Goodness Comes from the Root – Luke 6:43-45
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 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 out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. –Parallel verses:Matthew…
Arrogance That Disables – Luke 6:39-42
Arrogance That Disables – Luke 6:39-42
He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit?
The Giver of Good Gifts – Luke 6:38
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. Gifts are interesting things. They have power. Good gifts can energize, rejuvenate, enable, encourage, and propel others to greatness. There is a saying, you can’t out-give God. While this is true, I think the process is a little different. We really…
Forgiveness Brings Freedom to Follow God – Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. –Parallel verses:Ephesians 4:31-32Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Lately, I have heard people express many different forms of judgment, condemnation, and unforgiveness. Some are planning…
The King’s New System of Value – Luke 6:27-36
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 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. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as…
A Warning to the Rich, Well Fed, and Popular – Luke 6:24-26
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 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. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. I have an Ash tree in my front yard. The Ash was a tree that got a disease and…
The Attitude of Joy Amidst the Trials of Life – Luke 6:22-23
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. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. Why would I be rejoicing and leaping for joy when I am hated, excluded, insulted, and rejected as evil, because of Jesus? This sounds like a masochist….
Flesh or Spirit, Under Whose Power Do You Operate? – Luke 6:21
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. –Parallel verses:Matthew 5:4, 6Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Psalms 42:1-5As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I…
The Greatness of the Poor – Luke 6:17-20
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, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them…