The Bible — World English Bible

Luke 6

In brief

Luke 6 unfolds a day of Jesus' ministry. He answers the Pharisees about the Sabbath, spends the night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles, then comes down to a level place where the crowd comes to listen to him and be healed. There he speaks beatitudes and woes, asks us to love our enemies, not to judge and to give generously, then reminds us that a tree is known by its fruit. He ends with the picture of two houses: the one that stands in the storm is built by the person who puts his words into practice.

The chapter in 6 parts

  1. v. 1-11The Sabbath: Jesus, lord of the Sabbath
  2. v. 12-19A night of prayer, the choice of the twelve and the crowd on the level place
  3. v. 20-26Beatitudes and woes: the reversal of the kingdom
  4. v. 27-38Loving enemies, not judging, giving
  5. v. 39-45The blind guiding the blind, the speck and the beam, the tree and its fruit
  6. v. 46-49Two houses: hearing and doing

1Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.

2But some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”

3Jesus, answering them, said, “Haven’t you read what David did when he was hungry, he, and those who were with him;

4how he entered into God’s house, and took and ate the show bread, and gave also to those who were with him, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?”

5He said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

6It also happened on another Sabbath that he entered into the synagogue and taught. There was a man there, and his right hand was withered.

7The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him.

8But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise up, and stand in the middle.” He arose and stood.

9Then Jesus said to them, “I will ask you something: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?”

10He looked around at them all, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other.

11But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus.

12In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.

13When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

14Simon, whom he also named Peter; Andrew, his brother; James; John; Philip; Bartholomew;

15Matthew; Thomas; James, the son of Alphaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot;

16Judas the son of James; and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor.

17He came down with them, and stood on a level place, with a crowd of his disciples, and a great number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

18as well as those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and they were being healed.

19All the multitude sought to touch him, for power came out of him and healed them all.

20He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours.

21Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

22Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

24“But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation.

25Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

26Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

27“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

29To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also.

30Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

31“As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.

32If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

34If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.

35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

36“Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.

37Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.

38“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

39He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?

40A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

41Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?

42Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye.

43For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit.

44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.

45The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

46“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say?

47Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.

48He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.

49But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Key verses

Verse 12
In these days, he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.

Before choosing the twelve, Jesus spends the whole night in prayer. The great decisions of his ministry are born in prayer, which invites us to do the same with our own.

Verse 20-23
He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.

Luke's beatitudes are addressed to the poor, to those who hunger, who weep and who are rejected. Jesus announces that the kingdom of God overturns the world's values and gives its joy to those whom nobody envies.

Verse 27-28
“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.

The command is radical: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you. Jesus does not ask us to feel sympathy, but to choose acts of kindness toward those who do us wrong.

Verse 37-38
Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

Do not judge, set free, give: Jesus invites us to a generosity that reflects God's own. The measure we use toward others is the measure we get back.

Verse 46-49
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Jesus does not only ask us to call him Lord, but to do what he says. The wise man builds on the rock by hearing and doing: the storm comes for everyone, and only the well-founded house stands.

Bible verses to meditate on

Characters in this chapter

Pray about this

What the sermons say

Frequently asked questions about Luke 6

What is the difference between the beatitudes of Luke 6 and those of Matthew 5?

Matthew reports nine beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, with a spiritual dimension (poor in spirit). Luke reports four, followed by four woes, and speaks of poverty, hunger and tears in a more concrete way. The two texts complement each other: one stresses the character of the disciple, the other the reversal that the kingdom brings to those who suffer.

What does “love your enemies” mean in Luke 6:27?

Jesus does not ask for a warm feeling toward those who do us wrong, but for acts: doing good, blessing, praying. The text describes a love that chooses to want the other's good despite the offense. It rests on the example of God, who is kind even to the unthankful and the evil, and it remains a demanding call that Christians live with the help of the Spirit.

What is the meaning of the parable of the two houses in Luke 6:46-49?

Two men build: one digs deep and lays his house on the rock, the other builds without a foundation. When the flood comes, only the first house stands. Jesus explains that whoever hears his words and does them is like the first. The difference comes not from what we know, but from what we do with what we hear.

Why does Jesus spend the night in prayer before choosing the twelve?

Luke notes that Jesus spends the whole night praying to God before calling his disciples and choosing twelve of them, whom he names apostles. The text does not say what he prays. It is generally read to mean that this choice is important and that Jesus entrusts it to his Father. It is an example for any decision with heavy consequences.

Articles quoting Luke 6

← All chapters

World English Bible translation — public domain.