Luke 6:17–49

I know well that godly men have argued from "the plain" in Luke 6:17, against the "mountain" in Matthew 5:1. They feel a difficulty about the two accounts giving the same discourse, at the same place and time, and this is how they solve it. But the clear evidence of both forces us to reject that solution. Luke's language does not mean "a plain." It means a level place or plateau on the mountain. The Lord went up it to pray all night, before calling the chosen twelve. Then He came down with them, far enough to meet a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of the people out of all Judea and Jerusalem. It was clearly the same discourse. But the Spirit acted not as a mere reporter — that is not the way inspiration works — but as an infallible editor, for the distinct design of each Gospel.

In Luke we find again here the dependent character of the Son of Man. He is all night in prayer before He chooses the twelve... In Luke 6:17 it should not be "the plain," but "a level place" — still on the mountain. Luke gives the substance of the sermon in its great moral principles. Note how His power appeared in the multitude (v. 17-19).

Whatever He draws people by, He gathers them round Himself to worship. He surrounds Himself with them. Then He comes down and stands in the plain. His miracles and their own needs draw the great multitude; they come to hear and to be healed. The company of the disciples were an inner circle. "All the crowd sought to touch Him." Luke does not say that they were converted; that is another thing. But living power went out of Him. It healed their physical misery and set them free from the power of Satan.

In the Lord coming down to the plain in verse 17 there is a picture of His coming to bless the earth at the introduction of the Millennium, but only a glimpse. His apostles, the company of disciples, and a great crowd of people came from Judea, Jerusalem, and Tyre and Sidon. They came to be healed of diseases and demon possession. All of it points to this great gathering in the Millennium (v. 17).

"He healed them all" is the concise statement; no one went away with his disease still on him. Each one who had need shared in the healing power that went out from Christ. Sickness, in themselves or in others, no longer filled their minds. Now they could all listen to the teaching of the gospel without distraction. And teaching was needed.

He was a divine visitor to this world — a heavenly stranger among men. He had nowhere to lay His head while He was meeting their needs with all the resources of God. This is the ideal for a saint of God. He is independent of everything the world can give. Yet with an open heart and a generous hand he gives the world all the benefits and blessings of God. If he is only a heavenly stranger, he may shut himself away from people. If he is only a visitor to the world, he may get tangled up in its corruptions.

Whatever He uses to draw people, He gathers them round Himself to worship. He surrounds Himself with them, and then comes down and stands in the plain. His miracles and their own needs draw the great crowd, and they come to hear and be healed. The company of the disciples were an inner circle. "All the crowd sought to touch Him." It does not say that they were converted, which is a different thing. But living power went out of Him. It healed the misery of their bodies and set them free from the power of Satan.

He becomes the centre, and all who sought God must come to Him. He is also the starting point of the mission that carries out His love — the centre where divine power is shown in grace... In the plain the company of His disciples surrounds Him, and then a great crowd, drawn together by His word and His works. There was the attraction of the word of God, and He healed the diseases of men, and cast out the power of Satan. This power dwelt in His Person.

Here again the text separates disease from possession by demons. Modern investigators are unwilling to admit this. One of them, Carpenter, points to the vast pile of evidence from the ages both before and after Christ, and says the idea of a special outburst of demonic energy in the time of Jesus collapses completely. But you only need to read a book like Mrs. Howard Taylor's memoir of Pastor Hsi to see how common such possession still is today in some places.

Luke 4:33 says "spirit of an unclean demon"; compare "unclean spirit" in Luke 6:18 and Luke 11:24. Lightfoot records that people made a distinction between spirits that caused disease and "evil spirits," which dealt in sorcery and were therefore called "unclean." Luke probably chose the word "unclean" to suit non-Jewish readers, since they recognised a difference between good and bad "demons."

For a long time the strong one had spread his harmful, withering influence, and for a long time his goods stayed in peace. Now a stronger One had come and had conquered him. The Seed of the woman broke his power, and he could no longer keep what he held. Demons were driven out, even when they were a legion. The blind saw, the lame walked, lepers were made clean, the deaf heard, those who could not speak spoke, and the dead were raised.

He comes down and stands with them on the plain. A great crowd came round Him to hear Him and to have their diseases healed. Then the new wine flows out. "All the crowd sought to touch Him, for power came out from Him." How one lingers over such a moment! We drink the new wine that gladdens the heart as we watch the tender beauty of grace. Power went out of Him and healed them all.

His apostles, the company of disciples and a great crowd from Judea, Jerusalem and Tyre and Sidon all point to this great Millennial gathering. They came to be healed of diseases and of demon possession. The blessing was on a large scale... He turned no one away — all were healed. What a contrast to the boasted healing campaigns run today by men (and women) who claim to be Christian! If two or three seem to be healed, there is loud advertising, but what about the many who are left unblessed?

Luke 8:46 and 6:19: it is the power to heal that lived in Christ, and it became effective when the touch of faith was there.

The miracles of our Lord stand out from those of the Old Testament, and from those in Acts. He Himself stands out in the same way from the most faithful of the prophets and the other servants of the Lord. His miracles are unique. They are not only God stepping in through His servants. There is a power that belongs to Christ Himself. It is God in Him doing the works. This does not contradict in the least what our Lord says, that He did these things by the finger of God. He was always the dependent and obedient One, the perfect Servant. This veiled His own personal glory, but it did not deny it. So faith always recognizes Him not only as God's workman, but as having the power in Himself.

This effort to touch Jesus was proof of strong faith in those who looked for healing this way. The bold faith that stretched out weak hands to Him had no words at all. Yet it was real, as the Saviour knew, and He could never deny it. "He has filled the hungry with good things." The poor were weak, racked with pain, dying. They touched Him, the great Physician, trusting blindly like little children.

First we see Him all night in prayer to God. Then we trace some of this work: He chooses the twelve and links them with the outflow of grace. He comes down and stands with them on the level ground. A great crowd came round to hear Him and to find healing for their diseases. Then the new wine flows out. "All the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him." How we linger over such a moment, drinking the new wine that gladdens the heart as we watch the exquisite tenderness of grace! Power went out of Him and healed them all.

His miracles and their own needs draw the great crowd. They come to hear Him and to be healed. The company of the disciples were an inner circle. "All the crowd sought to touch him." Scripture does not say that they were converted, which is another thing. But living power went out of Him, healing their bodily misery and delivering them from the power of Satan.

The Lord coming down to the plain in verse 17 is a picture of His coming to bless the earth at the start of the Millennium. It is only a glimpse. The blessing was on a large scale. All sought only to touch Him, for this alone secured healing, because power went out from Him. None were denied: all were healed. What a contrast to the boasted healing campaigns that men (and women) who claim to be Christian run today! If two or three seem to be healed, there is loud advertising. But what about the many who are left with no blessing?

There is a striking contrast between "the whole multitude" of verses 17-19 and "His disciples" in verse 20. The great blessing of verse 19 might well excite the disciples with the prospect of the kingdom's glory arriving. The Lord quiets this with words that show they should be ready for poverty, hunger, weeping and persecution. He clearly spoke this at a different time from the sermon on the mount, though it covers similar things in a shorter form. In Matthew He spoke to the crowd; here He speaks to His disciples.

Luke takes a different course. Here the Lord is not laying down principles, or describing the classes of people who can have a part in the kingdom, as in "Blessed the poor." He looks at His disciples and speaks to them as the ones directly concerned: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." It is all personal, spoken to the godly company standing around Him... It was sorrow and suffering now. The One who fulfilled the promises, the psalms and the prophets had been rejected, so the kingdom could not yet come in power and glory.

Compare Matthew 5:3 with Luke 6:20. We can note the difference and understand the reason for it. When He describes the character of the people the kingdom belongs to, the Lord calls it the kingdom of heaven. But when He tells those in front of Him about blessings already theirs, He calls it the kingdom of God, because that was its character at that time.

His disciples were, however, "the poor." Note they were not blessed because they were poor, but because theirs was the kingdom of God.

The poor here does not mean exactly those we call poor in this world. It means the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), those who are aware of their poverty before God — whatever their position or circumstances in life... The true meaning of the word comes out in a contrast the Lord Himself makes: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God… But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."… These are the poor who have nothing to own, nothing to satisfy them, and nothing to enjoy in the things of the world. They have been made to feel that they have nothing for God and can bring nothing to Him.

The words "in spirit" are left out here. But this text gives no ground for such an idea. It comes from superstition, not from faith... The question is about the inner man as against the outer. A man who is poor in this world's goods may have a proud, unbending spirit, while a rich man may be truly humble. At the same time, we believe the Lord has more often used a man's miseries than his comforts to bring him to Himself. But that is the Lord's doing, and quite another thing.

These words of the Saviour set those He calls blessed against all who are at ease in this world. If their hope in Christ were for this life only, they would be the most miserable of all men. Yet they are the only happy few. They stand cut off from everyone else, in relationship with Him who is the source of blessing, so that they may be blessed. If you can make yourselves happy and comfortable in this world which has rejected Jesus, do not count on His blessing.

In the Gospel of Luke, another course is followed. Here the Lord does not lay down principles. He does not describe the classes of people who can have a part in the kingdom, as in "Blessed are the poor" and so on. Instead He looks at His disciples and speaks to them as the people directly concerned... It is all personal, with the godly company that then surrounded Him in view. So He says, "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now," and so on. It was sorrow and suffering now, for the One who fulfilled the promises, the psalms and the prophets was rejected. So the kingdom could not yet come in power and glory. "But first He must suffer many things."

These words of the Saviour give the contrast of those He pronounces blessed with all who are at ease in this world. If they had hope in Christ for this life only, they would be the most miserable of all people. Yet they are the only happy few. They are cut off from all others and put in relationship with Him, the source of blessing, so that they may be blessed. This world has rejected Jesus. If you can make yourself happy and comfortable in it, do not count on His blessing.

Those who are full now, stuffed with the things of this present life, will find themselves hungering. Those who laugh now will yet mourn and weep. Things will be fully reversed from what people naturally think today.

In Luke 6 the Lord addresses His disciples directly. He says in a general way: "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied" (verse 21). The fourth of the nine "beatitudes" in Matthew 5 speaks of a particular hunger and thirst — a hunger and thirst after righteousness.

God will fill the hungry so that He may fulfil His word. "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied" (Luke 6:21). Has the Lord spoken, and will it not come to pass? As "His compassions fail not" (Lam. 3:22), so He will not let His "faithfulness fail" (Ps. 89:33). If the hungry soul were not filled, the promise would not be fulfilled.

For now, to hunger and thirst is a blessing, for it carries the prospect of being filled. In fact, though there may be painful deprivation, yet the soul may even now be filled with spiritual good. If there is weeping now, it is because our Lord is rejected and absent. In the end that weeping will turn to laughter, when we are with the Lord. So even now, holding this certainty of future hope, we are more blessed than we realise.

There is a great deal about laughter in the Bible, and mostly it expresses these two ideas of happiness and contempt. "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh" — these are the comforting words He speaks to His suffering disciples. But another saying means something very different: "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision."

His disciples were the poor, the hungry, the weepers, those hated and reproached. A description like this shows that He was already treating His own rejection as a certainty. The sad and rejected are the blessed; the glad and the popular are under judgment. One group follows in the footsteps of the Son of Man and suffers for His sake. The other follows the way of the false prophets.

Lastly, notice that Luke leaves out persecution for righteousness' sake altogether. That has its fitting, though not exclusive, place in Matthew… Luke keeps only the blessing of those persecuted for the Son of Man's sake. This fits beautifully with the way he speaks directly to his four classes. The blessed here stand right in front of the Lord, and the persecuted here suffer only for His sake. It is all deeply personal.

He says, if we may put it this way, "I am setting you apart." He is not stating abstract principles, as at the start of Matthew 5. He is speaking to the hearts of those gathered around Him. "I have come as the centre of power and active love. There is only one place of blessing on earth. With Me you are blessed." Others may be lighthearted and cheerful where Christ has no place. But this is a time when a truly spiritual soul can find no good except with Christ.

"Separate" is usually understood to mean being put out of the synagogue (John 16:2). But the scholar De Wette took it, like the English translation, to mean being shut out of society in general.

To have your name "cast out" is to have it spread around, bringing you into bad repute.

More than this, the believer is blessed in persecution — even when hated and shut out, with his very name treated with contempt as though it were evil (v.22). Yet there is a condition here: "for the Son of Man's sake." We can only claim the blessing if the persecution is for His sake. But if it is, the blessing is deeply real and valuable.

People often use the word "cross" loosely, for every kind of trial and suffering. It is used commonly even by unbelievers and about unbelievers. But in the language of Scripture, no unbeliever bears a cross. The world loves its own; it does not hate them (John 15:19)… Only one thing can be called a cross: suffering or insult that flows from man's unjust judgment on what is like Christ in us.

Some were identified with Himself and shared His sorrows. Others belonged to the world and shared its passing joys. On the one group He called down a blessing, and on the other a woe. This, of course, involved a tremendous paradox. The sad and rejected are the blessed: the glad and the popular are under judgment.

Would they be hated for the Son of Man's sake? That only showed whose they were. So they should rejoice. Here the Lord gives them an antidote to the sting of the trial by pointing them up to heaven. It is certainly a trial for anyone to have his name unjustly thrown out as evil. But He provided the antidote before the disciples had begun to feel the sting.

I believe, beloved friends, to be thoroughly hated for Christ's sake is a wonderful thing. When a man is here really for God, and the light, the truth, and the grace of God are streaming through that man, he is sure to be hated, and if he is hated for Christ's sake, let him thank God.

It is an immense thing when you see and accept that suffering for Christ is the place of the highest distinction on earth. We may not suffer much. But simply being convinced that suffering is the highest place, and the only place of real progress, will always be healthy discipline and encouragement.

On this occasion the Lord addressed His disciples personally. In Matthew He described a certain class, and says that theirs is the kingdom. Here He says, "yours is the kingdom," identifying that class with the disciples… This of course involved a tremendous paradox. The sad and rejected are the blessed: the glad and the popular are under judgment. But the first group follows in the footsteps of the Son of Man and suffers for His sake. The second follows in the way of the false prophets.

More than this, in persecution the believer is blessed, even when people hate him and shut him out, and despise his very name as evil (v.22). Yet there is a condition noted here: "for the Son of Man's sake." We can claim the blessing only if the persecution is for His sake. If it is, that blessing is deeply real and valuable. We are urged not to let persecution discourage us, but to rejoice and leap for joy. Being identified with Him this way is worth far more than a popular life on earth.

The word is used loosely, as if it applied to every kind of trial and suffering, and often even by and of unbelievers. In the language of Scripture it is clear that no unbeliever bears a cross… Every believer does bear a cross, but he has only one, and he should bear it not now and then but "daily." It is the reproach of Christ. No suffering or reproach is a cross, except what comes from man's unjust judgment on what is like Christ in us.

Would they be hated for the Son of man's sake? That only showed whose they were. So they should rejoice. Here the Lord gives them an antidote to the sting of the trial by pointing them up to heaven. It is a real trial for anyone to have their name falsely cast out as evil. But He provided the antidote before the disciples had begun to feel the sting.

But the Messiah had come to earth, and men rejected Him. So He began to teach that heaven, not earth, was to be the home of His faithful disciples (Luke 6:23). He taught the heavenly calling. Saints may experience suffering and trials here. These are not to discourage them. Beyond death is their portion, their home. The full barn and the crowded storehouse were now no proof of special Divine approval. They were no sign either that everlasting misery would not be the owners' portion.

His disciples are separated from all the world around them by this fact, that they are His. The world stands against Him and against His own. It hates them, shuts them out, and casts out their name as evil for the Son of man's sake… Yet they may well rejoice, for their reward is great in heaven. On earth they only continue the line of the prophets whom the world rejected long ago.

It is an immense thing when you see and accept that suffering for Christ is the place of the highest distinction on earth. We may not suffer much; but the mere conviction that suffering is the highest place, and the only one of true progress, will always be healthy discipline and encouragement.

There are only four classes of blessing here — not seven. But four woes follow them. In Matthew those woes come later, kept for a still greater completeness in Matthew 23, at the end of His ministry, for the same dispensational reason he keeps up throughout his Gospel. Luke, on the other hand, gives the blessings first, and the woes right after. It was not the time of ease; judgment was coming. This flows from the moral character of his Gospel. We see the same thing in Deuteronomy, which has a similar purpose: Moses tells the people that he sets before them the blessing and the curse at the same time (Deut. 28).

Verse 24 is directly addressed to the rich, not for blessing, but with warning of woe. If men seek riches before the coming kingdom, this is all they have. They ignore the future in order to receive their consolation now. Those who are full now, satisfied with the things of this present life, will find themselves hungering. Those who laugh now will yet mourn and weep. Things will be fully reversed from what people naturally think today.

By the poor is meant, not exactly those who are so called in this world, but rather the poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3), those who are conscious of poverty before God — whatever their position or earthly circumstances. The largest numbers of these, it is quite true, will be found among the class we know as the poor (see Luke 4:18; 1 Cor. 1:26-29); but thanks be to God, whose grace is sovereign in its operation, there are such in every rank and station of life. Abraham told the rich man in torment that he had received his good things in his lifetime, while Lazarus in the same way received bad things (Luke 16:25). These are the poor who have nothing to own, enjoy, or find satisfaction in among the things of the world — those who have been made to feel that they have nothing for God and can bring nothing to Him.

Then follow the woes. "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." Nothing is more dangerous than ease and satisfaction in this world. There is no greater snare, even to the disciple. So again: "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry." This, of course, has its moral bearing. There is leanness for the soul where the heart has all that it desires.

These words of the Saviour give the contrast between those He pronounces blessed and all who are at ease in this world. If in this life only they had hope in Christ, they would be of all men the most miserable. Yet they are the only happy few. They stand separated from all others, in relationship with Him, the source of blessing, so that they may be blessed. If you can make yourselves happy and comfortable in this world which has rejected Jesus, do not count on His blessing.

Those who are rich in material things, and are not rich toward God, have received in this life the only consolation they will ever have (Luke 6:24). But those who are poor in this life, yet rich toward God, will have their consolation and portion in the life to come (Luke 16:19-31).

There are only four kinds of blessing here — not seven. But four woes follow them. Matthew holds those woes back until the fuller account in Matthew 23, at the end of His ministry, for the same reason he keeps to all through his Gospel. Luke, on the other hand, gives the blessings first and the woes straight after. It was not a time of ease; judgment was coming.

Nothing is more dangerous than ease and satisfaction in this world. There is no greater snare, even for the disciple. So again: "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry." This, of course, has its moral bearing. There is leanness for the soul where the heart has everything it desires. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep." This carries the danger of man's heart a step further.

Meanwhile to hunger and thirst is a blessing, for it carries the prospect of being filled. In fact, though there may be trying deprivation, the soul may even now be filled with spiritual good. If there is weeping now, while our Lord is rejected and absent, that weeping will turn to laughter when we are with the Lord. Even now, holding this certain hope, we are more blessed than we realize.

It will also rejoice in the daily mercies of God. But it will not be the foolish joy of the world. That joy tries to hide its emptiness and to drown the sense of its misery with laughter. Alone, a person feels the emptiness and often the pain. In company, laughter makes them forget it. People do not like to burden others; they must make them believe they are happy. The world cannot be honest with itself; yet sorrow and affliction are only too real. The Lord could weep but not laugh.

Those who are full now are satisfied with the things of this present life. They will find themselves hungry. Those who laugh now will yet mourn and weep. Things will be fully reversed from the way people naturally think today.

No; you who are "full" now — Jesus has no charm for you. But you, disciples, are weeping now; the sorrow and the sin of man distress your spirit: you shall rejoice… But the others! They shall have what they seek. For the full there will be a famine later on, for they have lost God. If you can laugh in a world like this, you will weep when God's time for blessing comes.

These words of the Saviour set those He calls blessed in contrast with all who are at ease in this world. If they had hope in Christ for this life only, they would be the most miserable of all people. Yet they are the only happy few… If you can make yourselves happy and comfortable in this world which has rejected Jesus, do not count on His blessing.

Let these solemn words run far and wide. They are encouragement and comfort to the poor, the suffering and afflicted people of God. They are loud warnings to those who are seeking their satisfaction and exaltation in this world.

It was not a time of ease; judgment was coming.

A description like this shows that He was already treating His own rejection as certain. The verses that follow (24-26) show that He was dividing the people into two classes. One group was identified with Him and shared His sorrows. The other belonged to the world and shared its passing joys. On the head of the one class He called down a blessing; on the head of the other, a woe. This of course involved a tremendous paradox. The sad and rejected are the blessed; the glad and the popular are under judgment. But the one group follows in the footsteps of the Son of Man and suffers for His sake. The other follows in the way of the false prophets.

If all speak well of us (v.26), it is no sign of God's approval, but of solemn humiliation to come. Ungodly people spoke well of false prophets and still do so today. Men's approval is empty, and worse, when one does not have God's approval.

Suffering here has always been the lot of the true prophets. Popularity and general acceptance were given to the false ones. The world was not changed. The devil had not altered. Men's hearts were as bad naturally as ever. Faithfulness to God would still bring trouble, and it might be persecution, on those marked by it. Would they be hated for the Son of Man's sake? That only showed whose they were. So they should rejoice.

Ahab called Elijah "my enemy" (1 Kings 21:20), and of Micaiah he said, "I hate him" (1 Kings 22:8). It is really a compliment to be disliked by the wicked. Obadiah and Jehoshaphat were the opposite of Elijah and Micaiah. They were not bold and unflinching, but weak, and given to compromise for the sake of advantage. Ahab hated neither of these, for they were useful to him.

These words of the Saviour contrast those He calls blessed with all who are at ease in this world. Some would be the most miserable of all people, if their hope in Christ were for this life only. Yet they are the only happy few. They are cut off from all others, and put in relationship with Him, the source of blessing, so that they may be blessed. If you can make yourselves happy and comfortable in this world which has rejected Jesus, do not count on His blessing.

Many who profess faith have fallen because they were taken up with a name. The effort to keep up a name has destroyed many a useful servant. Suppose I have gained a reputation in some area of service. Perhaps as an active evangelist, a gifted teacher, a clear and attractive writer, a man of prayer, a man of faith, a person of remarkable holiness or great devotedness, a generous person — a name for anything, in short. Then I am in serious danger of making shipwreck. The enemy will lead me to make my reputation my object instead of Christ.

Who then were those who heard the Prophet of Jehovah? There need be no doubt about the right answer, since the Lord Himself gave it. Speaking to His disciples He said, "Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear." They were His followers, for they had heard Him. As the sheep of the "little flock" they had heard the voice of the good Shepherd.

Many are spiritually deaf and do not hear such things. They have closed their ears to the things of Christ on purpose.

All that Luke says is, "But I say to you who hear." The disciples addressed were Jews. But the instruction by its own nature goes out to any man. It is profitable for all the faithful, for the non-Jew as much as for the Jew... The non-Jewish believer has the same heart as the Jewish one. He is in the same world, and has to do with enemies and with those who hate. So this word is valuable... It goes completely against nature. It is the revelation of what God is, applied to govern the heart of His children.

From verse 27 He shows what must be the conduct of the disciples as such. They were to display God, to unfold what was shown in Him. The grace that was full and perfect in Him should show itself again in them. That is the principle of our path, sadly as we all fail in it. "Love your enemies," etc. God loved us when we were His enemies, and we have now to show in practice what God is.

Love is not just a kind feeling. It is real concern for the true, proper good of another. If that person returns hatred, that is all the more reason to care for him, because he needs special help. Doing good in return for evil represents God rightly. It also sets an example that should touch the hearts and consciences of others... The power of the Holy Spirit greatly changes our natural resentment, when we let Him work in us without grieving or quenching Him.

The love that can go forth and even embrace an enemy is not human but Divine; whereas any sinner can love the one who loves him. The disciple of Jesus is to be a lover, a blesser, a giver.

And here I find what is entirely beyond law. Law tells me to love others as myself; grace tells me to give myself up entirely for my neighbour or for anybody. Did not God forgive you? You go and forgive your enemies. Is He kind to the unthankful and the evil? You go and be the same. It tests all the fibres of our hearts, all the pride and vanity and selfishness that are in us.

All that Luke says is, "But I say to you who hear." The disciples He spoke to were Jews. But the teaching by its own nature goes out to anyone, and is useful for all believers, to the Gentile as much as to the Jew… The Gentile believer has the same heart as the Jewish one, lives in the same world, and has to deal with enemies and with people who hate. So such a word is valuable… This goes right against nature. It is the revelation of what God is, applied to govern the heart of His children. This is what He was doing, and showing in Christ, and the children are called to imitate their Father.

The Lord looks for active good, and for looking to God on behalf of those who might treat them spitefully. So it is not only kindness and pity; there is earnest and sincere pleading with God for their blessing.

So we are to pray for "all men" — not only for those who govern well, but also for those who treat God's people spitefully (Luke 6:28). We are to pray, not that judgment will fall on those who persecute God's people, but that in sovereign grace they will be saved.

And here I find what is entirely beyond law. Law tells me to love others as myself; grace tells me to give myself up entirely for my neighbour or for anybody. Did not God forgive you? You go and forgive your enemies. Is He kind to the unthankful and the evil? You go and be the same. It tests all the fibres of our hearts, all the pride and vanity and selfishness that are in us.

Doing good in return for evil represents God rightly. It also sets an example that should touch the hearts and consciences of others. This, and returning blessing for cursing, needs the lowly dignity of true faith. So do the things that follow, such as praying for someone who treats you spitefully (v.28). The power of the Holy Spirit greatly changes our natural resentment, when we let Him work in us without grieving Him or quenching Him.

The repeating of this command adds greatly to its divine force and importance. We must face it honestly, however hard it is to obey in its true sense. It is the special privilege of the Christian to pray for all men, friends and enemies. God has given him this place of honour — to bless others by his prayers. He should be like a vessel from which the precious blessings of Christ flow out to enrich many around him. Nature would return evil for evil and hold on to feelings of revenge. But grace says, following the example of the blessed Lord and His martyr Stephen, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

His urgent, pleading earnestness was for others — divine love for his enemies, the very men murdering him. It also reproduced the spirit of Christ… It stands before us as the pattern for a believer today: practical grace rising above all injury and malice.

Under the old arrangement the law laid down the principle, in righteousness, "An eye for an eye" (Ex. 21:24), and so restrained the wrath of man. Otherwise he would have demanded two eyes for one, in vengeance. But here an entirely new principle is introduced... It is the very opposite of nature, which loves to avenge itself. It is different from righteousness, which measures out even-handed justice. It is the beautiful spirit of grace... Even so the disciple should be more than righteous: he should be gracious. While walking through this world, it is better to lose his "cloak" than to give up those lovely principles of grace that mark him out as one who belongs to Christ.

In the Gospel of Matthew the case is of one who sues at law... Luke, on the contrary, writes, "him that takes away your cloak, do not forbid your tunic also." This is not a case of legal suing, but of illegal violence. The disciple is not to resist the robber who takes the outer garment, even if he goes on to take the inner one also... The Jew needed guarding above all on the side of law. But there is also violence in the world that breaks the law. The disciples needed to see this: it was their calling and privilege to hold fast their heavenly principles in the face of man's force, no less than law.

It may be personal lawlessness, an unjust suit, or a hard law; but the disciple of Christ is taught by the Master to bow. What is a brutal insult compared with truly representing Him? Consistency with Him is worth far more than one's coat, and cloak as well.

The government of the world is not in question, but the path of disciples in it... We may still let the man who sues us have the cloak as well as the coat he has gained by fraud. That is clearly within our rights. If the cause were another man's, we would have no such right. We may not help men escape justice or make light of it. The Lord could never lay down a general rule that His people should allow lawlessness. Nor would He have them treat the rights of others as unimportant. He speaks only of what is personal to oneself — "smite you," "sue you," "compel you."

Was this paying evil back in its own coin? On the contrary, it was One who did no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth. When He was reviled, He did not revile in return. When He suffered, He did not threaten. In fact He offered far more than the other cheek. They spat in His face, beat Him, and struck Him with the palms of their hands in utter contempt. No — the Lord yielded to wrong instead of resisting it; and such is the true calling of the Christian.

This passage has nothing to do with the presence or absence of sin. It is about the principles of the believer's conduct — that is, about taking his Master's principles completely as his rule of conduct. Here again the Christian is not to act on the law of retaliation, or on the principles of the Jews. He is to act on the principles of Jesus Christ Himself.

It is no question of foolish extravagance, but of an open hand and heart to every call of need. "From one who takes away your goods do not demand them back." This matters greatly. There should be patient endurance of personal wrong. There should also be the testimony that our life does not consist in the things we have.

He did not stop there. He told the disciple to give as a habit to the one who asked. For what had the disciple himself not received from the divine Giver, beyond everything he asked? As the object of countless and rich mercies, was he to turn away from someone who would ask or borrow?

Even under the law, a Jew was not allowed to lend to his brother at interest. Instead, he was to open his hand wide to him. The Lord Jesus here sets no limits on giving and lending. For God, the great Giver, did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all. He who freely gives us all things along with Him loves a cheerful giver.

Giving to everyone who asks from us must be subject to sober wisdom. Someone may ask for a large sum to spend on a questionable project, and concern for his own good might be reason to refuse. We must also draw a firm line when people who claim to be the Lord's servants urge us to give to their own work. Too many take advantage of Christianity to make money. But if one is in need and asks for something to relieve that need, we ought to be ready to give him what is necessary... The Lord is seeking in all of this to draw out the genuine faith of His people. He is certainly not bullying His own... Also, if someone has taken away what belongs to us, faith will make no demands for its return. But if someone borrows and forgets to repay, it would be only right to remind him — not because we want our rights, but to help him become dependable.

These instructions fitted exactly the people called to follow Christ during His time on earth. Their spirit applies just as much to those called to follow Him while He is absent in heaven. This is the day of grace, when the gospel of grace is preached. So it matters greatly that the spirit of grace should mark us. How often, sadly, our conduct has contradicted the cause we belong to. A little ungracious practice by the preacher or his friends can cancel out a great deal of gracious preaching.

"Thank," or "grace" (χάρις). Matthew (Matt. 5:46) has "reward," where Luke in verse 24 has "consolation."

To love those who love us is not the point for a Christian; it is only a human principle. As the Lord says here, "even sinners love those who love them." Luke does not say tax collectors or Gentiles, as Matthew does. He says "sinners," which matches his usual moral tone. This was true of people everywhere, and the word "sinner" is both fitting and forceful. Not only men, but bad men, may love those who love them. Doing good to those who do good to us is also only a fair return, and even evil people can make it. The same goes for lending, when they hope to borrow later or to be paid back. Sinners do just as much. But for us the word is "love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great."

The spirit of grace stands out in verses 27-38. The love that can go forth and even embrace an enemy is not human but Divine; whereas any sinner can love the one who loves him. The disciple of Jesus is to be someone who loves, blesses, and gives.

God is love in His nature, and all love finds its source in God. So those who belong to God should show their love to one another — the love that belongs to God and His children. It is impossible for someone who has not been born again to show divine love, for "everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7). Men love with natural love, and "even sinners love those who love them" (Luke 6:32). But only those born of God can display the divine nature, loving with the same love seen in Jesus.

From verse 27 He shows how His disciples must live. They were to show God — to unfold what was displayed in Him... "Love your enemies." God loved us when we were His enemies, and now we have to show in practice what God is... Flesh can love for love (v. 32, 33), but the disciples of Christ are called to imitate God and walk in love.

Notice how independent grace is. Rain and dew wait for no one. God acts on His own, out of His own heart, when He gives His gracious blessing. Those who drink in His grace act from Him in the same way, without first waiting to see signs of worthiness. We are often ready to say, "If only we could see some return for our love!" That is not it. If only we were a little more conscious of God's infinite love and grace to us, we would be more like a dew from Him to others.

Luke 6:32. — "Thank" here is the word for "grace" (charis); the Latin Vulgate has "gratia." Matthew (Matt. 5:46) has "reward"; the matching word in Luke, in verse 24, is "consolation."

Loving those who love us is not the point for a Christian. It is a merely human principle — as the Lord says with emphasis here, "even sinners love those who love them." Matthew names tax collectors or Gentiles; Luke says "sinners," which matches his ordinary moral tone. This was true of people everywhere, and the word "sinner" is fitting and forceful. Not only men, but bad men, can love those who love them. In the same way, doing good to those who do good to us is only a right return, and even evil people can make it. The same is true of lending, when they hope to borrow or to be repaid. Sinners do just as much.

This stands in contrast with the way of the world. The world is quite capable of returning love for love, of doing good to those who do good to them, and of lending in the hope of getting back as much. But to love and do good and lend with no hope of return — that would be conduct fit for the sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the unthankful and the evil.

And here I find what is entirely beyond law. Law tells me to love others as myself; grace tells me to give myself up entirely for my neighbour or for anybody. Did not God forgive you? You go and forgive your enemies. Is He kind to the unthankful and the evil? You go and be the same. It tests all the fibres of our hearts, all the pride and vanity and selfishness that are in us.

From verse 27 He shows what the conduct of the disciples must be. They were to make God known, to unfold what was displayed in Him. The grace that was in Him in fullness and perfection should show itself again in them — that is the principle of our path, sadly as we all fail in it… Human nature can love in return for love (v. 32, 33), but the disciples of Christ are called to imitate God, and to walk in love.

So the call in this Gospel does not run as in Matthew, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," but "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."… The disciple, taught by Jesus, had the Father's Name made known to him, and his perfection is to show his Father's character in grace that makes no distinctions — not in the spirit of law. Writing for non-Jewish readers, Luke simply calls them to be merciful as their Father was merciful. This would be clear even to people who had no detailed knowledge of the Old Testament.

Loving those who love us is not the point for a Christian. It is only a human principle. As the Lord stresses here, "even sinners love those who love them." Matthew has tax collectors or Gentiles; Luke has "sinners," which fits his usual moral tone. This was true of people everywhere, and the word "sinner" is fitting and forceful. Not only ordinary people, but bad people, can love those who love them. In the same way, doing good to those who do good to us is only a fair return, and evil people are capable of it. So is lending, when they hope to borrow or to be repaid. Sinners do just as much.

The way of the world stands in contrast with this. The world is quite able to return love for love, to do good to those who do good to them, and to lend in the hope of getting back as much. But to love, do good, and lend with no hope of return — that would be conduct fit for the sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

So the question turns mainly on what the context requires. When you weigh verses 30-34 with care, it is surprising that such an unnatural sense should be given to the word in verse 35. Look above all at the verse just before it: "And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount." What could be simpler than the opposite call of grace — love, do good, lend, "hoping for nothing again"? (Compare Luke 14:12.)

And here I find what is entirely beyond law. Law tells me to love others as myself; grace tells me to give myself up entirely for my neighbour or for anybody. Did not God forgive you? You go and forgive your enemies. Is He kind to the unthankful and the evil? You go and be the same. It tests all the fibres of our hearts, all the pride and vanity and selfishness that are in us.

"The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives" (Psalm 37:21). That is in beautiful harmony with the God who is rich in mercy. He showed us that mercy by making us alive when we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2; see also Luke 6:30-36). Again, "whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed" (Proverbs 19:17).

There are people who would not ask for a gift, but would not hesitate to ask for a loan, though they have little intention of paying it back. It would be wrong for us to encourage dishonesty in anyone. Yet as far as we ourselves are concerned, it is better to suffer wrong than to demand our rights. Faith on our part can leave such things in the hand of God.

To love those who love us is not the point for a Christian; it is a mere human principle. As the Lord says here, "even sinners love those who love them." Matthew has tax collectors or Gentiles; Luke has "sinners," which suits the ordinary moral tone of this Gospel. This was true of man everywhere, and the word "sinner" fits exactly and carries weight. Not only men, but bad men, may love those who love them. Doing good to those who do good to us is only a fair return, and even evil people can make it. The same is true of lending, when they hope to borrow or to receive.

Genuine love is much more than this. It has honest care even for enemies, doing good and lending without expecting to get anything back (v.35). Some people would never ask for a gift, yet they will readily ask for a loan, though they have little intention of paying it back. It would be wrong for us to encourage dishonesty in anyone. But for ourselves, it is better to suffer wrong than to demand our rights. Faith on our part can leave such things in the hand of God.

And here I find what is entirely beyond law. Law tells me to love others as myself; grace tells me to give myself up entirely for my neighbour or for anybody. Did not God forgive you? You go and forgive your enemies. Is He kind to the unthankful and the evil? You go and be the same. It tests all the fibres of our hearts, all the pride and vanity and selfishness that are in us.

They were to be gentle and yielding toward their enemies. They were to treat others as they would want to be treated. They were to remember whose children they were, and to show by their behaviour the outflow of the Divine nature — that they were sons, as we should read, of the Highest, who is kind to the unthankful and to the evil (6:35).

They were to show God — to unfold what was displayed in Him. The grace that was in Him in fullness and perfection should come out in them, though we all fail sadly in this. That is the principle of our path. "Love your enemies," etc. God loved us when we were His enemies, and we have now to show practically what God is.

He gives the increase of the earth in answer to man's toil upon it. Every good and perfect gift comes down from Him. He keeps giving, though the crowds never so much as thank Him for His gifts. He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good. He sends rain on the just and the unjust, and He is kind to the unthankful and the evil.

The service of love is never influenced by recompense. Reward is not held before the soul as the motive for doing anything. But when we find the path of service hard, then the crown is held before us to encourage us to go on.

What a blessed character of God comes out here! It is not righteousness, though surely there was that; but in the world where God had to do with the unthankful and evil, He shows grace. For the angels He has not grace, but love: but Christ in this world of sin is grace (that is, love to those who deserve it not). "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." It is not "with" but "as your Father." As He loves His enemies, so do you; He is merciful, be merciful also. ... It must cost us something; it cost the life of Christ. His love was a stream, which, if it met with hindrances in its way, only went on flowing over, and leaving them behind till it reached the cross.

So the call in our Gospel is not the one in Matthew, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." It is "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." The perfection in Matthew seems to point back to the call on Abraham, whose perfection was to walk in integrity, trusting in the shadow of the Almighty. The disciple, taught by Jesus, had the Father's Name declared to him. His perfection is to display his Father's character in grace that makes no distinctions — not in the spirit of law. Writing for readers who were not Jews, Luke simply calls them to be merciful as their Father was merciful.

Now this word "merciful" is most remarkable... They are all the mercies expressed in redemption — the unfoldings of the heart of God in the display of His grace in our salvation... So when our blessed Lord tells us to be merciful, as our Father is merciful, He reminds us that it is our responsibility to represent the Father. We are to tell out the virtues of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. We are to act towards others as He has acted towards us, so that the Father's heart and character show in our walk and ways. So we are to do good to all, to be givers who expect nothing back, and to love our enemies. Otherwise we would misrepresent our God and Father.

Verses 27-36. The character of God their Father, shown in the grace displayed in Christ, which they were to imitate. He reveals, note, the Father's name and puts them in the place of children.

If hated, they were to love and to do good to them. Cursed, they were to bless them. Wrongly used, they were to pray for them. A gentle, yielding spirit towards enemies was to mark them. They were to treat others as they would want to be treated. They were to remember whose children they were, and to show by their behaviour the outflow of the Divine nature: they were sons of the Highest, who is kind to the unthankful and to the evil.

Some people would not ask for a gift, but they would happily ask for a loan they have little intention of paying back. It would be wrong for us to encourage dishonesty in anyone. But so far as we ourselves are concerned, it is better to suffer wrong than to demand our rights. Faith on our part can leave such things in the hand of God. If we do, our reward will be great. In daily life we shall be children of the Highest, showing His character of kindness to all, whether they are thankful or not. The reason for our being merciful is simply that our Father is merciful (v.36).

So the call in this Gospel is not the one in Matthew, "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect," but "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." … Any believer can feel the force of a command like "Judge not, and you will not be judged." What is set before us here is the habit of fault-finding, the charging of people with bad motives, and the danger that it all comes back on us.

In verses 27-36 we see the character of God their Father, shown in the grace that came in Christ, and they were to copy it. Notice this: He makes the Father's name known, and He puts them in the place of children.

There is a wrong spirit of judgment. Suppose I spend my time needlessly thinking about others and giving my opinion of them. Suppose that, in unclear cases, I put wrong motives on them, even in my own mind. Suppose I do not even hope that the real motive was a good one. Then I am in the spirit of judgment, and away from God. And if I am bound to judge that someone is at fault, but hardness towards the person takes hold of me, that is not the Spirit of God.

Selfish people can easily abuse this principle. Suppose someone is living an evil life and uses this passage to deny that anyone has a right to judge his conduct. Clearly he has no conscience about it and no spiritual understanding. Self has blinded him, and he is only turning the Lord's words into an excuse for sin. … It is plain, therefore, that there is a sense in which I am to judge, and another in which I am not.

If we are to be merciful, we must drop the judging, critical attitude, even when others are wrong (v.37). We are not their masters. If we do speak of their wrongs, let it be from a real desire to see them restored and blessed, not to put them down. As a rule, if we hold back harsh criticism, we find others are less likely to criticize us. If we forgive others freely, they are more likely to forgive us. And we must remember that there are times when we need forgiveness too.

On the other hand, the Lord says, "forgive, and you will be forgiven." (The older translation the writer used reads, "release, and it shall be released to you.") That is the spirit of grace when we are wronged. "Give, and it will be given to you." That is the spirit of large generosity. And who ever knew a giver who had nothing to give or to receive?

The heavenly Father rules His children in holiness, and an unforgiving spirit brings His discipline. If someone wrongs us and we refuse to forgive, we will miss His forgiveness in the way He deals with us day by day. This is not about forgiveness for eternity. The Lord was speaking to disciples, and that great matter was already settled for them.

On blind leaders, compare Matthew 15:14. It refers to the shepherds' custom, when angry with their flock, of giving them a blind sheep as a leader. The same was done with bad administrators of a town.

The "blind" here are, no doubt, first of all the Jewish leaders. But being a follower will not save a man from the pit. The truth speaks for itself to anyone who has ears to hear. Suppose a man hands himself over entirely to another's leadership. Then his conscience stands before man, not before God... Whatever a man yields himself to is bound to shape him. So if he gives himself to a teacher of error, he will not rise above his teacher. Once fully trained, he will only be like him.

Authority then is nothing, if it is not the authority of the word of God. That is the test — is it according to the Scriptures?... To say, "I could not, of course, know: I trusted another" will not save you from the pit.

The first principle the Lord lays down here is this: a man must see for himself to lead others rightly. Christianity supposes a new nature and the Spirit of God. A man without that nature and the power of the Spirit cannot rightly help others... Anyone called to help others on must be taught of God. Not in mind only, but in heart and conscience. He must be well furnished in Scripture, so that he can rightly handle the word of truth. The blind, therefore, cannot lead the blind. Nor is it Christianity that the seeing should lead the blind. The true principle of our calling is that the seeing should lead the seeing — the very reverse of the blind leading the blind.

Whatever the believer receives, whatever the means used, rests on the word of God and not on the authority of a church or a teacher. If the teacher is removed or goes astray, he still sees the truth for himself in the light of God.

This is just what the Christian world is falling into fast, by confusing Christianity with Judaism. Some take the side of unbelief, some the side of superstition. But both fall into the pit, on the one side or the other.

The Lord's parable in verse 39 connects with verses 37 and 38. If someone is blind to what the Lord has been teaching, he needs another with open eyes to lead him. If both are blind, neither has a proper example to follow: they both fall into the pit. The believer is not blind, but let him keep his eyes open!... Let us therefore learn well from the Lord Himself, and we shall become more like Him.

A man must judge evil within himself before he can judge it outside. That gives tenderness and compassion, as well as clear sight. Judging without self-judgment is only hypocrisy.

The first principle the Lord lays down here is that a man must see for himself if he is to lead others rightly... he who has not that nature and the power of the Spirit is incapable of rightly helping others... The blind, therefore, cannot lead the blind. Neither is it Christianity that the seeing should lead the blind. The true principle of our calling is that the seeing should lead the seeing. That is the very opposite of the blind leading the blind.

Although every believer is supposed to see, yet he may not see clearly. He has the capacity, but he may not yet have practised using it. But once the truth is set out plainly, he can see it at once, and perhaps as clearly as the man who taught it. So what he receives stands on the Word of God, whatever means were used, and not on the authority of a church or a teacher. If the teacher is taken away or goes astray, he still sees the truth for himself in the light of God.

"Everyone that is perfect shall be as his Master." (Luke 6:40, older translation.) This points to the principles of the believer's conduct. It means taking in his Master's principles in full. There is no reference here to the nature of the disciple, but to the light and principles that ought to guide him. We can allow no example but the perfect walk of Jesus Christ Himself.

The disciple is to be conformed to Christ... It was not salvation, but discipleship, that was in question here. What He expressed was the thing to learn, and the blessed privilege of the disciple was to be conformed to his Master. The teaching was the expression of the truth of His character.

On the other hand, "the disciple is not above his teacher." Our portion is according to Christ. Christ was despised, and so are we. Christ was persecuted, and so must the disciple be content to be. He has Christ's portion: if above, so upon earth.

Through his trials the Apostle proved the truth of the Lord's words to His own: "A disciple is not above his teacher" (Luke 6:40). If the Master suffered in passing through a world of sin and sorrow, so will His disciples suffer. But if in our little measure we taste "the sufferings of the Christ," we shall also experience the consolations of Christ.

The disciple is not above his master, but you shall be as your Master... If Christ teaches you, it is to make you have the divine learning that He has Himself. And see what a place He gives us! When He gives, what does He give? The very same that He has Himself. "As He is, so are we in this world."

There may be things, and there are many, which Jesus as Lord does not command, but which as Master He teaches. I believe most inconsistencies are justified on this ground: they are not forbidden, or the word does not lay down that line of conduct in an orderly way... I believe many of the good works that adorn the gospel are not pressed on us by a positive commandment. We learn them in the school of Christ. He is our one Master, and we are His disciples.

The Lord Jesus now gives His disciples a very clear picture. It shows how foolish a person is who thinks he can judge his brother while looking down on him. The speck in the brother's eye is the wrong thing one thinks he sees in him. But the beam in the eye is the evil in one's own heart. A person deliberately overlooks it, though it is plain to see. An experienced man once said: "I do not know as much evil about anyone as I know about myself. That makes me careful in judging others."

And this self-judgment is always of the "beam" as compared with the "mote" in others. For what can we know of others compared with what we may and should know of ourselves?

Then there is another danger, and that is being critical. We should warn against the habit of always seeing faults in others, and watch against it. "Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye?" What is the real root of it? Wherever there is the habit of noticing faults in others, there is always an overlooking of our own... love would meet another's need. Self is blind and busy. It forgets its own faults, but can be eager to correct others for its own glory.

The picture of the eye points to the state of the heart, as it does in chapter 6:22-23. The Lord seems to be thinking especially of the spiritual ability to judge. Think of someone whose ability to judge is badly blocked by his own unjudged sin. How could he help another who may have been caught in a fault through spiritual carelessness? It is simply impossible.

"To your brother." There is no spirit of love in it. A person cannot say "brother" sincerely while doing this. There is really pleasure in seeing the fault, a spirit of comparison... No one ought to find fault until he is able to say "Brother," in that spirit and because he loves him... "You do not notice" — it may be forgetfulness. But there is surely a real moral fault in this: we see our neighbour's sin and not our own. It is not so with the repentant man. Until he is cleared, he is full of his own sins. Then he can speak in the spirit of love that knows forgiveness.

Get the large thing removed first — the thing that stops you from seeing clearly. Most likely you will then find that the speck in your brother's eye is gone too. Very often people in a bad, sour state of soul are the ones who spot these specks. And if we really do see failure in another, what is the best use we can make of that discovery? To correct it in ourselves. Then we may help our brother.

Self-judgment by grace always tends to produce humility and love. Take the man who has been through such an exercise about the beam in his own eye. He will be able to act far more tenderly in taking the speck out of his brother's eye.

Any small particle or splinter. It pictures small failings, in contrast to larger faults, called "beams." The Lord Jesus was exposing the hypocrisy of those who see and magnify small faults in others, and pass over greater ones in themselves.

No matter what it is, if it is in my eye it is a beam, and no matter what it is in my brother's eye it is a mote until I have judged myself — "and then you will see clearly to cast the mote out of your brother's eye."

There is not the spirit of love in it. One cannot say "brother" sincerely in doing it, for indeed there is pleasure in seeing the fault, a spirit of comparison... Therefore He says elsewhere: "You hypocrite." It shows our mind is not changed about the thing, yet we find fault with it in another. So it is plainly not love... you are bad enough yourself, and so you cannot have a right moral judgment to direct others.

We must judge evil within ourselves before we judge it outside. This will give tenderness and compassion, as well as clear sight. Judging without self-judgment is but hypocrisy.

Wherever there is the habit of beholding faults in others, there is an overlooking of our own... Our own fault, unjudged, always obstructs our giving real help to another. But when we have judged ourselves, we not only see more clearly. We also take up the work more humbly and lovingly.

If we fail to see our own grave shortcomings and sins before God, we do not know our brothers with anything like the same certainty and clearness. So love and the fear of God call each of us to think others better than ourselves. We judge ourselves for what we do know, instead of judging others for what we do not know and ought not to think.

Again and again we find that when the beam is gone, the mote is nowhere to be seen. It has already disappeared... Should I not rejoice to find the grace of the Lord in my brother, if I discover in self-judgment that only I was wrong?

How often devout people use it to fend off any criticism of their own position! They use it to avoid any care against false doctrine, evil associations, or the responsibility for the discipline Scripture calls for. But this is a failure in godliness. Godliness covers not only personal conduct but also public walk.

Does God want evil like that dealt with in His Church? Surely He does. But what is the reason there is no power to deal with it? The reason is this. If I am to carry out any discipline on my brother, there must first be the deepest judgment of self. There must be the sense of my own sin and shortcoming, and the most unbending judgment of myself.

Then He shows how clearly it is a question of nature. "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit." You cannot change the nature. The Lord did not yet show how the two natures act, or how allowing the old can hinder the fruits of the new creation. He simply points out that there are two natures. He does not speak here of the two natures existing side by side in the same person, though that is in fact true even of a real believer.

Judging yourself, and not your brother, was the way to gain clear moral sight. If the tree is good, the fruit will be good. Self-judgment applies to the trees. This is always true. In self-judgment, you do not only correct the fruit; you correct yourself. And the tree is known by its fruit — not only by good fruit, but by its own. The Christian bears the fruit of the nature of Christ.

Anyone can tell that the tree lives and is healthy, because of the crop it is bearing. Its life shows itself in fruit. If there were no fruit the tree had better be cut down as a waste of the ground. But there is fruit. It is the necessary evidence of the life. The fruit does not produce the life, but the life the fruit. You might decorate the tree with fruit, but that would not give it life.

From verse 43 the outward profession of discipleship is in view. The Lord may have had someone like Judas especially in mind in speaking this way. Among those who took the place of being His disciples there might be "an evil man" as well as "a good man." Their fruits tell them apart, seen in both speech and action. Fruit reveals nature. We cannot see into the secrets of nature, either in a tree or in a man. But we can easily and correctly work out the nature from the fruit.

In these verses the Lord strikes at people who pretend to be good while His grace has never touched their hearts. They have no new life, so they are still under sin. A good person is one whose heart is purified by faith in the Son of God, for by nature "no one does good, not even one" (Rom. 3:12). Only the grace of God can make a difference in the person. In this case God plants a "good treasure" in his heart — the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, given to "jars of clay" (2 Cor. 4:6-7). Only good can come from this, however weak the vessel may be.

Then He shows how clearly it is a question of nature. "For there is no good tree which produces corrupt fruit, nor a corrupt tree which produces good fruit." You cannot change the nature... At this point the Lord did not yet show how the two natures act, or how allowing the old one can hold back the fruits of the new creation. He only points out that there are two natures. He does not show them living side by side in the same person, which is what really happens even in a true believer.

"Every tree is known by its own fruit." This is peculiar to Luke — I mean the putting it in so strong a manner. Matthew says, "By their fruits you shall know them." Luke makes it more comprehensive and emphatic.

"Every tree is known by its own fruit." Not only bearing fruit, but fruit that Christ produces should be ours. An upright nature produces fruit too, like that of the young man who came to Jesus. But that was not divine fruit; it was the tree's own fruit. Where Christ is the root and the stock, the fruit is Christian fruit — fruit that will remain (John 15:16). Two men may go along together up to a point. Then some test for Christ comes: one goes on with Him, the other turns aside. "Its own fruit" — fruit shows itself, springs of itself.

Judging yourself, and not your brother, was the way to clear moral sight. If the tree is good, the fruit will be good. Self-judgment applies to the trees. This is always true. In self-judgment, it is not only the fruit that is corrected; it is oneself. And the tree is known by its fruit — not only by good fruit, but by its own. The Christian bears the fruit of the nature of Christ.

So if man seeks to cultivate the flesh, even in its fairest forms, he is doomed to disappointment. If I cultivate a thorn-bush under the illusion that it is a vine, I shall only increase the size and number of the thorns and not succeed in getting one grape. No one would be so foolish as to mistake a thorn-bush for a vine. But sadly, in moral and spiritual things, even leaders in the Christian world are making a worse mistake, and the consequences are graver.

The outward character of people's actions does not matter. Some actions win the applause of others; some bring down their condemnation. But as long as they come from people who have not been born again, they are nothing but evil in the sight of God... So, as Luther said, it is not a question of doing, but of being; not a question of the character of actions, but a question of nature.

Thorns and thistles came into the world as a result of Adam's sin. God drove him out of the beautiful garden of Eden, and the ground would be cursed because of him and would produce thorns and thistles. Many times in the Bible thorns picture wicked people, and just as thorns are burned in the fire, the prophets spoke of a righteous God punishing the wicked.

If we foster wrong and unkind thoughts sooner or later they will become wrong and unkind words and deeds. If, on the other hand, we treasure the words and teaching of our blessed Lord, we shall speak kind words and act in kindness and love as He did.

Then He shows plainly that it is a question of nature. "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit." You cannot change the nature. … "Each tree is known by its own fruit." This is unique to Luke — I mean the way Luke states it so strongly. Matthew says, "You will recognize them by their fruits." Luke makes it wider and stronger.

From verse 43 the Lord looks at the outward profession of discipleship. He may have had someone like Judas in view as He spoke. Among those who took the place of being His disciples there might be "an evil man" as well as "a good man." Their fruits show which they are, in both speech and action. Fruit reveals nature. We cannot see into the hidden nature of a tree or a man, but the fruit tells us what it is, easily and correctly.

In these verses the Lord strikes at people's pretence of goodness while their hearts stay untouched by His grace. They are not born again, so they are still under sin. A good person is one whose heart is purified by faith in the Son of God, for by nature "no one does good, not even one" (Rom. 3:12). Only the grace of God can make a difference in the person. In this case God plants a "good treasure" in his heart. It is the treasure of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, given to "jars of clay" (2 Cor. 4:6-7). Only good can come from this, however weak the vessel may be. Without this good treasure a person has only "an evil treasure" in his heart, and his mouth soon expresses it, for whatever fills the heart most is what the mouth will speak.

But Luke presents the matter far more as a moral principle. It is true of every man that out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. This is an important test for the state of our souls. Our lips betray the condition of our heart — of our affections.

What is really filling my heart will come off my tongue. And therefore you can always tell what my heart is occupied with, because I have a tongue. I cannot long deceive you.

The evil is not the things themselves dug out of the earth, but the love in the heart for them. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." An impatient word betrays the heart. A blow I may restrain and yet utter the word.

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart" — at the very source of all the issues of life. This is very precious. Whatever is in the heart comes out through the lips, and in the life. How important then, to have the heart full of the word of God! It should be so full that we have no room for the vanities and follies of this present evil world… So we can judge what is in the heart by what comes out of the mouth. The tongue is the organ of the heart — the organ of the man… the heart is the mainspring of our entire moral condition.

It is true of every man, that out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks, and this is an important test for the state of our souls. Our lips betray the condition of our heart — of our affections. Then there is another thing. If we own Christ to be Lord in word, how is it that we do not do what He says? The very saying that He is Lord implies the obligation of subjection to Him.

Deceit in one's heart will often result in good-sounding words. One of the worst forms of hypocrisy is to call Jesus "Lord" when one has no intention of obeying Him (v.46), but this is as common an evil today as it was when He was here. This does not at all contradict 1 Corinthians 12:3, which says, "no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit". There Paul is speaking of ministry given in the church, where the Lordship of Christ was paramount. But here in Luke the Lord does not have the church in mind at all, but people who casually use the Lord's name without any thought of subjection to Him.

This leads to the consideration that mere profession counts for nothing. Men may repeatedly call Jesus their Lord, but if there is no obedience to His word, there is no discipleship that He acknowledges. Only obedience lays a foundation that cannot be shaken when testing comes.

Whoever proves his faith by his obedience will never be moved or ashamed... The heaviest blow, when the Lord returns in glory, will fall not on those who have never heard the Gospel, but on the baptized who have heard it and not obeyed.

To say Lord, Lord, without doing His Father's will, is worthless. Many will say in the future day of account, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" But He will answer, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." It was hollow profession, whatever the works of power, which only made the guilt worse and will add to endless regret.

I do not speak here of privilege, but of obedience. "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?" Is it because our eyes cannot see Him at present that there should be no loyalty of heart? It is amazing how little real regard we pay to the word of our Lord. Thousands of believers stay away from the table of the Lord, with plenty of excuses but no good reason at all. The smallest trifle, which would never keep them away from business or even from pleasure, becomes excuse enough for staying at home.

Often to say the name "Lord" means nothing. But to give ourselves up in everything to His will, as shown in His Word — that is what it really means to acknowledge that He is Lord... Far be it from us to think it is bondage to obey Jesus! He has revealed Himself to us as our precious Saviour, our peace, our joy, our hope, our heaven, our all, so that He may win our hearts for Himself. He does not want the cold service of the apprentice or the slave. He wants the loving heart-service of His chosen friends.

From Matthew 7:24 onward, the Lord is showing the great thing: having the right foundation, one that will bear all testing. It is true that hearing is not enough — it is "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them." In Luke it is, "Everyone who comes to me." The coming would speak of faith. You get this in Hebrews: "Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." So if there is hearing and no doing, the root of the matter is not there.

If we own Christ to be Lord in word, how is it that we do not do what He says? The very saying that He is Lord implies the obligation of subjection to Him... The heeding of the words of Christ is what survives every shock of the adversary. He who proves his faith in this way, by his obedience, shall never be moved nor ashamed... The heaviest blow, when the Lord returns in glory, will fall not on those who never heard, but on the baptized who heard the Gospel and did not obey it.

Mere profession counts for nothing. Men may repeatedly call Jesus their Lord, but if there is no obedience to His word, there is no discipleship that He acknowledges. Only obedience lays the kind of foundation that cannot be shaken under the testings. Just hearing His word, without obedience, may put up a structure that looks like the real thing. But it means disaster in the day of testing.

A man sets to work to build a house; he first looks for a foundation. He selects the rock. That is wise, at any rate; but merely to lay the stones on the surface would be folly. So he digs! This means toil, but it is toil that pays. He digs deep! This means determination. He dreads being shallow and flimsy. He expects the flood to rise and the stream to beat, and perhaps to beat hard. So he counts every extra spadeful quarried out of the rock invaluable, and every effort that binds the rock and the house together.

The ones who dig deep are those who kneel before God in complete dependence on Him, and who search His word each day. This is the proof of building on the rock. Nor does anyone advance in divine ways who fails in these two spiritual exercises.

Here the Lord approves and encourages real faith. It is faith that takes His Word to heart and responds in obedient action. The Person of the Lord Jesus means everything to that person. He digs deep, through all the mere build-up of earthly-mindedness, and reaches the bedrock. That bedrock pictures Christ as the Son of God. He wants reality and is satisfied with nothing less than the eternal Son of God to build his whole life on.

This is not a question of building upon Christ, the Rock, for the salvation of the sinner. It is the path of the saint... The very thing people are called on to do is to follow Him. When I follow, it proves that the Master's words have taken such hold on my soul that they can carry me over the difficulties.

His one foundation must be the teaching of the Son of God. Without that, he has nothing at all that will help him when the storm of divine judgement arises... All who bow at His feet, owning who He is and what His sacrifice has done, have laid their foundation on the rock.

The Lord is showing that the great thing is to have the right foundation, the kind that will bear all testing. It is true that it is not enough to hear. It is "everyone who hears these words of mine and does them." In Luke it is, "everyone who comes to me." The coming would speak of faith. You get this in Hebrews: "whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him." So if there is only hearing and no doing, the root of the matter is not there... Hearing, with the doing also, means reality; and nothing but reality will do for God.

A man sets to work to build a house; he first looks for a foundation. He selects the rock. That is wise, at any rate; but simply to lay the stones on the surface would be folly. So he digs! This means hard work, but work that pays. He digs deep! This means determination. He dreads anything shallow or flimsy. He expects the flood to rise and the stream to beat against it, perhaps violently. So every extra spadeful quarried out of the rock is priceless to him, and so is every effort that binds the rock and the house together. He does not begrudge the labour.

Those who know how to kneel down before God in complete dependence on Him, and who daily search His word — they are the ones who dig deep. They give proof of building on the rock. Nor does anyone make progress in divine things who fails in these two spiritual exercises.

He digs deep, through the whole build-up of earthly-mindedness, until he reaches the bedrock. That bedrock is a picture of Christ as the Son of God. He wants reality, and nothing less than the eternal Son of God will do as the base for his whole life. Whatever floods or storms arise, he is not moved, for it is the foundation Rock that secures him.

This leads to the thought that mere profession counts for nothing. Men may call Jesus their Lord again and again. But if there is no obedience to His word, there is no discipleship that He recognises. Only obedience lays the kind of foundation that cannot be shaken under testing. Hearing His word without obeying it may put up a building that looks like the real thing. But on the day of testing it means disaster.

The floods are certain to rise, and the streams to beat. We may expect enemies of every kind to attack the truth — unbelief, immorality, imitation, persecution, trial, worldliness, even Satan himself. Nothing overcomes them except faithfulness to God and the Spirit-given use of the word.

If we call Christ Lord with our words, why do we not do what He says? Calling Him Lord in itself means we are bound to submit to Him... Paying heed to the words of Christ is what survives every shock of the enemy. The one who proves his faith in this way, by his obedience, shall never be moved or ashamed.

If we own Christ to be Lord in word, how come we do not do what He says? The very saying that He is Lord implies the obligation of subjection to Him... Paying attention to the words of Christ is what survives every shock of the adversary. He who proves his faith in this way by his obedience will never be moved or ashamed.

On the other hand, if one "hears" with no resulting obedience, he is building without a foundation. To him the words of the Lord Jesus are merely optional principles of a good man, not having great importance. To such a person the Lord's words do not show the truth of who the Lord Jesus is. But to separate His words from the solid, eternal truth of His person as the living Son of God leaves the hearer wide open to the storms of life. He has no place to stand at all.

Preaching morals to others, or hearing even Christ's words without any fruit, only adds to one's own condemnation. Nothing can take the place of real obedience of heart.

The heaviest blow of the Lord returning in glory will fall, not on pagans who have never heard, but on the baptized who have heard the Gospel and not obeyed it.

This is how vividly the Lord of all describes the collapse of all the hopes of those who have not built on His words. Heaven is silent today... but a real hurricane of divine wrath will burst out before long. It will show beyond dispute where men really stand. Every unreal structure will then totter and fall. Some people have a fine moral and religious appearance. That will not shield them from judgement if they have not, as lost sinners, put their trust in the Saviour and in His precious blood.

Useless indeed is the profession of the lips — the saying "Lord, Lord" — unless the life confirms it. Not that the best life will justify before God, or save in the day when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. But it is still evidence that Christ is the foundation of the soul — of a house built secure against all the storms that can hit it. Faith in Christ must, of course, be real. But the more real a person's faith in other things, the more complete the delusion. The ruin waiting for him is surer and more deadly. "The ruin of that house was great."