Luk 6 | EE | STEP | On a Jewish day for rest, Jesus and his disciples were walking through some fields where wheat was growing. His disciples began to pick some of the wheat. They were rubbing it between their hands and eating the seeds.

Luke 6

Jesus teaches about the Jewish day for rest

1 On a Jewish day for rest, Jesus and his disciples were walking through some fields where wheat was growing. His disciples began to pick some of the wheat. They were rubbing it between their hands and eating the seeds.

2 Some of the Pharisees were walking along with them. They said, ‘You should not be doing that on our day for rest. It is against God’s Law.’

3 Jesus replied, ‘You have certainly read about what David did one day. He and the men who were with him were hungry. 4 He went into God’s Great House. He took the special bread that was there. It is against God’s Law for anyone except the priests to eat that bread. But David ate some of it. He gave some of the bread to his men to eat as well.’

5 Then Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man has authority over the Law about the day for rest.’ ^{▼▼6:5 We can read this report about David in 1 Samuel chapter 21.}

Jesus makes a man well on the day for rest

6 On another Jewish day for rest, Jesus went into the Jewish meeting place and he taught the people. A man was there. His right hand had become small and weak and he could not use it. 7 Some teachers of God’s Law and some Pharisees were watching Jesus carefully. They wanted to find a reason to say that he was doing something wrong. So they watched Jesus to see if he would make the man well on the day for rest. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking. So he said to the man, ‘Get up and stand in front of everyone.’ The man got up and he stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to the people, ‘Let me ask you something. Is it right for us to do good things on our day for rest? Or should we do bad things? Should we save a person’s life? Or should we destroy their life?’ 10 Jesus looked around at everyone. Then he said to the man, ‘Lift up your hand.’ When the man lifted his hand, it became well. He could use it again.

11 Then the Pharisees and the teachers of God’s Law were very angry. They began to talk to each other about what they could do to Jesus.

Jesus chooses 12 men

12 One day Jesus went up a mountain to pray. He remained there all night and he was praying to God. 13 In the morning, he asked all his disciples to come to him. Then he chose 12 of them and he called them his apostles. These are their names:

14 Simon (Jesus gave him the name Peter),

Andrew (he was Simon’s brother),

James,

John,

Philip,

Bartholomew,

15 Matthew,

Thomas,

James, the son of Alphaeus,

Simon the Zealot,

16 Judas, son of James,

Judas Iscariot. He later gave Jesus to the people who were against him. ^{▼▼6:16 Many people were following Jesus. Only 12 of these were called apostles. The word apostle means someone who is sent out to do a job. Jesus taught them how to tell the Good News about himself. Later, he sent them to do that.}

Jesus teaches people

17 After Jesus had chosen these 12 men, they all came down the hill. He stopped and he stood on a flat place. A large crowd of his disciples stood round him. There were also many people from Jerusalem, and from other towns of Judea, and from places on the coast near Tyre and Sidon. 18 These people had all come to hear Jesus teach. Those people who were ill wanted him to make them well. He also made well those people who had bad spirits. 19 All the people were trying to touch him, because he was using great power to make each person well.

20 Jesus looked at his disciples. He spoke this message to them:

‘Happy are you people that are poor. The kingdom of God belongs to you. ^{▼▼6:20 Jesus was not only speaking about people that have no money. Matthew 5:3 shows us that. Some people know that they need God. He was also speaking about those people.}
21 Happy are you people that are hungry now. God will feed you until you are full. ^{▼▼6:21 Jesus was not only speaking about people that have nothing to eat. Matthew 5:6 shows us that. He was also speaking about people that really want to know more about God. They want all that God has to give them.}
Happy are you people that are crying now. Later, you will laugh. ^{▼▼6:21 Matthew 5:4 shows that Jesus was not only speaking about sad people. Some people are sorry for the bad things that they have done. He was also speaking about those people.}

22 People may hate you, because you believe in me, the Son of Man. They may say bad things against you and make you go away from them. They may say that you are very bad. When that happens, be happy. 23 God will prepare many good things for you in heaven. So be very happy when people do these bad things to you! Jump up and down because you are so happy. Their ancestors did the same bad things to God’s prophets long ago.

24 Listen, you that are rich.
You have a comfortable life now, but trouble will come to you.
25 Listen, you that are full with food now.
Trouble will come to you and you will be hungry.
Listen, you that are laughing now.
Trouble will come to you. You will be sad and you will cry.

26 Do people always say good things about you? Know that trouble will come to you. Long ago their ancestors said good things about bad prophets. Those prophets said that they were from God but their words were false.’

Love people that want to hurt you

27 Jesus went on to say, ‘I say this to you who are listening carefully to me: Love the people who want to hurt you. Do good things to people that hate you. 28 Say good things to people that say bad things against you. Pray for people who give you pain.

29 Someone may slap you on one side of your face. Then you should let him slap the other side of your face too. Someone may take away your coat. If he does, do not stop him from taking your shirt also. 30 When anyone asks you for something, give it to him. Someone may take something that belongs to you. If he does, let him keep it. Do not ask to have it back again. 31 Do the good things for other people that you would want them to do for you.

32 Do you only love people who love you? God will not praise you just for doing that. Even bad people love those people who love them. 33 Do you only do good things to people that do good things to you? God will not praise you just for doing that. Even bad people do the same thing. 34 Do you lend things only to people that will give your things back to you? Will God praise you for doing that? Even bad people lend things to other people when they believe that they will get them back again. 35 No! I am telling you to love people that want to hurt you. Do good things to them. Lend things to them and do not want to get them back again. Then God will prepare good things for you. He is kind even to people that do not say “thank you”. He is kind even to very bad people. If you live like this, you will show that you really are children of the powerful God who is over all. 36 You should be kind to other people, as God your Father is kind.

37 Do not say to anyone, “You are a bad person.” Then God will not say to you, “You are bad person.” Do not say to anyone, “God should punish you because you are bad.” Then God will not say that to you. Forgive other people and God will forgive you. 38 Give to other people and God will give to you. He will give to you even more than you gave. He will fill your pocket until no more will go in. It will be so full that it will come out over the top. Think about how you give to other people. God will give in the same way to you.’ ^{▼▼6:38 The people would leave part of their coat to hang over their belt. They used this as a large pocket. It was big enough to hold some food. A person may give someone a lot of food if he fills his pocket. Then he is doing what God does. God gives a lot to those that also give a lot. We choose how we will give to other people. Then God does the same to us.}

39 Jesus also used a story to teach the people. He said, ‘A blind person cannot lead another blind person. If he does, then both of them will fall into a deep hole.

40 A student is not more important than his teacher is. But each student who has learned everything will be like his teacher.

41 Perhaps you want to tell a friend about his little mistake. If you want to do that, first remember your own bigger mistakes. 42 You are like a person who has a big piece of wood in his eye. But then he says to his friend, “My friend, you have a little piece of dirt in your eye. Let me take it out for you.” Do not be like that person. You think you are better than your friend. But you are not. First, you must take the big piece of wood out of your eye. After that, your eyes will be clear and you will see well. Then you can take the small piece of dirt out of your friend’s eye.’

A story about a tree and its fruit

43 Jesus said, ‘Good trees only make good fruit. Bad trees only make bad fruit. 44 In this way you can know if a tree is good or bad. You can know this by the fruit that the tree makes. Figs and grapes do not grow on thorn bushes. ^{▼▼6:44 Figs and grapes are two kinds of fruit. They grow in the country called Israel. They are good to eat. Thorn bushes are small bushes. They do not make good fruit.}

45 People are the same. A good man keeps good things in his mind. In his life, he brings those good things out from there. But a bad man keeps bad things in his mind. He brings those bad thoughts out from there. It is like things that he brings out of a room where he keeps them. When a person speaks, his words show what is really in his mind.’

A story about men that are building a house

46 Jesus said, ‘Do not call me, “Master, Master,” and then not obey me. 47 Some people come to me. They listen to my message and they obey it. Let me tell you what those people are like. They are like a man who built a house. 48 This man dug down in the ground to the rock. He put the first line of stones on the rock. After that, he built the house on top of the rock. Then a storm came and it brought a lot of water. The water hit the house but it could not move it. The water could not move the house because the man had built it very well.

49 Some other people hear my message but they do not obey it. Those people are like another man who built a house. This man did not dig down deep to the rock. Instead, he put the first line of stones on the top of the ground. Then he built his house on them. A storm came and it brought a lot of water. It hit that house and it fell down immediately. The water completely destroyed it.’ ^{▼▼6:49 In the story, a storm happened to both houses. People are like that. God will look at everyone to see how we have listened to his message. Have we accepted it and obeyed it?}