a lack of it. Paradoxically, what Paul said is true, it’s when we are weak that’s when we become strong. All who have effectively served God would acknowledge without qualification that they are still made of clay. With Jesus they become unconscious of their own wisdom and strength. They merely rely on Him. And in Him they find the flow of power and strength that surpass what they personally have. All authority, whether in heaven or on earth, belong to Jesus! And you and I know that it makes perfect sense only to submit to His will. That means we need to humbly and prayerfully depend on Him in every aspect of our life.