The Gospel of Luke 6:20-36 Beatitudes
Luke 6:20-36 · Vern Peterman · Apr 12, 2015
Gospel of Luke, No. 22
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/49265155727

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Good morning. We're going to be continuing on now with our study in the Gospel of Luke and the passage that Randy just read for us here as we continue investigating Jesus. This is a passage that is known as the Sermon on the... Wow. The Sermon on the Mount.

Some call this a separate thing because some verses before speaks of Jesus standing in a level area, but I think they are in fact the same thing. So there's a point of debate here among those who look at it and some view it as the same event as is recorded in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 that we studied a couple years back here. This would be the location. This is a shot that Courtney took.

This would be the location of the Sermon on the Mount. And, of course, their idea of a mountain is a little different from what we have in Colorado. Here is a mount that's below sea level. So, if you can imagine that. So, yeah, our mountains are a little bit above sea level. A lot above sea level. So anyway, most likely it is the same place.

Matthew wrote as a Jew to a very Jewish audience and therefore included things in his account that Dr. Luke did not. And Dr. Luke, the Gentile, he's the one Gentile author of the New Testament that we are aware of, and yet he wrote between Luke and Acts over a quarter of the New Testament. He wrote to his own audience of apparently God-fearing Gentiles, so less of an emphasis on the Jewish element as Dr. Luke wrote here. So they wrote to a different audience and with different purposes in mind.

Dr. Luke, in fact, edited down compared to what Matthew included. Matthew has 137 verses in this sermon, chapters 5, 6, and 7. Here in Luke, it takes up less than a chapter, and it has only 30 verses. So what we find as we compare the two is Luke's is much shorter and less reference to the law and specifically Jewish elements, and yet What did Dr. Luke leave out of the Sermon on the Mount? Well, he left out much of the detail about the Law of Moses. Jesus would say, you know, you have heard that, I tell you, right, numerous times. Dr. Luke doesn't record any of that. There were things about, you know, leaving your, you know, sacrifice on the altar, things like that, that Dr. Luke did not include.

It's important, however, to recognize that though Dr. Luke wrote from a different perspective, Jesus is talking only to Jews in the land of Israel. So it's got a particular context and perspective that it's important for us to keep in mind. And I think another aspect, this was true also of the account in the Gospel of Matthew, his version of the Sermon on the Mount. live now with a view to the kingdom. That's the big picture summary of what this talks about. Dr. Luke's focus is on how the Jews are to live now with a view to the kingdom. The Jews to live now with a view to the kingdom. A great many Christians have read this not understanding that it is written specifically with a Jewish perspective.

The kingdom is the coming millennial kingdom, as Revelation 20 says six times, a thousand years, in which Christ will reign as the King of Israel. That's his kingship, as the King of Israel. Christ will also reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords over the Gentile nations. So those titles are explicit to different groups. He's the King of Israel, King of Kings and Lord of Lords over the Gentile nations.

The mistake that Christians make is to either say that it all applies to us in the church or that none of it applies. Those extremes are both in error. The principle here is comparison and contrast. We always have to ask what was directed to us and what applies to us and what does not. Let me give you an example. 1 Timothy 1, 3, and 4.

As I urged you upon my departure from Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, and are to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies. Are you supposed to get on the next plane to Ephesus? Is that your assignment as a Christian? No, right? The answer is no. But if you take this and apply it to yourself, you're going to get on the next plane to Ephesus.

And you're going to go and instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrine. It turns out Ephesus is just an archaeological city. Nobody really lives there. So good luck with that. But it's an example of where we can take something, apply it to ourselves, and it's not really intended for us. Here's another one.

For this reason, Paul wrote to Titus, I left you in Crete that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you. So is it your job to go to Crete today and appoint elders in every city? Is that your job? No, it is not.

So we always have to ask what applies and what does not. How does it apply to me? And it's appropriate here. We determine what applies to us by the principle of comparison and contrast. So what's that principle? We compare what is the same for another person or group and we contrast what is different between ourselves and another person or group. So comparison and contrast. What's the same? What's different?

We use scripture to confirm everything. If we see that something seems to be the same for what Jesus said to the Jews, and for us, we will find New Testament scriptures, scriptures in the letters and in the book of Acts, that will confirm that it applies to us.

Now, so here's Luke 6, 20-23. In turning his gaze toward his disciples, he began to say, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and insult you and scorn your name as evil for the sake of the Son of Man be glad in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets so four times blessed that's different than what Matthew had So it's often called the Beatitudes, but it's not just simply cookie cutter the same as what Matthew recorded. So Dr. Luke's record of the Sermon on the Mount here, there are four times when Jesus says, blessed are you, or blessed as it's sometimes pronounced.

So the pattern is for the Jews to be blessed in the coming kingdom, right, and to be rewarded. in heaven by what seems like a negative now. You go through something that seems negative now in order to have reward in heaven and in the coming kingdom. That's the perspective that Jesus lays out here. So Jesus, however, presents seriously delayed gratification. You may, for the rest of your life, be going through these negative things in order that you have something that is lasting in future. So embrace being poor, hungry, hated, ostracized, insulted, and scorned. For the years of this life before the kingdom, and trade that for life in the kingdom."

Now we have news to the Jews. What Jesus had to say was shocking news to the Jews. Why? The Jews figured that if a Jew was well off, it was because they were blessed by following the law. That's what we have there, Deuteronomy 28, 1-14. If you follow the law, you'll be blessed, right?

But what Jesus had was reverse news. If you do what is right, you're going to be poor, you're going to be hungry, you're going to have all these negative consequences. For a Jew to think that someone would be blessed because they were poor and living under bad circumstances was mind-boggling.

They had a hard time figuring that out. So when Jesus said these words, these people were just stunned. Those listening, what? This was an alarming, shocking, surprising, startling thing to hear. But that's not the only surprise. But wait, there's more. And this isn't an infomercial, right? Here we go.

My brethren, the enemy. Those who will be making these Jews poor, hungry, hated, ostracized, insulted, and scorned are not the Gentile dogs, as the Jews would call them, but their fellow Jews. Brethren. Brethren. Their fellow Jews would be the ones who would be bringing these things about. My Jewish brethren, the enemy. It would be Jewish brethren who would be bringing this about. So what will be the dividing point between those who are poor and hungry and hated and those who will bring this about?

The point of division, as Jesus brings out Himself, is the Son of Man. Christ is the central divisive issue. And what we're finding in our own culture is that's increasingly the case. Christ is the central divisive issue. In recent times you'll find those who are atheist, skeptics, agnostics, etc. are getting more and more aggressive about what they're doing and they're writing a great number of books, they're putting on programs in various media formats. and taking things to court, so they're getting more and more aggressive. Christ is the central, divisive issue, even today.

So here's what Luke 6, 24-26 says, But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well fed now. Okay, so again, that's the emphasis on now. For you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. These are all the opposites, aren't they?

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way, speak well of the false prophets. But the real prophets get mistreated. So four times woe here, symbolizing it with four thumbs down. After four times saying, bless, Jesus says four times, woe. The woes are for those who are rich, well fed, laugh, and are well spoken of by others.

Now. It's all about instant gratification. If living now in difficult circumstances buys you something for the future, with all the blessings, The woes are for those who seek instant gratification. It's good for me right now. It's good for me right now.

The kingdom outcome for these will not be good at all, because they won't be in the kingdom at all. It will be as good as it gets for them right now, but not at all later on. So the opposite. Often the ones who opposed Christ in what he did and said were the wealthy and well-fed, who were laughing at and looking down on him, and were well spoken of by others. The Pharisees, for instance, were the cultural heroes of the day. Others looked up to them.

Boy, the Pharisees are the greatest. As a matter of fact, the Pharisees themselves thought they were the greatest, right? They thought they were just the best. They rejected Jesus in part, because people ask from time to time, why did the Jews reject Christ? Here's one big reason. The Pharisees were the cultural heroes. And the Pharisees themselves thought that the Messiah would be very, very pleased with them. Therefore, if Jesus did not receive them well and was not pleased with them, Jesus could not be the Messiah.

Right? That was the logic. The real question in these blessings and woes is what do you value? What do you value? If following Christ is of the greatest value of all, then what is ahead with Him outweighs the value of any and all possibilities and consequences of following Him right now. Follow Him, that's of greatest value.

You ever have these monstrous glasses put in front of you at the optometrist's office, and they ask you, which is better, this or this, this or this? It seems like you go through endless things there. What's really difficult is if neither one of them is good, right? But, which is better, this or this? They're both bad, right?

The principle of value was true in the Jewish context back then as it is for us even now. What do we value? Do we value now or do we value later with Him? Where do we place our value? Paul wrote this in Romans 8.18, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. So Paul is making a value statement. There is no comparison. The glory that is to be revealed to us way, way outvalues the sufferings of this present time. Way, way outvalues.

Now, for us on the body of Christ, Christ is ever the issue. There may be serious consequences to being a believer in Christ. Just about a week ago, there was a terrorist attack in Kenya. They had a school there where they divided the Christians and the Muslims, and almost 150 Christian students were killed. at the school, just shot right there. There may be serious consequences to being a believer in Christ. Could be.

As Christ presented the possibility of bad circumstances to the Jews who followed him, it might be the same with us. And in fact, as time goes on, it seems like it's getting rougher and rougher for Christians in this country, even though it's certainly not at the point where it is there in Kenya. But we shouldn't put things in the wrong order here.

Some Christians have concluded from passages like this that being poor is somehow automatically more holy, and being rich is somehow automatically unrighteous. Christ is the issue, not rich or poor, hungry or full. Christ is the issue. Christ is ever the issue, not your financial and social status.

Here's the way Paul puts it in Philippians 4, 10-13, and here again is where we get confirmation as to what compares. So Philippians 4, 10-13, But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that Now, at last, you have revived your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity. So that by itself tells you that being prosperous is not the problem. It's the focus. What do you value? In any and every circumstances, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

And that's one of the most misquoted and misunderstood verses in the Bible, right? Can I lift a thousand pounds over my head because Christ strengthens me? No, that's not the point, right? I can handle the range of abundance or lack because Christ strengthens me.

That's what he's saying. Our point, however, is to be looking at Christ, not at our financial circumstances. Believers in the body of Christ are called to love and be occupied with Christ, rather than to be occupied with finances, possessions, or circumstances, or the lack of them. It is the love of money that is the problem, not simply having it. What Paul said there in Philippians 4, he says, I have abundance or I have lack of it and I can handle either one through Christ who strengthens me. It's not having the money that's the problem, it's the love of money that's the problem.

The way it shows up in 1 Timothy 3.3 is qualifications for elders and then again in 6.10 and then Hebrews 13.5 which we looked at recently. That word literally means an affectionate attachment to silver. An affectionate attachment to silver. It's the love of money that's the issue, not having it. Here's Luke 6, 27 through 29.

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also. And whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either."

So, one of the things to point out, the reclusive group known as the Essenes, never mentioned by name in the New Testament, did teach that one ought to hate his enemies. In Matthew 5, in fact, is where Jesus brings that up. You've heard that it was said, you know, hate your enemy.

That's the Essenes. That's what they taught. And you know who they taught was their enemy? The Pharisees and the Sadducees. They hated the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and that was their enemy. But in this verse, Jesus taught exactly the opposite of what the Essenes taught.

Note that this is in the context, however, of individual Jewish believers. It doesn't address things like, you know, is it right to defend yourself or others, or the proper role of government and nations. It's not intending to address that. This is dealing with individual Jewish believers in a land of Israel context.

Here's Romans 12.17. It is, however, one that confirms, this is comparison, It confirms the same kind of principle, never pay back evil to anyone, respect what is right and the sight of all men.

So it's the same principle carried over here in Romans 12.17. 1 Thessalonians 5.15, similarly, see that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. And finally, 1 Peter 3, 8 and the first part of verse 9. To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, and humble in spirit towards one another. See that?

Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead. One of the points of contrast here is that many of the nations around Israel actually had a revenge ethic. You are obligated as a family, ethical obligation. You are obligated to get revenge. And so the Bible limits that in the law, saying only eye for eye, tooth for tooth, not escalated revenge. And then in Jesus' teaching and what Paul and Peter carry on, it's not even any revenge. Not even any revenge. So it has to teach in contrast.

And one of the reasons for having to teach it is so much of the pagan culture taught you the ethic of revenge. You've got to get revenge for your brother. My name is Inigo Montoya. Right? That's a revenge ethic. That's a revenge ethic. vengeance is mine says the Lord this Old Testament teaching here it taught the Israelites were to leave room for God to take his vengeance for them even among the Jews this was the principle it starts in Leviticus and Deuteronomy right there in the Law of Moses and gets carried on the Psalms and in Proverbs this vengeance is mine says the Lord this this teaching against the revenge ethic is one that starts early in the Old Testament and is continued on in the New Testament.

Very similar principle applies to us who are in the body of Christ. We showed there in one passage in Romans, Romans 12, 19, Hebrews 10, 30 is another one. It does not, however, support total pacifism. Some reasons why total pacifism is not biblically supported.

Israel, for example, had a military. They were told by God, in certain instances, to fight. And there was often a combination of God acting miraculously, and Jericho would be an example of that, God acting miraculously to fight for the Jews, but they still had a portion of the fighting to do themselves. And God commanded them to fight in certain ways. In the Gospels, in the book of Acts, the Roman officers, the centurions, consistently, without exception, they're all shown in a favorable light. There is no centurion that is spoken of unfavorably.

And neither Jesus nor the apostles told these men to quit the military. Here is John the Baptist They're down by the Jordan River and he's got people coming to him and saying, what should I do? What should I do? Soldiers come up to John the Baptist and say, what should we do? And he tells them about the ethics of being a soldier, but he does not tell them quit soldiering. He says, be ethical in your soldiering, but don't quit soldiering.

That's not the message. We have some supplements on the cabinet on the right as you exit the room on Centurions and the Gospels and the Book of Acts and then some Q&A's on government. We won't have time to address that in any detail here. Here's one more thing.

In anticipation of the church, Acts 1 and 2, Christ tells the disciples to arm for self-defense. This is Luke 22, 35, and 36. And he said to them, when I sent you out without money, belt, and bag, and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you? And this is in Matthew 10, 1 through 10. When Christ sent them out two by two, only to their fellow Israelites, they said, no, nothing. And he said to them, but now whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag. And whoever has no sword is to sell it, imperative.

Sell his coat. by imperative one a sort So for self-defense Jesus even commands it We'll address these issues more when we get to Luke chapter 22 and get in more detail there Now here's the parties is whoever hits you on the cheek or takes away your coat Again, we have to look at the Jewish context which Moses command was to love your neighbor and lend freely to your fellow Jew Okay, Leviticus 19 17 and 18 is one of those passages Deuteronomy 15.8 and 32.35 are other passages that tell you to lend freely to your fellow Jew. Open your hand to Him. The principles that Jesus taught made, in that context, good sense. We're going to see more of the principles reflected in the Law of Moses in the verses just ahead right now.

And there's Luke 6, 30 through 33, give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

So here's out of Exodus 22, and you don't have this in your handout. If you lend money to my people, part of the law here, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him. You shall not charge him interest. The Jews were not allowed to charge interest to their fellow Jews.

If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets. For that is his only covering. It is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? The idea is that he didn't have much. He didn't even have separate blankets. He's going to have to wear this.

And it shall come about that when he cries out to me, I will hear him, for I am gracious. So here's God being gracious in the law. No one shall take a hand mill or an upper millstone in pledge. That's how they grind in order to make bread, right? For he would be taking a life in pledge. He wouldn't be able to eat because he couldn't grind the wheat or other grain.

Ezekiel 18, 7-9 has something very similar to that. So these are Old Testament passages that give us an understanding and a context. The Jews were to loan freely to other Jews. They were not supposed to anticipate the seventh year when they write off the debts, right? They're not supposed to anticipate that. So, does this mean that I should be an easy mark? have people just come up and grab stuff and if they ask me for anything I just give it to them Jesus said this in the context it was directed to believing Jews among Jews all under the law of Moses in the land of Israel okay so this is the context in which he says this but there is a parallel principle among us in the body of Christ and biblical direction to guide us we're not going to be able to go into it in depth but let's take a look here we are to put a priority on caring for the body of Christ over caring for the world.

So this is Galatians 6.10 and there are other passages like the first Thessalonians 5 passage that we pointed out. The other is it is clear we need to set conditions for support including the character of the one we're supporting and lifestyle and calling for the family to be responsible for caring for their own as a priority over the church. It's not simply a matter of just opening the church up to anything. There needs to be some conditions put in place. And so that's fully biblical. Here are the last few verses of our passage, Luke 6, 34 through 36.

If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. And your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Mercy is withholding judgment that might be otherwise deserved. Grace is blessing beyond what is deserved.

So how a Jew was to lend to Jews? The Jews were to lend money freely, in those passages we've already pointed out, to other Jews. They were not to charge interest. That was considered evil, to charge interest to other Jews. Nor were they to diminish what they were going to lend because they anticipated the seven-year write-off. So what you might do is lend someone some money and the next day write it off. So what are you doing? You're giving it to them, right?

So on that principle, Jesus was speaking in that context about giving freely and that someone asked for something to give it to them. Christian principles would say to help others within the church as the first priority, setting conditions for that help. setting conditions for that help. And one of those conditions, one of the reasons for those conditions is not to burden the church. Paul makes that clear as he writes to Timothy.

And notice in this last verse here, the basis for the way the Jews were to conduct themselves among one another was out of God's character. And the aspect of verse 36 being God's mercy. God's mercy. God is revealed as massively merciful to us in the body of Christ. And this is in Ephesians 2, 4 through 7. God's character is to be lived out in us, not by the law, but by the life of Christ who indwells us. So is there mercy called for in both cases? Yes, there is. Mercy by the law to the Jews, for us, mercy from the indwelling person of Christ who lives in us and lives out his life in us.

That principle comes out in Galatians 2 19 through 20. Verse 19 says we've died to the law so it's not by the law as the Jews were directed to show mercy and that's what Jesus was addressing with them but here in verse 20 I have been crucified with Christ I was there when He was crucified. It's no longer I who do the living, but Christ does the living in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God. Where's that faith? In Him. We're not just people of faith in some vague way. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Christ does the living.

That's how mercy gets expressed for us apart from the law. What Jesus expressed was to those under the law in the land, in the land of Israel. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you that your very life has been given to us and what we see Jesus speaking of here is not written directly to us, although we can see a lot of it that applies and is parallel. and is consistent with that. And we just thank you that we have the very life of Christ indwelling us in order to live out your character and these principles. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.