This week's Bible study will be part two of Luke chapter six

Of Blessings, Woes, and Love for our Enemies

[Luke chapter 6, verses 20-36]

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For this week's Bible study, we'll be going over part two of Luke chapter six. It is at this point in Scripture that the venerated Sermon on the Mount begins, although it starts in chapter 5 of Matthew's gospel. But today we'll be picking up beginning at verse 20. As you recall, when we closed out last week's study Jesus had just finished healing a large crowd that had come to see him and hear him preach. Now that the healing was over and everyone's needs had evidently been met, it was time for the preaching and teaching phase of Jesus' ministry to begin. I find it quite remarkable that Jesus apparently didn't need to take a break between the healing and the preaching, although at this point our Savior must have been on his feet for hours! Jesus might have stopped long enough for a quick bite to eat, but the Bible doesn't say if he did or not. I find this to be one of many classic examples of the unknowable and never-ending love of Jesus Christ for each of us! But to stay on topic, let's begin at verse 20.

“Looking at his disciples he said, 'Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” (Luke 6, verses 20-21)

As we take in this portion of Luke's gospel verses by verse, I think it's important to examine both sides of this coin from Jesus' point of view. “Blessed are the poor”, means cursed are the rich! Anyone who chooses a lifetime of temporary riches, all of which will remain behind when that person has lived out their life, will get exactly what they chose. Meaning, after they die they have nothing set aside for eternity. They will be “thrown outside into darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25: 30). “Blessed are you who hunger, for you will be satisfied.” Matthew's gospel says this a little better, I think: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matt. 5: 6) We live in an incredibly unjust world, and the proof lies in the rampant inequality that currently exists, and has existed for centuries. But if we all make ourselves a people who hunger and thirst after some true righteousness, we find that righteousness to be only in Jesus Christ, the One who died to save us all, only to live again forever! Hallelujah! “Blessed are you who weep now”. Rest assured that those who have caused you sorrow will be repaid for their injury to you. Only let God take care of it, don't try to avenge yourself. It is written elsewhere in the Old Testament: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, thus says the Lord your God”.

“Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you, and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.” (Luke 6: verses 22-23)

Ever joined a church only to find yourself excluded or given a cold reception by other members? Ever tried to join a church only to be turned away? Trust me, both of the above have happened to me back in my fairly distant past. But what I gained from these experiences is a heightened sense of spiritual discernment that I had previously lacked. These kinds of experiences are fairly commonplace in American churches, both Protestant and Catholic, as you know. Well, Jesus is telling us all to quit being mad about feeling rejected, suck up our hurt feelings, and to grow up into being better followers! Those who rejected us will be dealt with in due time. By the same token, any Christian believer who finds themselves ostracized for their faith should give thanks to God. Moreover, when this happens and we give thanks and praise, it serves to strengthen us in our abilities to resist evil and temptation. In so doing, we strengthen our faith and affirm more strongly our belief! Then Jesus gives his apostles and the crowd gathered around them the flip side of this coin that I mentioned above.

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” (Luke 6: verses 24-26)

What was Jesus saying in modern English? If all we want is riches, that is all we will receive. If all we want is food and comfort, if any of us really thinks we will be content with that and no more, then if any of us is willing to settle just for that little bit, why should the Lord reward us with any more? That would be like somebody willingly paying more than the sticker price for a car or truck. Since it makes no sense to pay more than we have to, then it would be equally nonsensical for the Lord to reward any of us for being willing to settle for less than the best. The same thing goes for being popular or highly respected, or for those seeking fame and fortune. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you”, and that remains ever so true to this day. And now let's conclude today's study, beginning at verse 27.

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?. Even 'sinners' lend to sinners, expecting repayment in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6: 27-36)

Confound your enemies by treating them well! Love those who hate you, do good to those who mistreat you, don't use curse or swear words against someone even if they 'cuss you out'. This is a tall order for anyone to fill, no matter how well-meaning an individual we might be. For one thing, it's noticeably counter-intuitive. We naturally react negatively towards those who react negatively towards us – it's human nature! In fact, what Jesus preached that day was that we are to do everything that is contrary to our human nature in order to live like Christ. “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” That statement is one of several Jesus made here that sums up Christianity in a nutshell with these most timeless descriptions. Love your enemies, because love always conquers hate. Love them and do good things for them without qualification. Lend to them while expecting nothing in return.

After all, if God is kind even to ungrateful and wicked people, how much more will he do for those who diligently follow him and serve him without reservation? Instead, Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” As before, there are 2 sides to this coin. The same degree of mercy and patience that we show towards others will be shown back to us when our lives are over and done with. The more mercy and patience towards children and the elderly, the disabled and handicapped, and the mentally ill and homeless we show throughout our lives, the more merciful God will be towards us through Jesus Christ his Son. But shallow and selfish individuals who live their whole lives keeping everything all to themselves while showing no due consideration for anyone else they ever came into contact with will go to everlasting punishment for their adamant refusal to try and reach out and help others, putting themselves ahead of others instead of the other way around. Let us take all these things carefully into consideration during this coming week, making a concerted effort to become a merciful and gracious people in honor of the Lord, knowing he will do the same for us when our time comes. And next week we'll move on to the 3^rd and final part of Luke chapter six.

Bible study this week will be the first half of Luke chapter four

The Temptation of Jesus

[Luke chapter 4, verses 1-21]

For this week's Bible study, we'll be moving on to Luke chapter four. Since there is so much in here for us to digest, I will be breaking up chapter four into two parts. This is a very well-known passage of Scripture, so all you more seasoned Christians bear with me for the sake of the newer believers. Besides, something tells me that for many, they will be seeing a fresh point of view relating to this story of Jesus' temptation in the desert. So let's begin at verse one.

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was very hungry. The devil said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'Man does not live on bread alone'.” (Luke 4: 1-4)

Could anyone possibly picture themselves in this situation? Jesus went out into the desert after being baptized in the Jordan river. This was near Bethlehem, the place of his birth, but roughly northwest of there in the desert area in what would be southeastern Israel today. The high temperature in that desert would be about 90 degrees in the winter, and much hotter in the summer. So here we have ample proof that Jesus was the Son of God, because a normal human would not be able to survive alone out in that desert heat without food for forty days. Presumably Jesus had a little rain water to drink, but the apostle Luke does not specify about that one way or the other.

So the devil, or Satan or the 'Tempter', was attacking Jesus right from the very start of his ministry. Besides having to deal with hunger and exposure to the elements in a harsh environment, Jesus has his arch-enemy taunting, teasing and belittling him at every turn. Testing him, verbally abusing him, and pushing Jesus' patience well beyond human limitations is what Satan did for forty days straight! Satan was unrelenting in his attacks on our Lord, though he was undoubtedly not allowed to harm Jesus physically. If Satan was unrelenting in his attacks on the Son of God, then how much more is this true for ourselves? The quote, “Man does not live on bread alone” is taken from Deuteronomy 8: 3, which in its full context reads, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. So Jesus was saying to Satan, “You can keep your bread and your stone. I am in need of neither of them. I have my Father, and he supplies me with everything.” We should all take a lesson here from our Lord to do the same! Let's pick up now at verse 5.

“The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you will worship me, it will all be yours.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'” (Luke 4: 5-8)

So we can clearly see here that Satan showed Jesus every kingdom, empire, and government in existence at that time, plus all the empires of the past and into the future, simultaneously. This is significant because it proves Satan can travel back and forth in time, but by extension so can the Lord! Moreover, since God and Satan are spirits and not physical beings, they are trans-dimensional as well, and the above Scripture proves that to my satisfaction. Hopefully it is to yours as well. But if not, try praying for more faith! Remember, God answers all prayers having to do with faith, that's a given. Also, as you have observed, Jesus turned down Satan's offer, but that's just what's on the surface. If we go deeper, we find Jesus rejected all the corruption that is inherent in every government. As we know, traditional hierarchical governance and corruption go hand in hand. It is up to us to do something about that, but that's a Sunday sermon for another time.

“The devil then led him to Jerusalem and set him up on the highest point on the Temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down from here, for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone'. Jesus said, 'It says: Do not put the Lord your God to the test'. When the devil had finished all his tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4: 9-13)

I see two things here that I think bear considerable emphasis. First, Satan knows the Bible as well as Christ Jesus does, which is sufficient warning for the rest of us not to ever underestimate Satan. He is evil personified, the source of every kind of depravity and immorality, of every murder and deceit, and the ultimate starter of all the wars ever fought in humanity's history. This brings me to the second thing, “he left him until an opportune time.” Satan is relentless, he never gives up, he is obsessed with our destruction, and he's determined to never stop until he either achieves his objective or gets destroyed in the process. Satan is not only evil, he is fanatical about it. It is for this exact reason that we are to be equally fanatical while we continuously resist him! The devil never stops trying, and neither should we! The Bible says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4: 7). Never stop resisting Satan and the wrong temptations he brings! Otherwise, the devil can and will consume you. Bearing this in mind, let's wrap up the remainder of this week's study, taking up where we left off.

“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened upon him, and he began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'” (Luke 4:14-21)

So here's the scene – Jesus has gone into the synagogue at Nazareth on the morning of the Sabbath (the Jewish Sabbath goes from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday by our calendars today). It is his turn to read on this particular morning, so he reads a quote from Isaiah chapter 61, verses 1-2. First, Jesus proclaims 'good news to the poor'. Contrary to popular belief within much of Christendom, particularly here in the US, this verse does not tell us that Jesus wants us all to be rich! On the contrary, it foretells a day when we won't need money any more, because a time is coming when that entire capitalist economic system will soon be destroyed. This is not an idle threat, it is a fact and if Jesus said it will occur through one of the prophets of his Father, then it surely will!

Jesus, through the prophet Isaiah, then proclaims 'freedom for the prisoners' and 'recovery of sight for the blind'. This does not mean Jesus wants to let all the convicts out of jail, but that he wants to set their spirit free and so to redeem their souls from the fires of hell. He wants to give sight, not just to those who are physically blind, but to all those individuals who are blinded by the deception of Satan and his minions, so that they may see the light of truth, which is Jesus Christ. Jesus also wants to free the oppressed! Show me a dictator and I'll show you someone who is the polar opposite of Christ, just like Satan. So it's safe to say here that all dictators are demonic people, without exception.

Finally, Jesus proclaimed in the middle of a church service that it was “the year of the Lord's favor”. This 'year of the Lord's favor' refers to a Jubilee year, which is a mutual canceling of debts (see Leviticus 25, verses 8-17 for a detailed explanation of a Jubilee year). As it is with many, so it shall be with property – this entire economy of excessive profit at the expense of numerous others is unjust, and it will come to an end. So hang in there, the era of indebtedness is coming to a cataclysmic end. But, be watchful, because it is likely that it will do so quite suddenly, catching many people unawares. Don't let that day sneak up on you – get prepared now! Stock up on nonperishable food, and get bottled water by the gallon to make sure you have enough. You will need 1-2 gallons per day per person in the event of a national emergency. Get your money out of Wall Street or you will lose it all! Yes, I know, the Dow just hit 19,000 the week this was written, but anyone who thinks it will continue to up indefinitely is only fooling themselves.

In closing, Jesus finished by saying, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So he was telling the entire congregation, which probably was relatively small, that he was here to finish the job Isaiah started. He was telling them that he was the Jewish Messiah, yet not in so many words. What did the rest of the men in the congregation think? Did they believe Jesus or not, and did the rest of the town believe along with them? The answer to that question comes next week, when we will (God willing) finish up Luke chapter four. Until then, take good care, and keep Jesus in your heart!