Good Morning Gorgeous!
It’s a brand new day. A fresh new start and all things are being made new!
To dive into Luke 6, let’s back up and look at how Jesus ends Luke 5.
Remember from yesterday, Jesus called Peter and Matthew and had already began His public ministry.
He begins to teach that something NEW was here!
He is starting to prepare their hearts and minds for a NEW thing.
This new move of God won’t look like the old thing.
This new way of receiving from God won’t be found in the law, won’t be found in tradition or religious activity. Won’t be found in public righteousness and fancy titles.
There will be a NEW way and a whole NEW covenant coming.
Jesus doesn’t reveal all of this yet, He simply begins to speak of NEW garments and NEW wineskins..
Luke 5:36 NLT
[36] Then Jesus gave them this illustration: “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be ruined, and the new patch wouldn’t even match the old garment.
Luke 5:37-39 NLT
[37] “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. [38] New wine must be stored in new wineskins. [39] But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine. ‘The old is just fine,’ they say.”
Chapter 5 ends with all of this teaching on NEW!
And Jesus must have caught the attention of the religious leaders and the Pharisees because chapter 6 opens up with eyes on Jesus!
The Pharisees are keeping their eye on Jesus. He has caught their attention, and they are looking for a way to discount His new teaching. A way to prove that He is wrong and His words should be dismissed.
First, they call Him out for His disciples eating some grain as they walk through a field on the Sabbath.
Luke 6:2 NLT
[2] But some Pharisees said, “Why are you breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”
He said something mind blowing!
He is LORD of the Sabbath! This is a BIG deal because He is revealing who He is!! They miss it though…
Luke 6:5 NLT
[5] And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath.”
Now they are watching Him in the synagogue. They know He’s been healing. They know He’s been moving in POWER. They see the man with the deformed hand in synagogue. What will Jesus do? Will He actually heal the man on the Sabbath when Jews are not permitted to work? Eyes on Jesus!
But Jesus isn’t playing.
He doesn’t take the man in a back room.
He doesn’t heal Him after service.
He doesn’t wait until tomorrow and have him make an appointment!
He READS the hearts of the Pharisees and KNOWS what they are thinking even BEFORE they speak it.
He calls the man to the FRONT! Front and center. In front of ALL. And heals the man!
Luke 6:8-11 NLT
[8] But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward. [9] Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” [10] He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! [11] At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him.
They ARE MAAAD!
But Jesus is doing a NEW thing. And true moves of God will always upset religion. It will always disturb man’s plans. It will mess up people’s belief systems and make those who don’t want NEW wineskins angry.
Right after this healing in the synagogue, Jesus departs by Himself to pray.
He spends all night with the Father in prayer and comes back and chooses His 12 Apostles.
Luke 6:12-16 NLT
[12] One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. [13] At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names: [14] Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, [15] Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot), [16] Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
And then He begins to teach and teach and teach!
Luke 6 is heavy on red letter words. Much of the chapter are the teachings of Jesus.
A whole NEW system.. a whole NEW way. Ways that are COUNTER culture. COUNTER human nature.
Mercy, grace, compassion, extravagant giving, and FULL obedience!
He teaches how to generously give to even your enemies.. don’t expect a return.
He teaches to turn the other cheek when someone hurts you. Meaning not to seek revenge, but trust God with justice.
And even to rejoice when you are mocked or rejected!
Luke 6:23 NLT
[23] When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.
He teaches haaaard teachings about a whole NEW way to live that was counter culture THEN and is counter culture NOW!
And He teaches the importance of actually obeying the teachings. To receive them and be changed by them.
The chapter ends with the blessing for those who obey and a warning for those who don’t. The ones who obey will be on solid ground where the storms of this world cannot move them, shake them, or destroy them.
And the lessons remain today!
I encourage you to read all of Luke Chapter 6, and let the teachings of Jesus really be planted in your heart.
How does this apply to your life?
What does this type of counter culture living look like in today’s society?
Dear Heavenly Father,
We receive the NEW today! As we study Luke 6, may we receive these teachings NEW and begin to put them into practice. May we OBEY the teachings of Christ. Lord, search our hearts and remove any wicked way in us. Remove any resistance to these challenging teachings of giving generously to our enemies, not expecting a return, and not paying back evil with more evil. May we be QUICK to forgive and ready to be a blessing to others without any expectation of a return.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Blessings and BRAND new wine in NEW wineskins! May you receive the fullness of the teachings of Christ and obey them!
Vanessa Lynn
