Luke 6

Luke 6:2 - Can't we be just like the Pharisees? I get a picture of them watching Jesus intently, looking for him to violate a law (see Luke 6:7 too). We can do the same, we have our own pet doctrines and when someone who professes to be a Christian violates them we pounce. Assume for a minute that you're right about that doctrine and they are wrong - is this what you'd want them to do to you if it was reversed? Certainly if I'm in the wrong, I want to be corrected, but I don't want to be judged. So why do we do that to others? Christian like to shake our heads at the Pharisees and wonder how they can be such knuckleheads, and then we go and act just like them.

Luke 6:9 - Jesus is always good for asking those questions that, if answered honestly, humble the answerer. Though it irritates me to no end at the time, I appreciate those who do the same to me. My wife is good for that. When I'm all worked up about something, she comes in with a question or statement that humbles me and puts things in their proper perspective.

Luke 6:12-16 - I would love to listen in on these kind of prayers. I wonder what it was like? Was Jesus reviewing the merits of the possible apostles with God? Pluses and minuses of each candidate. Did he know at this time that Judas would betray him? If so, can you imagine choosing him? I guess he did need someone to do it, but that seems a little cold to say that Jesus chose Judas because he knew that Judas would fill the role of betrayer. It could be that his knowledge of the betrayal only extended to the fact that it would happen, not of who would do it. Perhaps God hadn't revealed that to the human Jesus yet. It seems to make sense that Jesus' knowledge of the future wouldn't be completed and might be revealed as needed. After all, can you imaging a 5 or 6 year old Jesus knowing the pain and torture he would one day endure? I guess I hope, in this case, that Jesus was a little more human and a little less God.

And I wonder, what did he tell them it meant to be an apostle?

Luke 6:17-19 - I love this contrast between Jesus consulting with the Father on appointing apostles and the Jesus with the people, focus on meeting their needs. Two faces of the same mission - the task oriented business of establishing the kingdom on Earth and the practical matter of living it out in meeting needs.

Luke 6:20-26 - I see in this version of the beatitudes a contrast between the Earthly focused and the kingdom focused. He's not saying that we should pursue poverty, hunger, weeping and persecution rather that we should pursue the kingdom and endure those things if that's what needs to be. Along with that, if our stomachs and wallets are always filled, life is always fun and we're popular, we should be wary. There's a pattern seen in those seeking the kingdom and if we don't see a measure of it in ourselves, woe to us.

That ought to give all of American Christianity pause, I think.

Luke 6:27-26 - Two of the most challenging paragraphs in all of scripture. We like having stuff, our own stuff, and Jesus here says give it up. Not only give it up to those who need or deserve it, but give it up to anyone who asks for it. Our minds cannot be concerned with stuff. Stuff steals our hearts and demands our attention. Attention that could be focused on God or on others.

It's so challenging because the culture around us screams at us to get more stuff and to maintain and protect that stuff. Not only do we need a new car, we need an alarm to protect it. Jesus calls us to leave our stuff open for whoever needs it. It's so challenging because if we do, someone will take advantage and will abuse us. Was Jesus naive? No, he knew the hearts of evil men. Rather, he challenged us to have the heart of God, in spite of the evil around us. Lord help us.

Luke 6:38 - What measure am I using? We all want God's blessings, yet right here he tells us that how we give and bless will limit how he can give to us and bless us. We want to get, how much are we giving?

Luke 6:46 - "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?" A very good question, and a humbling one. The bar is so high, unachievable actually. Yet Jesus makes no apologies for setting a high standard. Rather, he simply goes to the cross and makes up the difference. It's hard to fathom and accept 'cause I'm prideful. I don't want to admit that I need help, I want to believe that I can sit down and reason my way through all this and figure it out. Which is stupid because there's enough in this chapter alone to tie me in knots for the rest of my life.

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