Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce: Bible in one year 1/22/2022 Luke 5-6 The characteristics of disciples (The Great Sermon) 6:17-49 by Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Bible in one year 1/22/2022 Luke 5-6

The characteristics of disciples (The Great Sermon) 6:17-49

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; pastoral ministry & counseling

Chapter 6 the characteristics of disciples (The Great Sermon) 6:17-49

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When the morning came, he called his disciples to him, and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (Luke6:12-16)

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 form the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. (vv.17-19)

Looking at his disciples, he said,

Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God.(v.20)

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.(v.21)

Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.(v.22)

Rejoice in that day and leap joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. (v.23)

But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. (v.24)

Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Who to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. (v.25)

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. (v.26)

But I tell you who hear me:

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (v.27) bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.(v.28)

If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. (v.29)

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. (v.30)

Do to others as you would have them do to you.(v.31)

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners’ love those who love them. (v.32)

And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners’ do that.(v.33)

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. (v.34)

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 sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.(v.35)

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (v.36)

Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.(v.37)

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. (v.38)

He also told them this parable: Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? (v.39)

A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. (v.40)

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? (v.41)

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 brothers’ eye.(v.42)

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.(v.43)

People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. (v.44)

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (v.45)

Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?” (v.46)

I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. (v.47)

He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation of rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.(v.48)

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. (v.49)

Jesus’ sermon about the characteristics of disciples in the Luke6:17-49 are the most challenged and difficult lesion to me. It hardly completes the lesion on the earth as human and a minster after three decades practice. It takes God’s divine power, strength and endless prayer to complete the tasks. When the challenges come to me, I drench mind with Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, I take comfort the fact that Jesus was also struggled to take cross while He was in human form. He was struggled in flesh and asked Father to remove the cup that he needed to drink, if it’s possible, yet, not according to His will, but Father’s will. The greatest suffering as a sacrificial Lamb be nailed on the cross, shed blood, and died on the cross for sinners as ransom. He conquered the fear and struggles, He did it, He overcame it, and He completed it. He obeyed the Father’s redemptive plan. This resulted Heavenly Father to vindicate Jesus is Son of Man, and Son of God, raised Him from dead, and affirmed, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well please. And made His name “Jesus” is above all names, and at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil.2:9-11).

Therefore, facing challenges learn from Jesus, pray for the strength at Gethsemane, in the solitary moment, Father will strengthen you to complete the task.

Let’s pray, Father in heaven, strengthens me to complete each lesion and task that you have assigned me to do on the earth. When I am weak, and weary to fulfill your call, please help me to overcome, not by my will, but Thy will be done. Empower me to apply Thy Word in my life to love, to care, to give, to forgive and to be merciful, and be perfect as Father Thou are merciful God and perfect. In Thy mercy hear my prayer. Amen!

Changing mentality, keep mediating the scriptures as follows,