WEEKLY SUNDAY
SCHOOL LESSON
An international
Sunday school lesson commentary
For
Sunday January 12, 2014
Over 55,000
readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com
HOW
TO LIVE AS GOD’S PEOPLE
(JESUS
calls us to love)
(Luke
6:17-49)
The passage of Luke chapter six,
verses 17-49, is the short version of JESUS’ famous “Sermon on the Mount” that
is also recorded by the Apostle Matthew in chapters 5-7 of his Gospel account.
Both accounts begin with the “Beatitudes” and end with the parable of “how
we can build our spiritual foundation on the Most High Faith”. In Luke’s
account, however, he omits the “Jewish parts” concerning the interpretation of
the Law that Matthew’s account so thoroughly includes. Nevertheless, this
approach works well with Luke’s purpose and intent, as his Gospel account is
aimed mostly at converting the Gentiles to CHRIST.
JESUS begins HIS famous sermon with
a series of blessings that have come to be known, the world over, as “The Beatitudes”.
Here in Luke’s account, these beatitudes are followed by a series of “woes”,
and he only includes a partial list (four) of the total number of beatitudes
that appear in Matthew’s account, where there are eight. The four woes that
follow, parallel in contrast, to the four Beatitudes, that, precede them.
In the New Testament Greek, the word
used for “blessed” in makarios (mak-ar-ee-os), and it means “to be indwelt by
GOD, and thereby, fully satisfied”. It is a word that occurs in the four
Gospels a total of 30 times, and all but two of those instances occur in the
Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
A, beatitude, is an acknowledgement
of a fortunate state before man and GOD. In the New Testament, beatitudes have
more of an emotional force than in the Old Testament, as they often contrast a
“false earthly estimation” with a “true heavenly estimation” of a person who is
truly “indwelt” with GOD’s SPIRIT.
In Luke 6:20-23, JESUS speaks of
four conditions in which people who follow HIM are blessed:
·
Blessed
are those who are poor,
·
Blessed
are those who hunger now,
·
Blessed
are those who weep now,
·
Blessed
are those who are hated, because of HIM.
Here, each instance is amended with
a clause that explains why such a person is blessed. And all that the person
who is “poor”, “hungry”, “weeping”, or “hated” has to do, is stake their
beliefs in CHRIST JESUS.
In verses 24-26 we find four
contrasting woes that await those who refuse to give up any and everything to
follow JESUS. Those groups can and will likely include;
·
The
rich,
·
The
well-fed,
·
Those
who laugh carelessly,
·
Those
who are popular with the world because they do things to please the world,
instead of trying to please GOD.
Those people, who refuse to accept
JESUS, can expect to receive the exact opposite of what awaits those who follow
HIM.
In verses 27-38 JESUS talks about
seven aspects of “agape”, or, “unconditional love”. Because of our accepted “sin
nature”, or our “desire to want to sin”, these seven things will not
automatically be done by man, even though we are all born with GOD’s nature in
us. It still requires a “supernatural” interceding by GOD, through the HOLY
SPIRIT, to enable us to achieve such a state of righteousness. These seven
aspects include;
·
Loving
our enemies,
·
Doing
good to those who hate us,
·
Blessing
those who curse us,
·
Praying
for those who mistreat us,
·
Resisting
the urge for revenge against those who we feel wronged us,
·
Giving
freely without expectation of being paid back,
·
Always
treating others the way we ourselves want to be treated (otherwise known as
“The Golden Rule”).
In order for us to successfully, and
consistently do these things, especially to people that we don’t know or like,
one has to be “inspired to love”, by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD. JESUS
wants us to show the same attitude towards each other that GOD HIMSELF displays
towards us. This kind of love will set us apart from the world, and allow us to
emulate the ways of GOD in Heaven, while living here on earth.
In verses 37-38, JESUS outlines five
areas that stand as proof of the “sowing and reaping” theme that so prominently
permeates the pages of the Holy Scriptures. Here HE tells us that;
·
Mercy
leads to mercy,
·
Judgment
leads to judgment,
·
Condemnation
leads to condemnation,
·
Pardon
will lead to pardon,
·
Giving
will lead to giving.
Our actions and attitudes always
reflect back on us, and true righteousness is always revealed in our actions
and attitudes towards each other. And just as a blind person can’t lead another
blind person to safety, and indeed, can’t even hide the fact that they
themselves are blind, so it is with the unrighteous.
Our unrighteousness is also revealed
in our actions and attitudes. The “unrighteous” can only lead a person into “the
dangers and pitfalls of unrighteousness”. We must first, rid ourselves of our
own sin before we can help someone else rid themselves of theirs. JESUS points
out that, the person who criticizes another person, often has a greater sin
than the person that they criticize (Vs. 41-42). The greatest reason why a
person can’t (krino) judge another person, is because, we are all, people under
the (krino) judgment of GOD. We don’t qualify to condemn another person,
because we are all equal in sin, with each other.
And finally, in verses 46-49, JESUS
concludes HIS sermon with this warning for us to build our “spiritual
foundations” on “The Most High Faith” (Christianity). Here we see JESUS
demanding two things. First, HE demands that we “listen”, because the first
step towards living a Christian life calls for us to give JESUS a chance to be
heard. Secondly, HE demands that we “do”. Knowledge obtained from listening can
only become relevant when it is put into action. Knowledge must become action, while
theory must become practice, and then, theology can become life.
There is very little point in going
to see an expert if you’re not prepared to act upon that expert’s advice.
Literally millions of “professed Christians” go to church every weekend, to
listen to the teachings of JESUS, and some, as a result, have very good
knowledge of what HE says. And yet, time and time again, they walk out of the
doors of the church, and fail to put what they have learned, into action. If we
are, in any sense, to become followers of CHRIST, we must learn to, first hear,
and then, do.
Here in this passage, it is clearly
JESUS’s claim, that, obedience to HIM is the only “true foundation”. No one
goes to the FATHER, except by JESUS. HE alone, is the way to GOD. In HIM, we
see exactly what GOD is like, and only HE, can usher us into GOD’s OWN glorious
presence, without fear, without guilt, and, without shame.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER-
Official Website
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