Luke 6:12-36
Lesson 116
Lesson 116
Luke 6:12-36
The twelve disciples 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. 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. 27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. 29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. |
Margin notes:
"Continued all night in prayer." (6:12) - Before every important day, Jesus took time to pray. After this prayer session, Jesus chose His disciples, the men who would interpret Him and spread Christianity. "Disciples." (6:13) - Followers, students, devotees, supporters, or persons who believe in a cause or the teachings of a leader. The word disciple is translated from the Greek word mathetes, which means one that learns. In the Bible, disciples refer to the followers of Jesus (Matthew 5:1; 8:21; 10:1; 11:1; 20:17), John the Baptist (Matthew 9:14) and of the Pharisees (Matthew 22:15-16). Jesus had many disciples, not just twelve (Luke 10:1). "Apostles." (6:13) - This is the first time Jesus called His followers, apostles. It is from the Greek word "apostello," meaning "to send." An apostle is a person sent as an advocate, a proponent, believer, disciple, ambassador, messenger, devotee, or missionary. It is a person who believes in an idea or cause and persuades others to follow it. Jesus was the first Christian Apostle (Hebrews 3:1) sent to petition God's cause with mankind. After the crucifixion, the word apostle came to mean any messenger/teacher sent by God to spread the good news of the Gospel. "Zelotes." (6:15) - Means "Zealot." Judaism had four factions; Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and the Zealots. More than the other factions, the Zealots were strident defenders of the Mosaic Law and refused to yield to Gentile authority. They were opposed to paying Roman taxes (Luke 20:22) and periodically resorted to armed rebellion against Rome. They often conducted terrorist type attacks and assassinated Romans or Jewish leaders who cooperated with the Romans. In part, it was one of their uprisings in AD 70 that lead to the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of General Titus and the Roman army. "The company of his disciples." (6:17) - "Many of His followers." "A great multitude of people." (6:17) - Large crowds of Jews (from Judea and Jerusalem) and Gentiles (from Tyre and Sidon) flocked to see Jesus. "Sidon." (6:17) - Sometimes called Zidon. Sidon was a seaport city (Ezekiel 27:8) located on the Mediterranean Sea twenty-five miles north of Tyre (south of modern-day Beirut, Lebanon). It stood a one day sail from Caesarea. Mentioned in Joshua 11:8 and 19:28 as a great city, Sidon was inhabited by Gentiles who had a history of oppressing Jews (Judges 10:12). In the Old Testament, Sidon was destroyed because of its pagan worship, but by Jesus' day it was a thriving fishing town with prosperous glass and weaving shops and was famous for its art, commerce, and cedar trees (1 Kings 5:6 and 1 Chronicles 22:4). Today, Sidon is home to about 10,000 people and boasts many ancient ruins. "Vexed with unclean spirits." (6:18) - "Tormented by demons." "Virtue out of him." (6:19) - "Power went out of Him." This was not the first time virtue left Jesus (Mark 5:30), or the last (Luke 8:46). "Blessed are ye that hunger." (6:21) - This refers to spiritual hunger (Matthew 5:6). At a time when earthly riches were believed to be a heavenly reward and poverty a punishment from God, Jesus shocked everyone by announcing blessings on the poor and the persecuted (6:22). Those who seek fulfillment through fame or fortune will find it is the only prize they will ever receive (6:24), and it will do them little good after death. However, those who seek fulfillment in Christ will find eternal reward (Revelation 7:16-17). "Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh." (6:21) - A good verse to memorize when bereaved. "In the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." (6:23) - "The same as their ancestors did to the prophets." See 2 Chronicles 36:16 and Acts 7:51. "Consolation." (6:24) - Means "comfort." "Woe unto you that are full!" (6:25) - Isaiah 65:13. "Woe unto you that laugh now!" (6:25) - Proof that sinners will be punished after death? "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you." (6:27) - Jesus is reinforcing His teaching from Matthew 5:44. He will show us by example in 1 Peter 2:23. See also Proverbs 25:21. "Give to every man that asketh of thee." (6:30) - See Deuteronomy 15:7-8. Jesus is repeating His message from Matthew 5:42. "Of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again." (6:30) - "Don't ask him that took your property to return it again." "As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." (6:31) - The Golden Rule. Jesus is re-emphasizing this teaching from Matthew 7:12. "To practice the Golden Rule, even in small measure, makes us happy, helps us in our business, and in every relation of life. It is the most practical thing in this world. In serving others we serve ourselves. People like to deal with those who believe in and practice the Golden Rule." (Halley's Bible Handbook by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; page 501) "What thank have ye?" (6:32) - "What blessing have you?" "Hoping for nothing again." (6:35) - "Looking for no benefit." "The children of the Highest." (6:35) - "The children of God." "Tyre." (6:17) - A seaport city located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea (thirty-five miles north-west of The Sea of Galilee, forty-seven miles north of Caesarea and twenty-five miles south of Sidon) populated mostly by Gentiles. Tyre dates back to the twenty-eighth century B.C. and was called Tyrus in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 26:2). Described as a beautiful city (Ezekiel 27:4), Tyre was well known for its cedar trees (1 Chronicles 22:4), dye works, glassware, weaving, and other manufactured goods. Isaiah 23:8 tells us that Tyre was a "crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth." Tyre supplied cedar wood, carpenters, and masons to build the Temple in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Kings 5:2-10; 2 Chronicles 2:3), but the city also had a reputation for wickedness. Its people turned against Israel and sold Hebrews into slavery (Joel 3:6-8). Tyre was destroyed by God in the Old Testament (Isaiah 23:1; Amos 1:9-10; Zechariah 9:3-4). But by Jesus' time, the city had been rebuilt and boasted one of the busiest harbors in the eastern Mediterranean. Ezekiel 27:3 describes Tyre as being "situate at the entry of the sea, a merchant of the people for many isles." Tyre's merchant's shipped goods throughout the Roman empire and made the city wealthy. Today, Tyre is called Sur and inhabited by just a few thousand residents. Tyre is mentioned extensively in Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel 26-28. "He is kind unto the unthankful." (6:35) - "He is kind to the ungrateful." |