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Report a TypoLuke ◦ Chapter 6
1Jesus and his interns were walking through a field of grain one Sabbath when his interns began picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating the kernels.2Some of the Pharisees immediately protested: "What are you doing? Why are you breaking the Sabbath and God's Law?"3Jesus tried to enlighten them. "Don't you understand the reality of God's kingdom of love? What David did when he and his friends were hungry?4He understood the symbolic script doesn't overrule the reality of the laws of health and entered God's little theater (sanctuary) and ate bread that the script (law) said was only for the priests; and he gave some to his friends as well."5Then Jesus told them directly, "The Son of Man doesn't serve the Sabbath; he created and rules it."6On a different Sabbath, he went to the worship center and was teaching when he saw a man whose right hand was withered and useless.7The Pharisees and theologians who taught a legal religion were watching him closely, trying to find some point on which to accuse Jesus. They watched to see if he would heal this man on the Sabbath.8But Jesus knew their thoughts and motives, and directed the man with the withered hand to stand up in front of everyone. So the man got up and stood in front.9Then Jesus turned to the religious leaders and said, "Let me ask you this: Is it right and in harmony with God's Law to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil? Should we save life or destroy it on the Sabbath?"10He looked around the room, meeting each one's gaze, but they said nothing. So Jesus said to the man, "Use your hand." And he did so, and his hand was completely restored to normal.11But the religious leaders were enraged and began plotting how they could get rid of Jesus.12One day Jesus went to a mountainside and spent the entire night talking with his Father.13The next morning he called his followers and chose these twelve to be his ambassadors:14Simon, (also called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,15Matthew, Thomas, James Alphaeus' son, Simon the Zealot,16Judas, son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed him.17He led them down to a level place. Many of his interns were there as well as a large crowd of people from across Judea, from Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon.18They had come eager to listen to him and to be healed from all disease and defect. Those whose spirits were disturbed by evil had their minds set free.19And everyone tried to touch him because life-giving energy was radiating from him and healing them all.20Looking toward his interns, he said so all could hear: "Blessed are you who know the poverty of your condition — God's kingdom is for you.21"Blessed are you when you hunger for more than this world can give, for you will be filled. Blessed are you whose tender hearts cry from the pain selfishness causes, for you will be the ones who rejoice in the end.22"Blessed are you when people despise you, are prejudiced against you, speak lies about you, slander you and reject you, calling you evil — all because you promote the Remedy I bring.23Rejoice when this happens, for your great reward is in heaven; and realize that in this world, evil always attacks good — just as their ancestors attacked God's spokespersons in the past.24"But misery and suffering is yours, you who rest secure in riches; for having rejected the Remedy, you have all you will ever receive.25"Misery is yours, you who are satisfied with this world; for disconnected from me, the only source of life, you will starve. Misery is yours, you who laugh at the pain and suffering in the world; the only outcome for you is suffering and grief.26"Misery is yours, you who are praised by the selfish; for you will be duped into complacency with your terminal condition, and that is how their ancestors adored frauds, liars and those with false remedies.27"But I am here to tell you the deep reality of how God constructed life to operate, so hear me: Life is built upon the principle of giving. If you want to live, you must love your enemies, do good to those who can't stand you,28be a blessing to those who spit upon you, and ask God to heal those who abuse you.29If an enemy strikes you on one side of your face, offer them the other side as well. If someone steals your coat, offer them your shirt as well.30Give what is beneficial to everyone who asks, and if someone steals from you, don't fight to get it back.31Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.32 "If you only love those who love you, what's the point? Selfishness still lives in your heart. Even the unhealed love those who love them.33And if you do good only to those who do good to you, what's the point? Selfishness still lives in your heart. Even the unhealed know how to do that.34And if you lend only to those with good credit scores, whom you know will pay you back in full, what good is that? Selfishness still lives in your heart. Even the unhealed lend to the unhealed with good credit scores, expecting full repayment.35But you are to live in harmony with God's design for life, so love your enemies, do good to them, and lend without expecting to get anything back. Then you will get the greatest reward: a character like the Most High God's and you will be his true sons and daughters, for he is kind to the unhealed — those still consumed with selfishness.36So, be gentle and kind just as your Father in heaven is gentle and kind.37 "Do not form a judgmental character, and you will not be diagnosed as unhealable. Do not condemn others, and you will not be diagnosed as terminal. Forgive, and you will experience God's forgiveness.38Life is constructed to operate upon giving, so give; and the more you give, the more will be given to you: a great abundance of love — concentrated, intense, overwhelming and all-consuming — will be poured into your being. For the way you treat others reveals the condition of your own character, and your own condition determines your destiny."39He told them this illustration as well: "What happens when a blind person leads another blind person? Don't they both get lost?40Students don't instruct their teacher. No! Students become like their teacher, so be careful who you accept as your teacher.41 "Why do you try to find the smallest defect in someone else's character but ignore the malignant pathology in your own?42How can you possibly think you can help another remove defects in their character when all the while your character is corrupt with selfishness? You charlatans! Healthy interventions require healthy minds: first address the defects in your own character, and then you will have the clarity and ability to help another remove defects in theirs.43 "Healthy trees don't produce diseased fruit, nor do diseased trees produce healthy fruit.44The health of the tree is recognized by its fruit. People don't get figs from thornbushes, or grapes from thistles.45Likewise, the healthy person who has taken my Remedy will bring forth love and goodness out of the love and goodness accumulated in their heart, but the selfish person who rejects my Remedy will bring evil and selfishness out of the evil and selfishness accumulated in their heart. For a person's actions reveal what flows in their heart.46 "Why do you call me Master, Doctor,1 or Lord, yet ignore what I say? The term "doctor" traces its roots back to the early church, when the term referred to the Apostles, church fathers, and other Christians authorities who taught the Bible. Only later did it come to refer to physicians. Thus, in the book of Luke — understanding that the plan of salvation is the plan to heal sinners, and written by a physician — I wanted to merge the idea of "teacher and healer" and thus used the term "doctor" rather than "teacher." (Verger, J. (1999). "Doctor doctoratus". Lexikon des Mittelalters 3, Stuttgart: J.B. Metzler. cols 1155-1156)47Let me tell you what the person who not only hears my instructions but understands them and puts them into practice is like:48Such a person, who builds on the solid rock of the truth of my teaching, is like a builder who digs down to bedrock and establishes the foundation of their house on solid rock. When a flood came, the rushing water struck the house but couldn't shake it, because it was built on a solid foundation.49But those who hear my words of truth and do not embrace and apply them are like the builder who built a house on dirt, with no solid foundation. The moment swirling waters struck that house, it collapsed and was completely destroyed."