Calling Jesus Lord!

This post accompanies my video reading of Luke Chapter 6 published on YouTube. You can watch here if you would like.

Luke 6 Video Reading

What should it mean when we call Jesus our Lord? I found this such a thought provoking chapter. It caused me to consider obedience on a personal level. I had to question how hard I try to live up to what I proclaim frequently with my mouth. I call Jesus Lord but do I truly obey what He tells me? It's another personal reminder of the importance to read my Bible. It's the only place to find details of what Jesus taught us.

It seems to me that Jesus is very much setting a standard that we as faithful believers are to follow. To me that seems the essence of what it means to follow Jesus. I'm reading in this chapter that following Jesus does not begin and end with passively acknowledging Him as Lord. Jesus seems to be saying that He considers it necessary that we actively follow His teachings if we call Him Lord. Following involves acknowledging Jesus's authority as Lord of our lives in both word and deed. Honestly, reading this chapter caused me to cringe because I know there are frequently times that I could not look my Saviour in the eye and say, I always do what you told me to do. I guess we all perpetually fall short but I imagine Jesus is looking to see us repent of those shortfalls and pray for the strength to address them.

Let's jump into the published commentaries to learn more!

Enduring Word Commentary

This commentary begins by clarifying how busy Jesus is by noting how much ministry has occured between the Sabbath days marked off. The first snippet I will share, shines a light on why the Scribed and Pharisees are rebuking the disciples for eating corn on the Sabbath. They had at this time come up with an exhausting list of do's and don'ts to comply with in relation to Sabbath conduct. These rules were in addition to the laws God had handed down.

i. When the disciples did what they did, in the eyes of the religious leaders they were guilty of reaping, threshing, winnowing, and preparing food. There were therefore four violations of the Sabbath in one mouthful.

I can imagine sitting down one day and concocting a list of personal rules. Spending a day proudly ticking them off and at the end of the day, patting myself on the head and declaring myself to have had a perfect day. What a contrast to the sermon on the Mount! Jesus was teaching a very different message relating to perfection and righteousness.

I liked the note I found in the commentary about how easy it is to think we understand and completely miss the point.

i. “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)

I'm always a little baffled at how certain people following false gospels will try hard to maintain that Jesus did not claim to be God. In my opinion it is evidence of the kind of blindness we often hear described in scripture. The New Testament is full of examples where Jesus declared that He is God. We have one of those examples in this chapter (verses 3-5)

i. 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.

I find it difficult sometimes to get my head around Jesus as both fully man and fully God. It's much easier in my humble opinion to grasp the fully God nature but sometimes puzzling trying to imagine how the fully man nature accommodates fully God. Here the commentary helps a little. Jesus whilst walking in the flesh as completely human, followed God perfectly as a man. I guess, He is always keen to be an example for us to follow. He shows us by example, how as humans, we can communicate with God the Father. The commentary uses an example of when Jesus is praying before choosing His Apostles.

i. 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.

You'll find some really useful context and clarity in this thorough verse by verse commentary. Follow the link for more.

https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-6/

Blue Letter Bible Commentary

Picking up where the previous commentary left off, I liked the note here that points out that we would all maybe benefit from spending more time in prayer. I know that I do not have a strong prayer life. It's something I really should focus on more!

2. He was long alone with God: He continued all night in prayer. We think one half hour a great deal to spend in the duties of the closet; but Christ continued a whole night in meditation and secret prayer. We have a great deal of business at the throne of grace, and we should take a great delight in communion with God, and by both these we may be kept sometimes long at prayer.

This is a very detailed commentary and it's great for really digging deep into the messages Christ is leaving for us. Here's an example relating to verses 20-26.

(2.) "You will for this be abundantly recompensed in the kingdom of glory; not only your services for Christ, but your sufferings will come into the account: Your reward is great in heaven. Venture upon your sufferings, in a full belief that the glory of heaven will abundantly countervail all these hardships; so that, though you may be losers for Christ, you shall not be losers by him in the end."

It's not easy to suffer pain and challenges through life but all of us will and Jesus often explained we can actually expect to suffer more because of our faith in Him. We only need to look at our Heavenly role model for example. Jesus suffered for us and we may be called to suffer for Him at the hands of those who reject Him. Any suffering we endure in this world is however temporary and we have the promise of an eternity without suffering. (1 Peter 5:10 NIV)

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

I know from personal experience that our suffering now is lessened because of our faith. Pain is pain but my experience of pain is lessened because I can seek relief from it through prayer. I can call on God for strength to endure and I have never known that prayer to go unanswered. I have been blessed to experience pain melt away after prayer and days that felt difficult become a pleasure because I prayed for help. Although, I know I should pray for longer and more often, my personal experience of prayer is that it is a constant stream of strength to my faith. God answers me and I know His love, mercy and grace through prayer. (Romans 8:26 ESV)

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Here's a link to the full commentary:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_006.cfm

Bible Ref Commentary

I'll finish with a snippet from Bible Ref who provide a nice summary of the chapter. I chose this snippet because it clarifies my post reading comments relating to whether this is an additional sermon or a retelling of the Sermon on the Mount.

Here the commentator uses the title, 'Sermon on the Plain' but ads a little context relating to different opinions.

The rest of the chapter is Jesus' "Sermon on the Plain." It covers much of the same information as the "Sermon on the Mount" in Matthew (Matthew 5—7) but in condensed form. Scholars debate as to whether these were the exact same speech. Since Jesus was a traveling teacher, it's possible He presented the same broad lessons numerous times during His earthly ministry. Notably, because Luke's readership is Gentile, he leaves out the parts that directly reference the Mosaic law. The event begins with Jesus ministering to "a great multitude of people" from everywhere from Jerusalem to Tyre. They have come to be healed from diseases and freed from demons but stay to listen to Jesus' words (Luke 6:17–19).

To read this commentary:

https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/6/Luke-chapter-6.html

Thank you for reading along and engaging with me in considering the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6. I look forward to diving into the next chapter with you. Unfortunately after sharing chapter 7, I will be having a little break. My next hip replacement surgery is scheduled and I'll need a little time to recover before I can sit comfortably to record a video.

Until next time, God bless you a keep you!