Luke 6 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study

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LUKE 6 IN 5 MINUTES

WHEN:

• The events of chapter 6 were part of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

• These events took place between approximately 26-31 A.D..

CHARACTERS:

• Jesus - The Savior, son of Mary.

• Pharisees - Religious leaders who kept the Law of Moses with strict rigor.

• Scribes - Religious “experts” who interpreted the Law of Moses and could draft legal documents.

• Man with Withered Hand - A handicapped man who Jesus healed on the Sabbath day.

• The 12 Apostles - All 12 are named in this chapter.

WHERE:

• The specific locations of the events of chapter 6 are not mentioned, but it is almost certain they occurred in Galilee, perhaps around Capernaum.

• In verse 12, Jesus ascends an unnamed mountain to pray.

• In verse 17, He descends the mountain to teach a crowd of people.

OUTLINE:

• JESUS ACCUSED OF BREAKING THE SABBATH (6:1-6:5):

  • One particular Sabbath, Jesus’ disciples were picking and eating heads of grain from a grainfield.

  • The Pharisees accused them of breaking Sabbath day law.

  • Jesus corrected the way the Pharisees interpreted the law and told them He was the lord of the Sabbath.

• JESUS HEALS A WITHERED HAND (6:6-6:11):

  • While in the synagogue on the Sabbath day, Jesus saw a man with a withered right hand.

  • The scribes and Pharisees watched to see if Jesus would heal the man so they could accuse Him of “working” and breaking Sabbath law.

  • Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for hypocrisy and healed the man’s withered hand.

• JESUS SELECTS HIS APOSTLES (6:12-6:16):

  • Jesus went up a mountain and prayed all night.

  • In the morning, He descended the mountain and selected 12 Apostles: Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew (Levi), Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot.

• JESUS TEACHES THE PEOPLE (6:17-6:49):

  • Jesus descended the mountain and began teaching the people.

  • Jesus taught the poor in spirit, those hungry for righteousness, and the persecuted would be blessed.

  • He spoke “woes” against those who trusted in their riches and courted the favor of men.

  • He taught the people to love their enemies and not retaliate when someone did evil to them.

  • Jesus told them not to judge others unjustly or in hypocrisy.

  • He compared them to fruit trees, a good person producing good fruit, a bad person producing bad fruit.

  • His teaching concluded with another comparison, this time to the builder of a house.

  • A person who heard Jesus’ teaching and applied it was a like a man who built his house on a deep foundation.

  • A person who heard Jesus’ teaching and did not apply it was like a man who built his house without a foundation.

  • When the flood came, the house on the foundation survived but the house with no foundation was destroyed.

BIG PICTURE:

• This chapter reveals the Jew’s deep misunderstanding of God and His Old Testament Law.

• The scribes and the Pharisees were supposed to be the teachers of the Law but Jesus exposes them as corrupt.

• Who knows how many honest Jews were misguided by these so-called “teachers.”

• This was a serious underlying problem that would have impacted the way the Jews thought about the Messiah.

• Jesus came to clarify the nature and heart of God.

APPLICATION:

• The Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath based on man-made traditions. We need to be cautious we aren’t judging others on the standard of our tradition. We don’t have the right to judge where God has not judged.

• Have you prayed for an enemy lately? Try to think of someone whose actions you dislike and pray for them. Was it easy to pray for them? If not, why? What does it tell you about your heart?