Luke 6 - Why Did Jesus Pick Judas as an Apostle?

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

6 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. 2 Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” 3 Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

The Sabbath day and its observance was at the heart of Jewish religion and the community of the Israelites. Unfortunately but not ironically the Pharisees had taken what God had given them as a gift and turned it into a legalistic ritual. They took the simple commandment to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy, and added a bunch of additional regulations to it. 

So it is not surprising that the Pharisees try to call out the disciples for picking the grain on the Sabbath, rubbing it with their hands and eating it. The original commandment had never said anything about not eating on the Sabbath, especially if one had to work out of necessity. Jesus corrected them by using an example from the Old Testament where David and His companions were carrying out their duties and needed food, so they ate the bread in the temple. 

Jesus concluded by telling that He was the Lord of the Sabbath, not them. He made the Law, and He knew its original intent was to bless them. 

There was nothing wrong with what they did. Their gleaning was not considered stealing, according to the provision for the poor of the land given in Deuteronomy 23:25.

 “It is possible to read scripture meticulously, to know the Bible inside out from cover to cover, to be able to quote it verbatim and to pass any examination on it – and yet completely miss its real meaning.” (Barclay)

The second principle was even more dramatic. Jesus said that He is the Lord of the Sabbath, and the Lord of the Sabbath was not offended by His disciple’s actions, then these religious leaders should not have been offended. This was a direct claim to Deity. Jesus said that He had the authority to know if His disciples broke the Sabbath law, because He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

6 On another Sabbath he went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. 7 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. 8 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand in front of everyone.” So he got up and stood there. 9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored. 11 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Pharisees again tried to use the Sabbath day to trip up Jesus, as a man whose hand was deformed entered the synagogue. They could care less about the guy, but were more interested in catching Jesus in violation of a Sabbath law. Jesus knew their motives, so he had him stand up on front of everybody. This was surely a teachable moment. 

Jesus asked a question they surely could not answer, if they didn't want to look bad. He asked the question if one should do good or evil on the Sabbath? Should they save a person's life or destroy it? Of course, the Pharisees had no answer, so Jesus had the man stretch out his hand. This was yet another way in which Jesus performed a miracle. As soon as the man stretched out his hand it was restored. Jesus never used one method to heal someone. Why? Because it tends to put one's focus on the method and off of God. 

The Pharisees once again came up empty, which only made them more furious at Jesus. 

The Twelve Apostles

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

This was an important night for Jesus. So important he spent an all-nighter praying to God. We find out he was praying about. He was about to choose 12 disciples and designate them as apostles. These would be the men he entrusted with the mission the Father had entrusted to him. A disciple is a learner, and an apostle is a "messenger" or "ambassador". We might use the term "missionary" today. Luke informs us one of these men, Judas, was a traitor. Given that Jesus spent all night praying, it is interesting that God had him pick a traitor. 

Jesus was God; yet He did not simply use His infinite knowledge to pick the apostles. Instead, He prayed all night. Like every other struggle Jesus faced, He faced this one as a man; a man who needed to seek the will of His Father and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit just as we do. - Guzik

Jesus chose Judas knowing him and what he would do, but also knowing that God would allow and even use the great evil Judas did for great good, despite the intention of Judas.

A man once asked a theologian, “Why did Jesus choose Judas Iscariot to be his disciple?” The teacher replied, “I don’t know, but I have an even harder question: Why did Jesus choose me?” - Guzik

Blessings and Woes

17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

You will notice Jesus' teaching here looks very similar to the "Sermon on the Mount", but Jesus was on a level place. Some have called it the "Sermon on the Plain". Some say it is the same sermon, others say it was a different sermon. In some ways it doesn't matter, as they are both the Word of God. 

However, some have observed that the area around the Sea of Galilee – including the traditional Mount of Beatitudes, where the Sermon on the Mount is said to be delivered – is like a mountain when looking from the Sea of Galilee, but like a level place when one stands on or above it.

Many people came to hear Jesus and be healed by him. They longed to just touch him because the power of the Holy Spirit was coming out of him. We like to say today, "He was on fire!" Note he healed all of them. 

20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

The word "blessed" could be translated "happy". Jesus teaches paradoxically here. Ordinarily someone who is rich should be happy and someone who is poor sad. But Jesus says to the poor belongs the kingdom. Matthew's version says, "Blessed are you who are poor in spirit". This makes a little more sense. Luke's gospel was a little more focused on those who were poor materially speaking. 

But the bottom line is that Jesus takes all these negative words like "weep", "hunger", "hate", "insult", and "rejection" and turns them into a blessing because of him. 

It presents a radically different agenda than what the nation of Israel expected from the Messiah. It does not present the political or material blessings of the Messiah’s reign. Instead, it expresses the spiritual implications of the rule of Jesus in our lives. This great message tells us how we will live when Jesus is our Lord.

It is important to understand that the Sermon on the Mount does not deal with salvation as such, but it lays out for the disciple and the potential disciple how regarding Jesus as King translates into ethics and daily living. - Guzik

23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Jesus then turns to the woes. For all the blessings of being poor, hungry, weepy, insulted, and rejected, those who are rich, comfortable, well fed, and laughing now will soon be weeping and mourning. 

It is very important here to point out that there is nothing wrong with being wealthy. There is nothing wrong with being well fed. There is nothing wrong with laughing. Some of my favorite pictures of Jesus is when he is laughing. But Jesus is showing the upside down mature of the kingdom. Remember the Jews thought Jesus was bringing in a material kingdom not a spiritual one. 

He is teaching his disciples that going forward when these things happen to them. it is not because they aren't being blessed by God. They would be persecuted and hated because Jesus. He wanted them to know though things might pretty bad on earth, they were blessed by them in heaven!

Riches, no sense of need, and continual excitement and good times are a genuine obstacle to the kingdom. We normally won’t come to Jesus the way we should until we know we are poor, hungry, and needing comfort.

In each of these paradoxical sayings, Jesus contrasted the current expectations of the kingdom with the spiritual reality of His Kingdom. Jesus told us that God does unexpected things. Jesus mocked the world’s values. He exalted what the world despises and rejected what the world admires. Jesus turned upside-down (rather, right-side-up) their perception of the Kingdom of God. - Guzik

Love for Enemies

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Jesus offers more paradoxical statements. To love your enemies and bless those who curse you was certainly not practiced in his culture by anyone. This was seriously counter-cultural. Even in the Old Testament it taught and eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

“Jesus is here saying that the true Christian has learned to resent no insult and to seek retaliation for no slight.” (Barclay) When we think how Jesus Himself was insulted and spoken against (as a glutton, a drunk, an illegitimate child, a blasphemer, a madman, and so forth) we see how He lived this principle Himself.

Judging Others

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” 39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. 41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Many times I hear that Christians are the most judgmental people. This should certainly not be the case given how Jesus has suspended judging us by going to the cross for us. A judgmental attitude reveals someone who has not understood the judgment they deserve and the grace they didn't deserve. 

Judge not, and you shall not be judged: With this command Jesus warned against passing judgment upon others, because when we do so we will be judged in a similar manner.

· We break this command when we think the worst of others.

· We break this command when we only speak to others of their faults.

· We break this command when we judge an entire life only by its worst moments.

· We break this command when we judge the hidden motives of others.

· We break this command when we judge others without considering ourselves in their same circumstances.

· We break this command when we judge others without being mindful that we ourselves will be judged.

A Tree and Its Fruit

43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Though we don't judge anyone's salvation, we should see the evidence of someone who is saved by the fruit they bear. A good tree is the tree that is planted in the saving grace of Jesus by faith. None of us our good in and of ourselves, but when we are connected to the True Vine, Jesus, we bear fruit due to abiding in him. Apart from him we can do nothing. But with him we can do anything.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him (Jesus) who strengthens me."

Finally, notice the emphasis on one's words being an indicator of what is going on in their hearts. Our speech often portrays what is happening in our hearts. I.e. judgmental, critical, annoyed, "F-Bombs", insults, sarcasm.

The last fruit listed of the Holy Spirit is self-control. Nowhere is self-controlled more evident than when we are controlling our tongue. Our tongues can get us in a lot of trouble, or we can use it to encourage others and praise God!

The Wise and Foolish Builders

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Jesus emphasizes it is not just the man who hears his word, but the one who hears and obeys who will be able to survive the storms of life. Jesus' words will always be true but the question is, "Are they true for us!"

As Dallas Willard was fond of saying Christians are often, "Educated beyond our obedience." As Paul taught the Corinthians, "Knowledge puffs up but love builds up." The Corinthians got all puffed up because they could speak in tongues and had words of knowledge, but Paul taught them without love they were like a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. 

In the Sermon on Plain, Jesus has described the kingdom kind of life. Many things the world values are different that what God values. Importantly in God's kingdom, no matter what you are going through God can use it for good. I can't tell you how many times when something bad happened to me, I wondered why God allowed it to happen. But then in time I see how it turned out to be a blessing in disguise!