The Lord of the Sabbath
Luke 6One Sabbath, Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples started picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are y’all doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath day?”
Jesus answered them, “Haven’t y’all read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and took and ate the sacred bread which is not lawful for anyone but priests to eat. He also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Humanity is Lord of the Sabbath.”
On another Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and there was a man whose right hand was shriveled. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts, so he said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand here in the middle.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I’m going to ask y’all something: on the Sabbath, is it lawful to do good or to do evil? To save a life or to destroy it?” He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored. But they were filled with rage, and they started to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Naming The Twelve Apostles
During those days, Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When morning came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon (whom he also named Peter), Andrew, his brother James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Blessings and Woes
He came down with them and stood on a level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a great number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear him and be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were made well. All the crowd was trying to touch him, because power was coming out of him and healing them all.
Then looking up at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are the poor, for y’all’s is the Empire of God. Blessed are those who hunger now, for y’all will be satisfied. Blessed are those who weep now, for y’all will laugh. Blessed are y’all when humans hate you*, and when they exclude and mock y’all, and reject y’all’s name as evil because of the Son of Humanity. Y’all should rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because y’all’s reward is great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets the same way.“But woe to y’all who are rich! For y’all have received y’all’s comfort. Woe to y’all who are well-fed now, for y’all will be hungry. Woe to y’all who laugh now, for y’all will mourn and weep. Woe to y’all when humans speak well of y’all, for their ancestors treated the false prophets the same way.
Love Y’all’s Enemies
“But I say to y’all who are listening: Y’all should love y’all’s enemies, do good to those who hate y’all, bless those who curse y’all, and pray for those who mistreat y’all. Whoever strikes you on the cheek, offer them the other also. Whoever takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and whoever takes what is yours, don’t demand it back.
“Y’all are to do for others what y’all want them to do for you*.
“If y’all love those who love y’all, what credit is that to y’all? Even sinners love those who love them. And if y’all do good for those who do good for y’all, what credit is that to y’all? Even sinners do that. And if y’all lend to those from whom y’all hope to be repaid, what credit is that to y’all? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to be repaid the same amount. But y’all should love y’all’s enemies, and y’all should do good and lend expecting nothing in return. Then y’all’s reward will be great, and y’all will be children of the Most High, because ʜᴇ is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
“Therefore y’all are to be merciful, just as your* Father is also merciful.On Judging Others
Don’t y’all judge, and y’all won’t be judged. Don’t y’all condemn, and y’all won’t be condemned. Y’all forgive, and y’all will be forgiven.
“Y’all should give, and it will be given to y’all. An excellent measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure y’all use will be the measure y’all get back.”
He also told them a parable. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but don’t notice the log in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck in your brother’s eye.
People and Their Fruit
“A beautiful tree doesn’t produce rotten fruit, and likewise, a rotten tree doesn’t produce beautiful fruit. Each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from a brambles. The good human produces good from the good treasure in their heart, while the evil person produces evil from evil treasure in their heart. For out of the abundance of the heart, one’s mouth speaks.
Choosing a Wise Foundation
“Why do y’all call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and yet y’all don’t do what I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words and does them, I will show y’all what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood came, the torrent broke against that house and could not shake it, because it was finely built. But the one who hears but doesn’t do is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the torrent broke against that house, it immediately collapsed and was completely destroyed.”