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Luke 6.19-24
Milk
August 4th 2019
Okay, we left off at Luke 6:19 with Jesus calling his twelve Apostles and we read (in detail) what Matthew said about his instructions to them as he sent them out.
Then we talked about the specificity of His words exact instructions to these men found in Matthew 10.
So let’s move forward and in so doing we are going to take “four chops” at chapter 6 of Luke today. The first chop will be verses 13-16, the second chop verses 17-26 and the third chop will consist of verses 27-36.
So, Jesus has been praying in the mountains to his father (verse 13)
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
Okay back to verse 13
13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
As we mentioned last week, it seems that his prayers to his father were to help him choose which men of the disciples would be his apostles.
This was no lightweight decision because it meant a number of things for them including sacrifice, suffering and death at the hand so others.
It’s interesting that when it comes to picking men to perform missions of no return the military – at least in movies – chooses men without wives and families.
But not Jesus – as we know that at least Peter had a wife. I tally this up to Jesus knowing that Peter’s family would be cared for like no other.
And so he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles, which means one sent.
So, in addition to picking twelve to train and disciple, the passage says, he ALSO named them apostles, meaning he was going to send them forth to take the Good News to that world or age.
And who did he call? (verse 14)
14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
Simon who was later renamed Petras by the Lord and His brother Andrew.
According to John’s gospel Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and he heard the Baptist say, “behold the Lamb of God,” and converted to following Christ.
So Peter and Andrew were brothers.
James and John, the next ones listed – were also brothers with James older than John the Beloved. Apparently this James was a fishing partner with Peter.
And so, we have the two sets of brothers crossing over and being pals in fishing prior to the call. This James, along with John, were called, the Sons of Thunder and he was the first martyred Apostle when he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa.
I wonder if Jesus knew the fate of each of these men as he called them? It seems like he must have, and if this is correct, he must have had some deep appreciation for their willingness and desire to follow Him.
Philip and Bartholomew are the next two listed in verse 14.
Philip was from Bethsaida, as was Andrew and Peter, so we wonder if they knew each other. When he was called he brought Nathaniel to Jesus (who also goes by Bartholomew) and so the fact that they are listed together by Luke may be due to the fact that they were friends – doesn’t have to be, but I wonder.
Nathaniel is not named in John’s list of Apostles but a Bartholomew is and so it is almost certain that they were one and same persons. It was to this man that Jesus said his name and added:
“an Israelite indeed, in whom was no guile”
That is quite a statement to fall from the lips of the Lord toward another person and so we see that at least one of the Apostles possessed a genuine heart for God – if not all of them. (Verse 15)
15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,
We know who Matthew is because we read about him being called by Jesus a week or two back – he is also known as Levi, the publican.
Thomas was also known as Didymus in scripture, which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew, Thomas. It is commonly believed that Thomas was the brother of Matthew and James the Son of Alphaeus because his name is always listed in association with them in scripture.
If this is the case then we now have seven of the twelve apostles coming from three families.
And James the son of Alphaeus. So we have covered James the older brother of John, the first apostolic martyr in the church. This is another James, the Son of Alphaeus (or Cleopas) who was also called the brother of the Lord but was moreover a cousin.
This James is called James the Less probably because of his size or stature. This James played an important role in the nascent church as he took the lead of the Church established in Jerusalem, wrote the Epistles of James, and the deciding lead on the demands that would be placed on Gentile converts to the faith.
And Simon called Zelotes. It could be that as a means to distinguish the Simons that Jesus chose to use that as the opportunity to rename Simon to Petras, but we can’t be sure.
Simon is an abbreviated form of Simeon, and this man in Matthew is also known as, the Canaanite. This does not mean he was a Canaanite literally but seems to mean he was part of a Jewish sect that were called Kaneians. Why was he also called Zealotes? Bbecause it is believed that prior to his call as an apostle that he was part of a militant religious sect called the Sect of the Zealots who opposed the Romans and their pagan polytheistic Gods and political rule.
16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
This first man, whom Luke calls, Judas the Brother of James is one of the most confusing apostles because of his many unique names including:
Jude, Thaddeus, and Laebbeus – why not. He was the brother of James the less, the author of the Epistle by the same name, and therefore another relative (cousin) of Jesus because James the Less is described as such.
So now we have yet another relative tying the apostles all together. And then finally we have another Judas, Iscariot, who is always included last in all of the various gospel accounts of the Apostles.
We know all about him and will discuss him in more detail – along with the others – as we come to them.
Okay – chop number 2 – where we now begin to travel with Jesus and his apostles:
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 Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
Okay, so back to verse 17 where Luke now takes us to a plain.
17 And he came down with them (the newly chosen apostles), and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
And stood in the plain.
So we have a bit of a question before us as a result of Luke’s account here. The teaching he presents as happening on the Plain is similar, not exact, but similar in some really important ways, to Jesus sermon on the mount that is recorded in Matthew chapters 5,6 and 7.
Are they the same just said to have been given in different places – one a mount and the other a plain. Or, are they similar in content but delivered twice one on a mount and once on a plain? Or is it some other explanation?
From this account we do not know if Jesus stood on what Luke calls a plain when he delivered the teachings (which we will read in a minute) and so the better explanation is that Jesus taught on numerous occasions, and he often taught similar things to different audiences, and this is an example of this.
Between Matthew and Lukes rendering, though the locations are described as a Mount and as a Plain, we know that
1. That the beginning and the close of both teachings are alike.
2nd. That the substance of each of the teachings are the same. And,
3rd. That after the discourse was delivered, both affirm that Jesus went to Capernaum and healed the servant of the centurion (which we will read about here in Luke chapter 7 and can read about in Matthew 8:5-13).
In terms of differences though, Matthew says that Jesus sat and Luke states that Jesus stood.
These are not significant differences because he could have, at different points in the presentation, done both.
So, as I said, I tend to believe that both events – what is recorded in Matthew and in Luke – occurred as they are recorded therein and what we are about to read is what occurred on the plain. Now from verses 18 and 19 it seems to me that this is the reason that Luke says Jesus stood because Matthew’s sermon on the mount does not include him healing folks being vexed with unclean spirits.
Because this is reported as happening here on the plain, I think Jesus stood in at least part of this event, which was not part of the situation in Matthew and the Sermon on the Mount. (verses 18-19)
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
At this “Third chop” (verses 20-26) Jesus does some teaching which as stated, is similar to Matthews account on the Mount. Let’s read it:
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
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.
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.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Okay, back to verse 20!
20. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
Jesus said, the poor in Spirit in Matthews account, and here he seems to make this applicable to the people before him because in Matthews account he says,
Blessed are THE poor in spirit for theirs IS the Kingdom of heaven.
Here Jesus appears to say, while looking out over the crowd:
Blessed be you poor, for yours IS the Kingdom of God. Splitting hairs? Potentially. But because I believe that these are two different teachings I am pointing out the differences.
If I am correct and these are different teachings, what are we to make of this phrase where Jesus tells the poor who are before him – Happy are you for you have the Kingdom of Heaven.
I have to be honest, this is something that troubles me in scripture – where Jesus promises the Kingdom to people where the ONLY reason he gives is they suffered in this life!
This is one of those places – Blessed are you poor for yours IS the Kingdom of Heaven. Nothing about faith. Nothing about love. Nothing about letting Jesus into your heart to save you.
Just blessed are you poor for yours IS the Kingdom of Heaven.
There is another place where Jesus does this – and it is just as troubling. It is delivered via parable and is known as the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus – found in Luke 16.
There we read:
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
This is the description that Jesus gives of the Rich Man. Nothing more other than “he was rich, dressed well and fared sumptuously every day.”
The Greek term translated to sumptuously is lampros and all it means is brightly or brilliantly. An illuminated life of luxury.
Jesus says nothing about sin, nothing about any vice – just that the rich man lived sumptuously every day.
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Again, in the description of the beggar Lazarus, all we get is he was a beggar, who was laid at the gate of the rich man (implying that he was incapable of getting to the gate on his own) and that his condition was wretched (as he was covered in sores).
Jesus also adds that the hope of Lazarus the beggar was to eat from the crumbs or scraps of food that were discarded or fell from the rich mans table.
He does not tell us that the rich man treated Lazarus poorly, and it seems that Lazarus did get scraps of food from this place which is why he was put there in the first place.
My only point is Jesus himself gives us no details except two extremes – one man was rich and fare sumptuously every day and one was poor and did not. That is it.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Jesus is the greatest teacher to have ever walked in skin. He knows what he is doing and saying and he knows why.
And this brings us back to the point – the ONLY reasons HE, the great teacher, gives us for one going to hell and the other going to paradise was their standard of living.
That bugs me. It makes me wonder about my heart, my lifestyle, and how centered on the things of this world I really am.
I mean, what do we do with the fact that we were born in the United States? What do we do with the fact that we were pretty much born of privilege, and live privileged lives? Sumptuously every day?
The principle makes me wonder how much I am really like the rich man, and when I see people less fortunate than myself if I ought to bestow upon them more, much, all that I have so they can live better?
This SEEMS to be the message – and I don’t like messages that seem to be something and there is no way of getting around them (other than through rationalizations).
So, this is what this passage brings to me – an irrefutable principle:
“Blessed ARE you poor, for yours IS the Kingdom of God.”
Of course, what we have to do, which is what we must do whenever we read scripture, is something I call spoking, which is, taking all factors of a subject and spoking them to the conclusion so as to see the full picture.
So when we come to the hub called, “the Kingdom of God,” we certainly cannot say that just because someone is poor they enter in. We have to spoke in the fact that unless you are born from above you won’t even see this kingdom, and then all the other factors that describe accessing the kingdom.
So this helps with the tendency to freak out over single teachings or statements that tend to overwhelm the subject with oversimplifications. Spoking is really important when we read through the beatitudes or teachings like them because they rarely stand alone (like verse 21)
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Again, Matthew’s account rounds it out a little better for us and instead of just mentioning being hungry, he writes, “blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness.”
Luke appears to just mention part of what Jesus fully meant (unless of course Jesus was speaking only to the physical trial of his audience there).
And then blessed are those who weep for they shall laugh.
A phrase which is certainly Hebrew in nature and does not mean literally – it never has – such statements are speaking to conditions or overall states of being relative to existence.
I say this because it does not mean there is no weeping and ONLY laughter in the Kingdom. It better means that former woes are abated and replaced with unspeakable joys. (verses 22-23)
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.
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.
Now, there are several keys parts to these two passages.
First, what does Jesus say reward will come from in heaven – for being hated, ostracized, reproached and cast out or excommunicated but the real key is found in the last line of verse 22 – “for the son of Mans sake.”
For the cause of the Son of Man, for Him and His purposes. It says nothing about being blessed for being hated because you’re a jerk or annoying, or unreliable.
Blessed are those of you who are essentially excommunicated from your tribe for the son of Mans sake.
And this was speaking especially to those people them who WERE being (or were going to be) excommunicated for following the Messiah.
They would be hated, they would be reproached and cast out – BECAUSE they were following Jesus.
And so, if we are to have application today it would have to be for the same thing. You were once loved and accepted and involved and had a good reputation among your tribe but BECAUSE you side with Jesus (NOT because of any other reason) you are alienated.
That is what he is saying. We should also note what Jesus says about the place of reward for such hatred – and its not here as he adds:
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.
It can be difficult to accept or believe that there awaits great rewards in heaven, that unseen place above what awaits all of us.
That is a matter of faith – to trust and believe that the great beyond hold some great reward (Jesus words not mine) for those who suffered for his name and cause here. But that is the promise. Over and over and over again, to the Christian.
Do not lay up in store treasures that will corrode and rust, but lay up your treasures in heaven.
Do this in secret here and your father will reward you openly there.
Great is your reward in heaven if you suffer for Jesus today.
Most people look around and say, “nope. I’m gonna live for today and get all I can get now cause there is no guarantee that God is gonna come through in the future – if there is a God and the like.
And bottom line folks, this is all about faith. Do you trust the word and words of Jesus? Do we believe that there is a place in the hereafter where God will make all things right, where he will reward those of us who chose faith over the now?
This is the way I see it – right or wrong – and I’ve done a lot of thinking about it – and everything that Jesus is saying here relates to the concept of the here and now verse the afterlife –
From those who are poor here being rich there, to those who cry here laughing there, and to those who are hungry here, or who have lost great friends and relationships here, rejoicing there.
This is the way (the world-view) through which I have come to choose how I will try and live:
I agree with the word that this life IS in fact, a vapor on glass. We see evidence of this all of the time as loved ones are here and then they are Gone Baby Gone.
I trust that there is a creator of all things and this is firmly ensconced in my mind relative to evidence and my faith.
Because people are here on minute and gone FOREVER the next, and in the scope of an eternity beyond there is no end to existence (something I believe) and because God has firmly established that this life is NOT the focal point, but the life to come,
I have personally come to believe that this life is the time to choose to live for today (which is highly ephemeral and lacking in genuine substance) or to live on principles that we are told will bear weight in the hereafter (which are substantive.)
I actually weigh things out in terms of value in light of these ideas, and believe that when it comes to placing my bets on where to focus my life’s time and attention, I am in a better way – all things considered – to focus on the eternal over the temporal and ephemeral – and that it is the wisest of choices on earth.
Could I be wrong? Yes. But along the way, I have chosen to try and be less selfish, let hateful, less unforgiving and less attached to the material – so even if I am wrong, the payoff for these choices IN THIS LIFE are (in my estimation) better than greed, avarice, anger and hate.
So, there is it – whatever its worth.
At this point Luke has Jesus do something unique – in verses 20-23 Jesus seems to be speaking to the unfortunates in the crowd – and we have addressed his comments to them.
But at verse 24 he appears to turn his attention to the fortunate in the crowd (perhaps it’s the pharisees and the scribes) and he re-addresses each subject but this time with woes!
In other words in verse 20-23 he says, Blessed.
Now, speaking of the same topics – material poverty or wealth, hunger, weeping and being treated poorly – he speaks to the other side – the rich, the full, the laughing and those who are popular.
So in verse 20 he said:
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.
And in verse 24 he adds:
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
And in verse 21 he said
21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
But in verse 25 he adds
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
And then in verse 22 he said
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.
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.
But in verse 26 he adds:
26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
So lets wrap our time up on these woes that Jesus throws down now.
24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.
Interestingly, these woes have been ignored by Matthew but because he says, “Woe to you who ARE rich, “ it appears to be a direct message to people in his presence.
And I have to say that what he says to them:
For you have received your consolation, fits right into my understanding and world view of the New Testament message of Christ.
In other words it seems – it seems – at least to me, that human life – human existence, at least for some – is all about God allowing those who are created in His image to choose (this day, as Joshua said) who we will serve.
The choice was given all the way back in the Garden of Eden where God has created a wonderful world for Adam and Eve, and tells them to not eat of the fruit of the tree, but leaves them to their own devices.
They got to choose whom they would serve – themselves and their will or God and his.
They got the forbidden fruit and they ate it! They had their reward. It is given here and now and has zero relation to faith and trust in Him.
If there was another couple in the garden with Adam and Eve, lets call them Brian and Dee, and Brian and Dee said,
We are not going to eat that fruit here, Brian and Dee would not have had the reward. I mean Adam and Eve are over there going gaga over the taste of the fruit and Brian and Dee are sort of having to wonder if its worth it to wait – but they choose to – trusting in the living God and his promises.
So when Jesus tells the rich people before Him that they have their reward, I suggest that this is a true principle by which we can understand this life –
There are immediate rewards for choosing the things of this life and world – they are rewards, they are blessings, and they are from God.
I do not believe that there is anything inherently wrong with them – they are products of God for those who love THIS life and this world, and then things it offers them.
And if these are the focus and the aim of individuals – have at it.
But I am simultaneously convinced that those who choose to focus on the rewards bestowed in heaven are making the better choice, and while they suffer here for a bit (in the cause of choosing the long view over the short) the rewards are supreme by comparison – and I say this because this is what Jesus says and teaches.
Even right here.
Let’s stop here and we will pick up on the Lord’s teaching here next week.
Comments/Question/Prayer
