Luke Chapter 6 continues to show the authority of Jesus, but now that authority is shown especially in His teaching.

In Luke Ch5, Jesus called sinners, cleansed the unclean, forgave sins, and taught that the new wine of His kingdom could not simply be poured into old wineskins. In Luke 6, we see more of what life under that kingdom looks like.

Jesus teaches about the Sabbath, mercy, enemies, judgment, fruit, and foundations.

The chapter is not merely about being “nice.” It is about the heart being brought under the reign of Christ.

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

Luke begins with Jesus’ disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath. Some of the Pharisees ask why they are doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath.

Jesus answers by pointing to David, who ate the bread of the Presence when he and his men were hungry. Then Jesus says that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

The point is not that the Sabbath does not matter. The point is that Jesus has authority over the Sabbath. The Pharisees are looking at the disciples and missing the Lord standing in front of them.

This connects with Mark Ch2, where Jesus also teaches that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. The Sabbath was meant as a gift under God, not a weapon against mercy.

A Man with a Withered Hand

On another Sabbath, Jesus enters the synagogue and teaches. A man is there whose right hand is withered. The scribes and Pharisees watch Jesus closely, looking for a reason to accuse Him.

Jesus knows their thoughts.

He calls the man forward and asks whether it is lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it.

Then He heals the man.

The religious leaders are furious, but Jesus has exposed the problem. They care more about accusing Jesus than rejoicing in mercy. Their version of righteousness has become hard and loveless.

This fits with the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Ch5, where Jesus shows that true righteousness goes deeper than outward rule-keeping. God sees the heart.

The Twelve Apostles

Luke then tells us that Jesus goes out to the mountain to pray, and He spends the night in prayer to God.

That detail matters.

Before choosing the Twelve, Jesus prays.

He is not building a movement by human strategy alone. He is acting in communion with the Father.

Then He chooses twelve apostles from among His disciples. The number twelve likely reminds us of the twelve tribes of Israel. Jesus is gathering and forming the people of God around Himself.

The list includes Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Even here, Judas is mentioned honestly. Jesus’ circle includes one who will betray Him. Outward nearness to Jesus is not the same as true faith, as we also saw in John 6 with Judas.

Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude

Jesus then comes down and stands on a level place with a great crowd of disciples and a great multitude of people.

They come to hear Him and to be healed.

Unclean spirits are cast out.

The sick are healed.

Power comes out from Him and heals them all.

This scene shows the mercy and authority of Christ together. Jesus teaches with authority, but He also heals the broken and delivers the oppressed.

He is not merely giving moral advice.

He is bringing the kingdom.

The Beatitudes

Jesus then lifts His eyes on His disciples and speaks blessings.

Blessed are the poor.

Blessed are the hungry.

Blessed are those who weep.

Blessed are those hated for the Son of Man’s sake.

This sounds upside down to the world. The world usually blesses the rich, comfortable, laughing, and admired.

But Jesus is teaching kingdom reality.

The poor, hungry, grieving, and rejected are not forgotten by God. Those who belong to Christ may suffer now, but the kingdom belongs to them.

This connects with Matthew Ch5, where Matthew also records the Beatitudes. The blessed life is not always the life that looks successful to the world.

Jesus Pronounces Woes

Jesus also speaks woes.

Woe to the rich.

Woe to those who are full now.

Woe to those who laugh now.

Woe when all people speak well of you.

This does not mean every rich person is automatically condemned, or that laughter is always sinful. The warning is against a life satisfied with this world and uninterested in God.

If someone has comfort, praise, and pleasure now, but no hunger for God, that person is in danger.

Jesus is warning against false security.

This connects with Matthew Ch6, where Jesus teaches that where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. If our treasure is earthly comfort, our heart will be tied to what cannot last.

Love Your Enemies

Jesus then gives one of His hardest commands:

Love your enemies.

Do good to those who hate you.

Bless those who curse you.

Pray for those who abuse you.

This is not natural. It is easy to love those who love us. It is much harder to pray for those who oppose us.

But Jesus calls His disciples to reflect the mercy of God.

He says to be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

This does not mean evil is good. It does not mean abuse should be ignored, or that justice never matters. But it does mean the Christian must not be ruled by revenge.

Christ’s people are called to a mercy that the world cannot explain apart from grace.

Judging Others

Jesus then says not to judge, and not to condemn.

This does not mean Christians can never discern right from wrong. Jesus Himself is teaching right and wrong throughout the chapter.

The issue is a harsh, condemning, hypocritical spirit. Jesus is warning against the kind of judgment that sees everyone else’s sin clearly while ignoring our own.

Then He says:

“For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

This means the standard we use toward others will return upon us.

If we are harsh, proud, condemning, and merciless toward others, we should not imagine that this spirit is pleasing to God. If we refuse mercy, forgiveness, and humility, our own judgment exposes us.

But if we have received mercy from God, then mercy should shape the way we deal with others.

This is not salvation by being lenient enough. It is not Jesus saying, “Forgive enough people and you will earn heaven.” Rather, He is saying that the heart touched by grace becomes merciful.

The measure matters because it reveals the heart.

A proud heart measures others with cruelty.

A humbled heart remembers mercy.

This is different from the “measure” language in Mark Ch4, where Jesus speaks about how people hear the Word. Here in Luke 6, the focus is especially on judgment, forgiveness, and mercy toward others.

Jesus then gives the picture of the speck and the log. We often see the small speck in a brother’s eye while ignoring the great log in our own.

That is painfully true.

Jesus is not saying sin does not matter. He is saying we must deal honestly with our own sin before trying to correct someone else.

A Tree and Its Fruit

Jesus then says that no good tree bears bad fruit, and no bad tree bears good fruit. Each tree is known by its own fruit.

Then He says:

“Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

This means our words reveal what is filling the heart.

If the heart is full of pride, bitterness, lust, anger, greed, envy, or unbelief, that will eventually come out in speech. It may come out through gossip, cruelty, complaining, lying, mocking, boasting, or contempt.

But if the heart is being filled with Christ, His Word, His mercy, and His truth, that will also come out. Not perfectly, because Christians still struggle with sin. But increasingly, the mouth begins to bear different fruit.

A heart shaped by Christ should produce words of truth, repentance, kindness, mercy, courage, and worship.

This does not mean we are saved because our speech is perfect. It means our speech is diagnostic. It shows what is going on inside.

The mouth is like fruit on a tree.

It reveals the root.

This connects with Luke Ch3, where John the Baptist calls people to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Real repentance does not stay invisible forever. It begins to show.

Build Your House on the Rock

Jesus ends the chapter with a warning about foundations.

He asks why people call Him “Lord, Lord,” but do not do what He says.

That is a serious question.

Words alone are not enough.

The person who hears Jesus’ words and does them is like a man who builds his house on a deep foundation of rock. When the flood comes, the house stands.

But the person who hears and does not obey is like a man who builds without a foundation. When the flood comes, the house falls.

The storm reveals the foundation.

Jesus is not teaching salvation by self-effort. He is teaching that true faith listens to Him and follows Him. A person cannot truly receive Christ while refusing His Word.

From a Christian Reformed lens, obedience is not the root of our salvation. Christ is. But obedience is the fruit of true faith.

The foundation is not our moral strength.

The foundation is Christ and His Word.

The Message of Luke Chapter 6

Luke Chapter 6 shows what life under Jesus’ authority looks like.

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath.

He shows mercy on the Sabbath.

He chooses the Twelve after prayer.

He heals the sick and delivers the oppressed.

He blesses the poor and warns the comfortable.

He commands love for enemies.

He warns against harsh judgment.

He teaches that the mouth reveals the heart.

He calls His disciples to build on the foundation of His Word.

The chapter presses us inward.

What kind of heart do we have?

What measure do we use with others?

What fruit is coming from our lives?

What do our words reveal?

And what foundation are we building on?

Christ does not merely want outward religion.

He wants the heart.

He gives mercy.

He calls for mercy.

He speaks life.

And He calls His people to hear His words and build on them.