Luke 6:17 - Luke 7:1 This is Jesus' first major teaching after He called His disciples to follow Him into ministry. The Sermon on the Plain is very similar to the Sermon on the Mount that is recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7. Notice in Luke 6:17 that a great multitude has come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. Luke 6:20 says that Jesus lifted up His eyes and spoke toward His disciples. Luke 7:1 says that Jesus concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people. Picture this: Jesus has just taught a great multitude the gospel and healed them of their diseases. In the presence and hearing of the whole multitude, Jesus turns to His disciples and teaches them the reason for His success in ministry. He is addressing the issue of grace and our attitude toward others.
Luke 6:20-21 "Blessed are you poor (the multitude cannot keep the Law and feel poor in spirit, so they realize they need a Savior), for yours is the kingdom of God (your sins are forgiven by grace and God will come to live in you after Jesus is raised from the dead). Blessed are you who hunger now (from being unable to keep the Law), for you shall be filled (with righteousness, by the grace of God). Blessed are you who weep now (from the burden of the Law), for you shall laugh (you will be filled with joy when you receive grace)." These verses are fulfilled when we receive grace from God for ourselves.
Vs. 22-23 "Blessed are you when men hate you (as you go out and share grace to people who are stuck under the Law in a performance based society), and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets." These verses are fulfilled when we go out and share the gospel or grace with others.
Vs. 24-26 "But woe to you who are rich (in your own estimation, thinking you are keeping the Law perfectly but are not), for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full (full of self-righteousness), for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now (those sitting in judgment of others, thinking that their performance is better than others), for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets (the false prophets were those who taught they could receive salvation by keeping the Law)." These verses are talking about those people who were still trapped in their own self-righteousness, and sitting in judgment of others.
Vs. 27-36 In these verses, Jesus is telling the people to offer grace and mercy to people, because our Father in heaven is graceful and merciful to us. Verses 35-36 'But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be great and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil (God is love and has grace toward us even when we don't deserve it). Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." We give mercy to others in response to the mercy we have received from God.
Vs. 37 "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven." If we judge and condemn others, our own conscience and the Law will condemn us. That is the purpose of the Law. Romans 3:20 "for by the Law is the knowledge of sin." It is not God who will judge or condemn us.
Vs. 38 "Give (mercy or grace) and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over (grace and mercy) will be put into your bosom (heart). For with the same measure (of grace and mercy) that you use (toward others), it will be measured back to you." This verse has always been taught as being about giving money, but the context is giving mercy.
Vs. 39-40 "And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." The multitude of people had been following the Jewish leaders, who were teaching that salvation could be attained by keeping the Law. If they followed these teachings, they would end up in the same ditch as their leaders.
Vs. 41-42 "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother's eye." The plank is judging others for their sins, instead of offering them grace and mercy. When we judge others, we have become self-righteous and lost sight of the fact that we sin too, and end up condemning ourselves as well as others.
Vs. 43-44 "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush." Has Jesus changed the subject? No. We read this through our sin consciousness and think He is condemning us for our sins. He is using another analogy which He explains in the following verses.
Vs. 45 "A good man (one who understands grace and mercy) out of the good treasure of his heart (the grace he has received) brings forth good (he offers grace to others); and an evil man (one who is stuck in self-righteousness by trying to keep the Law for salvation) out of the evil treasure of his heart (he feels condemned because he can't keep the Law) brings forth evil (he judges and condemns others). For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." If we understand God's love and grace for us, we will offer grace and mercy to others. If we approach God by our works, we feel judged and condemned, and we will judge and condemn others.
Vs. 46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord', and not do the things which I say?" Jesus has offered grace and mercy to the multitude and healed them of their diseases. He is saying, "Why do you call Me Lord and then judge and condemn others instead of offering them mercy and grace?" A disciple is supposed to follow the example of His Teacher. Our Teacher is the Giver of GRACE and MERCY! This verse has always been taught in a condemning manner, but it is the opposite.
Vs. 47-48 "Whoever comes to Me (receives grace from the Lord) and hears my sayings and does them (offers grace and mercy to others), I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock (the grace and mercy of God). And when the flood arose, the stream (of condemnation from the world and sometimes our own conscience when we fail) beat vehemently against the house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock."
Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace!
Keith Oliver
