|
Plucking Grain on the Sabbath
(Luke 6:1-5 Matt 12:1-18 Mark 2:23-28) 1 AND it came to pass on the second first sabbath, that as he went through the corn fields, his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. 2 And some of the Pharisees said to them: Why do you that which is not lawful on the sabbath days? 3 And Jesus answering them, said: Have you not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was hungry, and they that were with him: 4 How he went into the house of God, and took and ate the bread of proposition, and gave to them that were with him, which is not lawful to eat but only for the priests? 5 And he said to them: The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. Healing the Withered Hand
(Luke 6:6-11 Matt 12:9-14 Mark 3:1-6) 6 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And there was a man, whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched if he would heal on the sabbath; that they might find an accusation against him. 8 But he knew their thoughts; and said to the man who had the withered hand: Arise, and stand forth in the midst. And rising he stood forth. 9 Then Jesus said to them: I ask you, if it be lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil; to save life, or to destroy? 10 And looking round about on them all, he said to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored. 11 And they were filled with madness; and they talked one with another, what they might do to Jesus. Commissioning the Twelve
12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and he passed the whole night in the prayer of God. 13 And when day was come, he called unto him his disciples; and he chose twelve of them (whom also he named apostles): 14 Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon who is called Zelotes, 16 And Jude, the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor. Jesus Heals Multitudes by the Sea
(Luke 6:17-19 Matt 12:15-21 Mark 3:7-12) The Beatitudes
(Luke 6:20-23 Matt 5:3-12) 20 And he, lifting up his eyes on his disciples, said: Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for you shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for you shall laugh. 22 Blessed shall you be when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23 Be glad in that day and rejoice; for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For according to these things did their fathers to the prophets. The Woes
(Luke 6:24-26) 24 But woe to you that are rich: for you have your consolation. 25 Woe to you that are filled: for you shall hunger. Woe to you that now laugh: for you shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when men shall bless you: for according to these things did their fathers to the false prophets. On Love of One's Enemies
(Luke 6:27-36 Matt 5:43-48) 27 But I say to you that hear: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you. 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that calumniate you. On Retaliation
(Luke 6:29-30 Matt 5:38-48) 29 And to him that striketh thee on the one cheek, offer also the other. And him that taketh away from thee thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also. 30 Give to every one that asketh thee, and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not again. The Golden Rule
(Luke 6:31 Matt 7:12) 31 And as you would that men should do to you, do you also to them in like manner. 32 And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if you do good to them who do good to you, what thanks are to you? for sinners also do this. 34 And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thanks are to you? for sinners also lend to sinners, for to receive as much. 35 But love ye your enemies: do good, and lend, hoping for nothing thereby: and your reward shall be great, and you shall be the sons of the Highest; for he is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. On Judging
(Luke 6:37-42 Matt 7:1-5 Mark 4:24-25) 37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. 38 Give, and it shall be given to you: good measure and pressed down and shaken together and running over shall they give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you shall mete withal, it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spoke also to them a similitude: Can the blind lead the blind? do they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one shall be perfect, if he be as his master. 41 And why seest thou the mote in thy brother's eye: but the beam that is in thy own eye thou considerest not? 42 Or how canst thou say to thy brother: Brother, let me pull the mote out of thy eye, when thou thyself seest not the beam in thy own eye? Hypocrite, cast first the beam out of thy own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to take out the mote from thy brother's eye. The Test of a Good Person, “By their Fruits”
(Luke 6:43-45 Matt 7:15-20; 12:33-35) 43 For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns; nor from a bramble bush do they gather the grape. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Not Every One who “Says Lord, Lord” shall Enter into the Kingdom
(Luke 6:46; 13:25-27 Matt 7:21-23) 46 And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say? 47 Every one that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will shew you to whom he is like. 48 He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock. 49 But he that heareth, and doth not, is like to a man building his house upon the earth without a foundation: against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great. Gospel Harmony on Luke 6
Plucking Grain on the Sabbath
(Luke 6:1-5 Matt 12:1-18 Mark 2:23-28) Matthew continues his history in the following terms: “At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath-day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat;” and so forth, on to the words, “For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day.”(Mt 12:1-8) This is also given both by Mark and by Luke, in a way precluding any idea of antagonism.(Mark 2:23-28 Luke 6:1-5) At the same time, these latter do not employ the definition “at that time.” That fact, consequently, may perhaps make it the more probable that Matthew has retained the order of actual occurrence here, and that the others have kept by the order of their own recollections; unless, indeed, this phrase “at that time” is to be taken in a broader sense, that is to say, as indicating the period at which these many and various incidents took place. (St. Augustine Harmony of the Gospel 2.34) Healing the Withered Hand
(Luke 6:6-11 Matt 12:9-14 Mark 3:1-6) Matthew continues his account thus: “And when He was departed thence, He went into their synagogue: and, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered;” and so on, down to the words, “And it was restored whole, like as the other.”(Mt 12:9-13) The restoring of this man who had the withered hand is also not passed over in silence by Mark and Luke.(Mark 3:1-3 Luke 6:6-10) Now, the circumstance that this day is also designated a Sabbath might possibly lead us to suppose that both the plucking of the ears of corn and the healing of this man took place on the same day, were it not that Luke has made it plain that it was on a different Sabbath that the cure of the withered hand was wrought. Accordingly, when Matthew says, “And when He was departed thence, He came into their synagogue,” the words do indeed import that the said coming did not take place until after He had departed from the previously mentioned locality; but, at the same time, they leave the question undecided as to the number of days which may have elapsed between His passing from the aforesaid corn-field and His coming into their synagogue; and they express nothing as to His going there in direct and immediate succession. And thus space is offered us for getting in the narrative of Luke, who tells us that it was on another Sabbath that this man’s hand was restored. But it is possible that a difficulty may be felt in the circumstance that Matthew has told us how the people put this question to the Lord, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day?” wishing thereby to find an occasion for accusing Him; and that in reply He set before them the parable of the sheep in these terms: “What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath-day, will he not lay hold on it and lift it out? How much, then, is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath-days;”(Mt 12:10-12) whereas Mark and Luke rather represent the people to have had this question put to them by the Lord, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath-day, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?”(Mark 3:4 Luke 6:9) We solve this difficulty, however, by the supposition that the people in the first instance asked the Lord, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day?” that thereupon, knowing the thoughts of the men who were thus seeking an occasion for accusing Him, He set the man whom He had been on the point of healing in their midst, and addressed to them the interrogations which Mark and Luke mention to have been put; that, as they remained silent, He next put before them the parable of the sheep, and drew the conclusion that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath-day; and that, finally, when He had looked round about on them with anger, as Mark tells us, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch forth thine hand.” (St. Augustine Harmony of the Gospel 2.35) Commissioning the Twelve
(Luke 6:12-16; 9:1-6; 10:3 Matt 10:1-16 Mark 6:7-11; 3:13-19) The Lord then having sanctioned this maxim, that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel, He spoke these things to the Apostles, that being confident they should not possess nor carry about with them the necessaries of life, neither things great nor things small. Therefore He adds, “Nor a staff,” [p. 374] to show that from His people all things are due to His ministers, and they require no superfluities. This authority He signifies by the staff, saying in Mark, “Take nothing but a staff only.” [Mark 6:18] And when He forbids them (in Matthew) to take with them shoes, He forbids that carefulness and thought which would be anxious to carry them lest they should be wanting. Thus also we must understand concerning the two coats, that none should think it necessary to carry another besides that which he wore, supposing that he should have need of it; for it would be in his power to obtain one by this authority which the Lord gave. Further that we read in Mark that they should be shod with sandals, seems to imply that this kind of shoe has a mystic meaning in it, that the foot should neither be covered above, nor yet bare beneath, that is, that the Gospel should not be hid, nor yet rest itself on earthly advantage. Also when He forbids them to carry two coats, He warned them not to walk deceitfully, but in simplicity. So we cannot doubt that all these things were said by the Lord, partly in a direct, partly in a figurative sense; and that of the two Evangelists one inserted some things, the other things, in his narrative. If any one should think that the Lord could not in one speech speak some things in a direct, and some things in a mystic sense, let him look at any other of His sayings, and he will see how hasty and unlearned his opinion is. When the Lord commands that the left hand should not know what the right hand doeth, does he think that almsgiving, and the rest of His precepts in that place are to be taken figuratively? (St. Augustine harmony of the Gospels 2.30) Jesus Heals Multitudes by the Sea
(Luke 6:17-19 Matt 12:15-21 Mark 3:7-12) The Beatitudes
(Matt 5:3-12 Luke 6:20-23) Luke has left us a version of his own of that copious discourse of the Lord, in a passage which he commences just as the section in Matthew begins. For in the Matthew the words run thus: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;”(Mt 5:3) while in Luke they are put thus: “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.”(Luke 6:20) |