Luke 6 - Walking the Talk!

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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 has been doing lots of miracles and healings, but in chapter 6 he teaches his disciples and those who had come with the crowds what it meant to follow him. It was one thing to follow the crowd and be amazed at his healing all those who were sick and diseased. But Jesus never did miracles just to bring attention to himself. He did miracles to show he was the Son of God and to come to him for forgiveness and eternal life. 

Jesus' teachings were a definite challenge to the worldview of his culture and even his fellow Jews. Jesus spoke on issues like judging others. He made the famous statement for them to take, "The log out of their own eyes before they point out the piece of sawdust in others." 

Though we are called to love our brothers and sisters, Jesus teaches them that they were love everyone, even those who mistreat them. He says, "Love you enemies!' "Do good to those who hate you?" If someone slaps you on the right cheek offer him the left cheek." Then he says something really challenging. He says, 

'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.' 

You can see that the last thing Jesus is teaching is to be insurrectionists to overthrow the Roman government. He is teaching them to be counter cultural. He realizes that unless they treat people differently they will never draw people to Him. Finally in the verses above Jesus says, 

"Why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do what I say?" 

If you would call yourself a Christian, then you are committing to following Jesus in the ways he teaches today. Some people want the benefits that Jesus brings, but never thinking they could do the things he taught.  Jesus is not as interested in people who call him Lord, as those who make him the Lord of their life.  

That being said, the standards Jesus gives in this chapter are impossible to live up to without his help. If we try to live out these principles in our every day lives in our own strength, we will fail. Forgiving your enemy, even when they don't say their sorry is hard. Doing good to those who hate you is not possible without the power of the Holy Spirit. 

But the bottom line is that Jesus doesn't teach them these things thinking they are unachievable. They are indeed impossible for us to live up to in our own strength. It is only with Jesus and His Spirit that we can become the type of people who routinely do the things he asks us to do.  

And Jesus did not talk about these things for others to do, he lived them out every day in for all to see. Mark 10:44 tells us, "Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. 

Application for Life

1. Do you love your enemies and pray for those who hate you?

2. Do you judge others, or spend more time looking in the mirror at your sin? 

3. Who do you need to forgive? 

Do you spend more time saying, "Lord, Lord", or doing the things he has taught you to do? 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you have called us to be children of light. You told us to let our light shine before others so that see our good deeds and glorify you in heaven. Help us to love our enemies and do good to those who don't treat us the way they should. Before we just others help us to look in the mirror and spend time become more like you in what we say or do. Amen. 


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