Luke 6

Lord of the Sabbath

¹ Now it came to pass on the Sabbath he was going through [a] grain field, and his disciples were plucking and eating the ears of grain rubbing [them] in their hands. ² But some of the Pharisees said: Why do you do what is not permitted on the Sabbath? ³ And answering, Jesus said to them: Have you not read this which David did, when he was hungry and those with him? ⁴ How they entered into the house of God and having taken the loaves of the presence he ate and gave to those with him, which it is not permitted to be eating except the priests only? ⁵ And he was saying to them: The son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.

Healing a Withered Hand

⁶ Now it came to pass on another Sabbath he entered into the synagogue and was teaching; and [a] man was there and his right hand was withered. ⁷ And the scribes and the Pharisees were watching him closely if he heals on the Sabbath, in order that they may find [something with which] to accuse him. ⁸ But he had known their reasonings, so he said to the man having the withered hand: Be rising and stand in the middle. And having arisen he stood. ⁹ So Jesus said to them: I ask you if it is permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save [a] psyche-life¹ or to destroy² [it]? ¹⁰ And looking around at them all, he said to him: Be stretching out your hand. So he did, and his hand was restored. ¹¹ But they were filled with mindless rage, and were discussing among themselves what they might do with Jesus.

Choosing the Twelve Apostles

¹² Now it came [about] in those days he was going out to the mountain to pray, and was spending the night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it became day, he called his disciples, having chosen from them twelve, which also he named `apostles'³, Simon, whom also he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Phillip and Bartholemew, ¹⁵ and Matthew and Thomas and James Alphaeus and Simon the [one] being called Zealot, ¹⁶ and Judas of James, and Judas Iscariot, which became betrayer.

The Sermon on the Plain

¹⁷ And having come down with them he stood upon [a] flat place, and [a] great crowd of his disciples, and [a] great multitude of people from all of Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸ who came to hear him and be healed from their diseases, and those being troubled by unclean spirits were being healed. ¹⁹ And all the crowd was seeking to touch him, because power was coming out from him and was healing all. ²⁰ And having lifted up his eyes to his disciples he was saying:

Blessed [are] the poor, for theirs is⁴ the kingdom of God.
²¹ Blessed are those hungering now, for they will be filled.
Blessed are those weeping now, for they shall laugh.

²² Blessed are you when men hate you and exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked⁵ on account of the son of man. ²³ Rejoice in that day and jump-for-joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven, for such [things] were their fathers doing to the prophets. ²⁴ Instead,

Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your satisfaction ⁶.
²⁵ Woe to you who are well satisfied with food now, for you will hunger.
Woe to you laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶ Woe when all men speak well [of you],
for thus were their fathers doing to the false prophets.

²⁷ But I say to you listening: Be agape-loving your enemies, be doing good to those hating you. ²⁸ Be speaking well of those cursing you, Be praying concerning those mistreating you. ²⁹ To the [one] striking you on the cheek offer the other, and from the [one] taking your garment also do not withhold your tunic. ³⁰ To all asking⁷ [of you] be giving, and from the [one] taking your [things] do not ask [them] back. ³¹ And just as you are wanting that men be doing to you, be doing likewise to them.

³² And if you agape-love those agape-loving you, how is grace⁸ to you? For even sinners⁹ agape-love those who agape-love them. ³³ And if you do good to those doing good to you, how is grace⁸ to you? Even sinners⁹ do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to whom you hope to receive [back], how is grace⁸ to you? Even sinners⁹ lend to sinners, in order to receive back equal. ³⁵ Instead, be agape-loving your enemies and be doing good and be lending, receiving back nothing. And your reward will be great in heaven, and you will be sons of the most high, because he is kind to [the] ungrateful and wicked⁵. ³⁶ Be becoming compassionate¹⁰ , just as your father is compassionate¹⁰.

Do Not Judge Others

³⁷ And be not judging, and you will not be judged. And be not condemning, and you will not be condemned. Be forgiving¹¹, and you will be forgiven¹². ³⁸ Be giving, and it will be given you, good measure pressed down, shaken [down], overflowing¹³ they will give into your lap¹⁴. For with what measure you measure it will be measured in return to you.

³⁹ But he also said to them [a] parable: Is [the] blind [man] able to be leading the blind? Won't both fall into [a] pit? ⁴⁰ [A] disciple is not above the teacher, but the [one] having been fully trained¹⁵ will be like his teacher.

⁴¹ But why do you see the speck in your brother's eye, but the plank in your own eye you do not take notice of? ⁴² How are you able to be saying to your brother: Brother, allow [me], I will cast out the speck in your eye, not seeing the plank in your [own] eye? Hypocrite! Throw out first the plank in your eye, and then you will see clearly to throw out the speck in your brother's eye.

⁴³ For [a] good tree is not producing bad¹⁶ fruit, nor again [is a] bad tree producing good fruit. ⁴⁴ For each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from brambles. ⁴⁵ The good man from the good treasure of his heart brings forth the good, and the wicked⁵ from the wicked⁵ brings forth the wicked⁵. For his mouth speaks from the fullness of [the] heart.

⁴⁶ Why do you call me 'lord lord', and not do what I say?

⁴⁷ Everyone coming to me and hearing my words and doing them, I will show you what he is like. ⁴⁸ He is like [a] man building [a] house, who dug and deepened and placed [the] foundation upon the rock. So [a] flood having come to pass, the river dashed against that house, and it was unable to shake it because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the [one] having heard and not having done is like [a] man building [a] house upon the ground¹⁷ without [a] foundation, against which the river dashed, and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house became great.

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¹from PSYCHE (ψυχη): an individual manifestation of life/consciousness. Animals have PSYCHEs as well as humans. Contrast ZOE (ζωη)—Life 'collectively', interdependent, interconnected.

²or "ruin"

³literally "sent [ones]"

⁴The beatitudes are a series of `conditional sentences': "if condition, then consequence." Notice that this is the only beatitude in this passage with a `present' consequence; the other beatitudes (in vs. 21–23) have future consequences.

⁵PONEROS (πoνηρoς ) here. The Greek word KAKOS (κακoς ) is always translated `evil', PONEROS is usually translated as `wicked' although occasionally as `bad'; it can also mean 'diseased', 'sickly' and is thus translated where appropriate. Like KAKOS, PONEROS also means `evil', but the harm that evil does is more in view, where KAKOS is more `evil as evil'.

⁶or "encouragement"

⁷AITEO "ay-TEH-oh" (αιτεω) "request", "demand", "beg" something for oneself. Far from humbly requesting—it's more like 'demanding'. Jesus uses AITEO only of the prayer of others, not of His own (cf. John.16:26)—and not requesting things for Himself, only for others. AITEO seems to suppose a lesser degree of intimacy than EROTAO (ερωταω), hence AITEO is used of the requests of the disciples to God, but EROTAO of the requests of the disciples to Jesus, and of those of Jesus to the Father ( John.14:16). AITEO is demanding/begging/pleading, EROTAO is polite and friendlier. Both AITEO and EROTAO occur in John.16:26.

⁸literally `grace' CHARIS (χαρις ). For Paul this is an important theological word which he uses constantly; Jesus uses it only a few times (Lk. 6:32, 33, 34; Lk.17:9) in its earlier `secular' meaning of `gift' or `credit'.

⁹Here the term `sinners' may refer to those who had no concern for following the Mosaic law, these were often treated as social outcasts [NET].

¹⁰OIKTIRMOS (oικτιρμoς ). Being concerned about another’s unfortunate state or misery (as opposed to judicial mercy in which a judge imposes a lighter sentence).

¹¹i.e. "releasing", "forgiving"

¹²i.e. "released," "forgiven"

¹³ The image is from buying grain in the marketplace: first some was placed in your container, then it was shaken down to make room for more, then more was added.[NET]

¹⁴or 'bosom'

¹⁵or `prepared'

¹⁶SAPHROS (σαφρoς ) Frequently translated 'rotten', but then, even good fruit will rot with time. The idea is a tree that produces fruit unfit for consumption. Swanson (1997) suggests 'diseased'.

¹⁷GE "GAY" (γη) "earth", "land" (remember that they didn't understand about the Earth being a planet floating in space yet), sometimes "ground" or "dirt".