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Luke 6.4-19
Milk
July 28th 2019
(Prerecorded on the 21st)
So, we left off last week with Jesus and His disciples walking through fields and the disciples took kernels of a grain and harvested them in their hands causing the Pharisees to calling them out as Sabbath breakers.
We covered these verses last week:
Luke 6:1 And it came to pass on the second sabbath after the first, that he went through the corn fields; and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands.
2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days?
3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungred, and they which were with him;
At verse four, continuing on with the story of David, Jesus says:
4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?
5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
I don’t usually do this but the Mark and Matthew accounts add so much to the story being told here its worth describing what they bring.
For instance, this is what the Matthew account says of this same situation:
5 Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?
Here Jesus referred to the conduct of the priests also on the Sabbath days. See, on days when no work was to be done the priests could not escape from the work of killing animals for sacrifice, Numbers 28:9,10 – specifically, two lambs were killed on the sabbath, in addition to what was called “the daily sacrifice.”
The priests had to be engaged in slaying them, and also in making fires to burn them in sacrifice. But Exodus 35:3 expressedly forbade the Jews on the sabbath from kindling fires! (Exodus 35:3).
So the priests were doing these things and yet they were blameless. Add in that all that they did was in the temple which if the law was to ever be kept it should have been kept there!
After making this point in the Matthew account Jesus adds something significant to the conversation, adding:
6 But I say unto you, “That in this place is one greater than the temple.”
This is huge -as the temple was front and center to everything the Jews cared about. Here they were out in a field and Jesus takes the story about the temple priests doing labors on the sabbath and applies the labors His disciples were doing to Him – the one GREATER THAN THE TEMPLE!
Greater than the temple! Look out!
This was a direct reference to his own dignity and authority and power and this being the case he actually is telling them:
“I have power over the laws: I can grant to my disciples a dispensation from the Jewish laws. An act which I command or permit them to do, is therefore right.”
This was a direct proof that Jesus was filled with the Divine and had his full authority to act counter to the Laws of God for none can but God Himself.
Then in Marks account we read Jesus saying that “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath,” which of course means that the Sabbath was intended for the welfare of man as a means to assist him and her in their happiness and not to produce misery by unfeeling requirements.
Luke omits these additional insights to his account but Luke does have Jesus say in verse 5:
“That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.”
Which, along with Matthew and Mark reiterates that Jesus had the authority to direct others to whatever was requisite for His labors among men to be accomplished. And again, this is yet another plain statement from the mouth of Jesus that He was divine.
Finally, the Matthew account has Jesus add more saying to the teaching moment as he says there:
7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
This passage is taken from both Hosea 6:6 and Micah 6:6-8. And their meaning appears to be that in order of priority God seems to prefer acts of mercy over acts of religious complicity – which again is sort of ironic if you buy into the man-made idea that there is no freewill and everything is determined because how could there be any priorities therein – and why would Jesus even say:
“If you had known what this means you would NOT have condemned the guiltless.”
But, oh well, the point in scripture is both mercy and sacrifice are good – but mercy is the greater good, and should be done in preference to the other.
So here Jesus seems to be saying to the religious leaders, “If you had known this about God, what it means:
I will have mercy and not sacrifice, you would have refrained from calling my disciples out – they were hungry, have mercy, and don’t put sacrifice ahead of this.
So, this first sabbath day confrontation seems to sort of set us up for what is about to come next here in Luke chapter 6 verse 6 because if there was ever a need for mercy and not sacrifice it was here in this forthcoming situation – (BACK TO LUKE) Let’s read through the block together from verse 6 to verse 11:
Luke 6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
At this point in Luke’s chronology, Jesus takes the whole teaching here and the criticism of his disciples threshing the wheat on the sabbath to fill their hungry stomachs to a new level – now we enter a synagogue (on another Sabbath) and he purposely does “a work” (a very merciful work) in the face of the most religious of the land!
Back to verse 6
Luke 6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
This verse in an of itself is a semi-description of life, isn’t it?
And as she drove the other kids to school she saw a child wandering alone in the street apparently lost . . .
And when he got to his office his secretary was crying at her desk . . .
She was invited to a table filled will laughing girls but noticed that June was sitting alone
It was the Sabbath, yes, it was the Sabbath and they were all gathered there on the Sabbath IN the synagogue . . . yes, yes, yes . . .holy holy holy.
But there was a man with a withered hand. Of course in that age the Sabbath was important – this is not to be dismissed, but Jesus came to bring a new importance to life – the import of love – agape love – selfless, for the other love. And to illustrate this he was making use of all of the examples around him as the religious rulers had become so hard and cold in their religious selves they omitted what Jesus calls the weightier matters and focused on (guess?) THE LAW and the LETTER.
If we think about it, in the age of God’s grace, where all of our faults and failures have been covered, there is no need to ever put one’s own needs in the name of religion ahead of anothers.
We cannot insult God by failing to dot the right I or by crossing the wrong T!
But we can certainly fail by thinking that we still need to serve laws and letter over flesh and blood, right?
This was the situation here. There was a roomful of religious men who were so self-indulgent religiously (meaning that they were self-satisfied with suffering around them so long as THEY believed they were in harmony with the Law) that they were willing to let a man suffer even one more day with a disability rather than see him healed by Jesus!
That is hard heartedness. That is a cold wasteland. And Luke takes us right into the middle of it –
Luke 6:6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
8 But he knew their thoughts,
Another sign of God is Him – He knew their cold calculated hearts. Matthew tells us that it was for envy that they killed him. And that is one of the main roots of fugly religious men – envy – meaning that they would have rather had Jesus comply to their established standards of behavior than for him to actually change the life of man bound up in a physical prison.
“and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.”
Matthews account does not have Jesus address the man but it does have Jesus asking the crowd of religious rulers how many of them, if they had a sheep fall in a pit would not draw it out on a Sabbath day and then he comments about how much greater a man is than a sheep? Additionally and interestingly, Mark adds that Jesus “looked on them with anger.” That makes sense, doesn’t it? That their attitude toward religious things caused them to try and catch Jesus at being merciful and good.
(beat)
Here in Luke Jesus says (at verse 9)
9 I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
Luke does not provide any sort of response from them so apparently the Word made flesh, once again, had the capacity to stun them with his wisdom and insight – which was certainly something amazing and Godly that Jesus did constantly – speaking like God spoke to Job.
But He didn’t stop at speaking profound words. Verse 10
10 And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand.
Of course, we have the two-way street that often occurs with Jesus and healing . . . with God and Man. Two forces working toward a good end with one extending from God (by virtue of invitation and desire) and one received and responded to by human beings in terms of faith and need.
Jesus invited the man to stand forth, and Jesus desired to heal the man of his affliction. In this vain he extends another invitation to the man asking the impossible – to stretch forth his withered hand.
In this I see the same factors replayed in how God interacts with all human beings on the two-lane highway.
He invites, encourages, reaches out – and in his invitation and encouragement are requests for a response from us couched in faith.
He says I’ll help you learn to walk with me – now stand up. He says, I am here to answer your prayers, now listen. He knocks – we answer.
There is often two participants when it comes to God and human kind. Yes, there are times when it is only Him – which emphasizes His being our Savior, but there are also many times where He includes us in the process – just like Jesus included the man with the withered hand in his own healing and directing him to do what was not possible in his former life – to actually stretch-forth his hand!
Of course the man could have been sarcastic and unwilling. He could have said, “If I could do that I woulda ten years ago.”
But the setting was the man was in the presence of the healer, and in his presence the man believed he could do as asked.
“And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.”
Again, lets get to the heart of healings – if God does them they are complete, and they are real and they are effective.
Enough said. And how did the onlooking crowd respond? Did they worship God and applaud the act of mercy bestowed upon the man? (verse 11)
11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
An interesting response, eh? They were filled with “stupid rage” (anoia in the Greek).
Of course such a response is the product of envy, a result of Jesus (who knew their thoughts) showing them that He had the power to heal, a response proving in living color that their views of the Sabbath were wrong and therefore it was a direct act that said to them and their leadership: I have no respect for you.
Boom! Gnashing of teeth madness.
And in these two stories we see that relative to the Law and the Sabbath that there were two situations that triumphed over religious traditions of that age – necessity and mercy.
And if we REALLY think about it, we will discover that when it comes to individual human beings the things that are necessary to their well-being and the need to extend them mercy will constantly thwart the demands of most religiously mandated demands.
This brings us to verses 12 – 19 – so let’s knock out another chunk of text by reading and then covering them.
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
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.
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.
Back to verse 12 – which by the description there seems to have been some span of time that has passed since the synagogue event.
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
This passage, along with dozens of others, help us to understand who and what Jesus of Nazareth truly was – a man in the flesh who had God in Him which moved Him to overcome all the events of this world.
The passage does not convey any real meaning in the traditional regurgitated light of Christian rhetoric which constantly stammers out that “Jesus was God, Jesus was God.”
What does the passage say? It says plainly:
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he (meaning Jesus) went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Why on earth would Jesus as God go out to the mountains and deserted places and wilderness to pray to God if he WAS God as the rhetoric attempts to convey?
His flesh was NOT God – anymore than our flesh becomes God at rebirth! His flesh needed to escape to the mountains to commune with God all night.
His flesh was tempted. His flesh was able to die and sin but it NEVER EVER did because God was in Him fully – from birth.
It is not a popular teaching but I am thoroughly convinced that Jesus of Nazareth, NOT THE WORD OF GOD MADE FLESH THAT WAS IN HIM but Jesus of Nazareth, born of a woman, born under the Law, was in the process of being deified; that God took His only begotten Son and lead Him step by step toward the throne at His right hand and the bestowal of that throne would not be holding his glorified body UNTIL he overcame all things including sin and death.
In overcoming such, Jesus inherited, as a human being, ALL that his father had – on our behalf and as a means to reconcile everything to His Father.
In light of this view, we see and understand then Jesus of Nazareth repeatedly resorting to the wilderness to have communion with God (as this passage says). And in this case his communion lasted all night.
By the way there has been some difference of opinion about this line as to whether it means that “he spent the night in the act of praying to God” or if he spent the night in the place where he started out praying.
The Jews had places of prayer, called “oratories,” which were built outside of their cities or towns and where people could retire from the bustle of a city and hold communion with God.
They appear to have been built on the banks of rivers (see Acts 16:13), in groves, or on hills. It doesn’t really matter which interpretation is true, does it? Jesus was at least praying and the prayer of a minute or all night from the mouth of Jesus was sufficient, right? And when it comes to us, however the spirit leads, right? The only thing that is interesting is what Jesus was going to do on the next day (according to Luke’s account) that it seems His fathers imput was important. (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;
According to this verse there was a large group of “disciples” or “learners” whom Jesus “called” to him (prosephônêsen), and it was from among them that He chose (of himself, and for himself, indirect middle voice (eklexamenos).
Jesus, in the face of whom he chose, admits in John 15:16:
“You have not chosen me but I have chosen you,” which is a line that seems to intimate full responsibility on His part for the men he selected – Judas Iscariot included.
Now, it is really important that we take the time to read the context and the content of what Jesus actually says TO HIS CHOSEN APOSTLES AND HOW HE DIRECTS THEM, AND WHAT HE SENTS THEM OUT TO DO AND TO WHOM – if we are to see and understand the scripture in our lives.
For what we are about to read are Jesus words to His APOSTLES – they are not his words to US!
They must be read according to that day, that age, what he was doing and why and what He was seeking to accomplish on earth (ready) THROUGH THEM.
As I read Matthews report of this ask yourselves – what age, area and time is Jesus describing here to His apostles that He has JUST called.
Ready?
Matthew 10:1 And when he (Jesus) had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
They had these power given then by Jesus – these words are not to believers and other readers today!
2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth,(remember, this is the meaning of Apostle – sent or one sent forth – there is no office there is the meaning that Jesus sent them forth) and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Isn’t it apparent that this event was
Timely
Pointed to a specific purpose and age and to these men involved and therefore
Limited to that time and age?
(verse 7)
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (This was the Message to them/then – it was actually apocalyptic and something that they had been anticipating for centuries. It was the message of John the Baptist and it was the message of Jesus. Not it is the message of His specially chosen 12. And along with their message Jesus gives THEM/THEN power and authority, saying (at verse 8)
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.
12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Obviously, if we can strip OURSELVES out of the narrative, this is Jesus speaking to the twelve and giving them instructions that cannot be reasonably and rationally applied to our day and age. And after saying all of this Jesus adds, respecting those who reject their message in THAT day:
15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
There was an approaching day of judgement that both John, Jesus, and the rest of the apostles who wrote were constantly warning about. It was to come upon them/then and there was no escaping it. These 12 apostles themselves were actually warning people – even cursing those who rejected them – that their end would be worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah if they did not repent!
And then Jesus says to them
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
Talk about time stamping the material! It is almost comical when Christians today will take these passages and assign them to the present. How often are we being delivered up to “councils, and who is being scourged in synagogues” today. Right?
Then Jesus says to these men then:
19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
How many times have you heard this advice to them applied to believers today? Dozens for me. But it is a misappropriation of the text! How about some more time stamping? Verse 21
21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
These are words about the approaching end given to these chosen men being sent out to die for their message. Its as clear as day. Ready for a big one?
23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
Now, in the context of what Jesus is telling them, “enduring to the end” and “better off than Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement,” it seems wholly contextual to believe that Jesus is speaking of when the Son of Man returns to them/then with reward and judgement.
But because this is not in harmony with some people’s eschatology they insist that Jesus was speaking of either:
His coming to Galilee for some special trip?
Or
The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost?
Or
His coming on the Mount of Transfiguration?
And I think in the face of these responses we are able to see the manipulation – even if it is well intentioned – of the scripture as a means to justify our pet perspectives.
In any case, Jesus continues on here and says to these twelve men relative to being His disciples, and the mistreatment they will suffer as such:
24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
25 It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
And we will continue on with the calling of the Apostles next week.
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