# Luke 6 — Merciful as Your Father Is Merciful (O·I·A) — Berean Dashboard Study

_Seeking God diligently — “examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)_

Started: 2026-11-10 · Integrated with the Luke 6 Deep Dive (four voices — Guzik, Sproul, Spurgeon, Henry — and the Greek)

## Marking legend

- **gold** — God — His character & actions
- **green** — Command / instruction
- **sky** — Key repeated word
- **rose** — Sin / warning
- **violet** — Promise / blessing
- **amber** — Time / place / contrast

## Luke 6 — Merciful as Your Father Is Merciful

### Marked in the text

- v5 — **“The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v5 — **“the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v9 — **“is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v9 — **“Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v10 — **“Stretch out your hand!”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v10 — **“Stretch forth thy hand”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v10 — **“his hand was restored”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v11 — **“they themselves were filled with rage”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v11 — **“they were filled with madness”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v12 — **“He spent the whole night in prayer to God”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v12 — **“continued all night in prayer to God”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v13 — **“chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v13 — **“he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v16 — **“Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v16 — **“Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v17 — **“stood on a level place”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v17 — **“stood in the plain”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v19 — **“power was coming from Him and healing them all”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v19 — **“there went virtue out of him, and healed them all”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v20 — **“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v20 — **“Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v21 — **“you shall be satisfied”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v21 — **“ye shall be filled”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v21 — **“you shall laugh”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v21 — **“ye shall laugh”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v23 — **“your reward is great in heaven”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v24 — **“you are receiving your comfort in full”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v24 — **“ye have received your consolation”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v26 — **“Woe to you when all men speak well of you”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v26 — **“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v27 — **“love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v27 — **“Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v28 — **“bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v28 — **“Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v31 — **“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v31 — **“as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v35 — **“you will be sons of the Most High”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v35 — **“ye shall be the children of the Highest”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v35 — **“He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v35 — **“he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil”** (gold: God — His character & actions)
- v36 — **“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v36 — **“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v37 — **“Do not judge”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v37 — **“Judge not”** (green: Command / instruction)
- v38 — **“Give, and it will be given to you”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v38 — **“Give, and it shall be given unto you”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v42 — **“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v42 — **“Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v44 — **“each tree is known by its own fruit”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v44 — **“every tree is known by his own fruit”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v45 — **“his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v45 — **“of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh”** (amber: Time / place / contrast)
- v46 — **“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v46 — **“why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v48 — **“laid a foundation on the rock”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v48 — **“laid the foundation on a rock”** (violet: Promise / blessing)
- v49 — **“immediately it collapsed”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v49 — **“immediately it fell”** (rose: Sin / warning)
- v1 — **“Sabbath”** (sky: Key repeated word) — every occurrence in the chapter
- v20 — **“Blessed”** (sky: Key repeated word) — every occurrence in the chapter
- v24 — **“woe”** (sky: Key repeated word) — every occurrence in the chapter

### Observation

**Setting.** On a Sabbath Jesus’ disciples pick and rub grain in the fields, and the Pharisees object (vv1–5). On another Sabbath, in a synagogue, He heals a man’s withered right hand while the scribes and Pharisees watch for a charge (vv6–11). He spends the whole night praying on a mountain and at daybreak chooses twelve apostles (vv12–16). He comes down to a level place, where crowds from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre and Sidon are healed (vv17–19), and He teaches His disciples (vv20–49).

**Structure:**
- vv1–11 — **Lord of the Sabbath:** grain in the fields — “Why do you do what is not lawful?” (vv1–2); David and the consecrated bread (vv3–4); “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (v5); the withered hand — “Get up and come forward!”; “is it lawful to do good or to do harm …?”; “Stretch out your hand!” — restored (vv6–10); filled with rage (v11).
- vv12–19 — **prayer and the Twelve:** the whole night in prayer (v12); twelve chosen, named apostles (vv13–16); a level place, a great throng, power coming from Him (vv17–19).
- vv20–26 — **blessings and woes:** blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated (vv20–23); woe to the rich, the well-fed, the laughing, the praised (vv24–26).
- vv27–38 — **love your enemies:** love, do good, bless, pray (vv27–28); cheek, coat, giving (vv29–30); the golden rule (v31); “what credit is that to you?” ×3 (vv32–34); sons of the Most High; be merciful as your Father (vv35–36); do not judge, condemn — pardon, give; good measure (vv37–38).
- vv39–49 — **fruit and foundation:** blind guides; pupil and teacher (vv39–40); speck and log (vv41–42); good and bad trees, the heart’s treasure (vv43–45); “Lord, Lord” — two builders, one torrent (vv46–49).

**Repeated words, with counts:**
- “good” ×11 — vv9, 27, 33 (×2), 35, 38, 43 (×2), 45 (×3); “do good” ×5 — vv9, 27, 33 (×2), 35.
- “Sabbath” ×6 — vv1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9; “lawful” ×3 — vv2, 4, 9.
- “love” ×6 — vv27, 32 (×4), 35; “enemies” ×2 — vv27, 35.
- “eye” ×6 — vv41 (×2), 42 (×4); “speck” ×3 and “log” ×3 — vv41, 42 (×2).
- “judge / judged / condemn / condemned / pardon / pardoned” ×6 — all in v37.
- “Blessed” ×4 — vv20, 21 (×2), 22; “Woe” ×4 — vv24, 25 (×2), 26.
- “now” ×4 — vv21 (×2), 25 (×2).
- “sinners” ×4 — vv32, 33, 34 (×2); “credit” ×3 — vv32, 33, 34.
- “hand” ×4 — vv6, 8, 10 (×2).
- “disciples” ×4 — vv1, 13, 17, 20.
- “hear / hears / heard” ×4 — vv18, 27, 47, 49; “acts / acted” ×2 — vv47, 49.
- “house” ×5 — vv4, 48 (×2), 49 (×2); “foundation” ×2 — vv48, 49.
- “evil” ×5 — vv22, 35, 45 (×3).
- “measure / measured” ×3 — v38; “give / given” ×3 — vv30, 38 (×2).
- “tree(s)” ×3 and “fruit” ×3 — vv43 (×2), 44; “heart” ×2 — v45.
- “Lord” ×3 — vv5, 46 (×2); “Son of Man” ×2 — vv5, 22.
- “pray / prayer” ×3 — vv12 (×2), 28; “merciful” ×2 — v36; “reward” ×2 — vv23, 35.

**Contrasts:** Not lawful ⟷ Lord of the Sabbath (vv2, 5). Do good ⟷ do harm; save ⟷ destroy (v9). Restored ⟷ filled with rage (vv10–11). Disciples ⟷ apostles (v13). Blessed ⟷ woe; now ⟷ then (vv20–26). Lovers ⟷ enemies; sinners ⟷ sons of the Most High (vv32–35). Speck ⟷ log (vv41–42). Good tree ⟷ bad tree; good treasure ⟷ evil treasure (vv43–45). Saying “Lord” ⟷ doing (v46). Rock ⟷ ground; stood ⟷ collapsed (vv48–49).

**Shape of the chapter:** two controversies (vv1–11) lead to a night of prayer and the founding of the Twelve (vv12–19), then the sermon on the level place: blessing and woe, the command of mercy, and a closing call to build on His words.

**Chapter theme (my words):** The Lord of the Sabbath gathers a new people and tells them how His kingdom lives — upside down from the world, merciful like the Father, and built on actually doing what He says.

### Interpretation

**Did the disciples break the Law?** No. Deuteronomy 23:25 let a hungry man pick grain by hand. Sproul: “By no means were Jesus and His disciples breaking the law of God”; they broke the Pharisees’ hundreds of added rules. Guzik: the problem was the day, not the deed. David’s example shows “human need is more important than religious ritual.”

**What does “Lord of the Sabbath” claim?** Sproul: the Sabbath “was instituted at creation,” so “Only the Creator can be Lord of the Sabbath day” — “a clear declaration of the deity of Christ.” Guzik: “This was a direct claim to Deity.” Sproul also explains why the church gathers on the first day: the Lord of the Sabbath rose on it.

**Why did healing make them furious?** Guzik: “There is never a wrong day to do something truly good,” and their rage and plotting were the real Sabbath violation. Henry: “Anger is a short madness, malice is a long one.” Jesus’ question in v9 exposes them: refusing to do good is doing harm.

**Why pray all night, and why choose Judas?** The night came right after the plot (v11) and before the choice (v13). Guzik: Jesus did not simply use His infinite knowledge; He prayed as a man who depended on the Father. Sproul: He prayed knowing one would betray Him. Choosing Judas was not a mistake; it was part of the Father’s plan (Luke 22:22).

**Sermon on the Plain or on the Mount?** Guzik calls it the Sermon on the Plain; Sproul treats it as a segment of the Sermon on the Mount. Luke says “a level place” (v17) — possibly a plateau on the mountainside. Jesus surely taught these things more than once; the substance is the same either way.

**Who are “the poor”?** Here our teachers lean differently. Guzik: a spiritual reversal, not social revolution; poverty of spirit is the entry point. Henry: “Christ’s poor are rich in faith.” Sproul, in one sermon, weighs real material poverty too, since Luke omits “in spirit,” and warns against assuming the poor are lazy; in the next, he reads poor and hungry spiritually. I hold both: God cares for the literally poor, and the blessing rests on the poor who look to Him. The rich are not doomed (Sproul) — but they are “paid in full” if riches are their comfort.

**Blessings now or later?** The “now” of vv21 and 25 points forward: “your reward is great in heaven” (v23). Jesus speaks to disciples living between His first coming and His kingdom. Sproul: “Mourning is not the final chapter.” I believe that kingdom will come in fullness when Christ returns and reigns.

**Does “turn the other cheek” mean never resist evil?** Guzik: “It is wrong to think Jesus meant evil should never be resisted” — this is personal ethics, not the state’s duty. Sproul: “mercy, not vengeance”; vengeance belongs to God. Love acts: “love is defined more by a verb than a noun.”

**Does “Do not judge” forbid discernment?** Sproul: “Our Lord was not saying … that we are to do away with discernment between good and evil.” It forbids a harsh, fault-finding spirit — give your neighbor “the benefit of the doubt.” Then deal with your own log first.

**Faith and works in the two builders.** Sproul: “What we do will not get us into the kingdom of God,” yet “the proof of the pudding is obedience” — “justification is by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.” Guzik: none of us does these words perfectly, which keeps us dependent on our Savior. Spurgeon: the rock is real repentance and faith on Christ alone.

**Word study (Greek):**
- **lawful — *exesti* (G1832):** permitted (vv2, 4, 9).
- **withered — *xēros* (G3584):** dried up; his right hand.
- **rage — *anoia* (G454):** senseless fury; Luke 6:11; 2 Tim 3:9.
- **spent the whole night — *dianyktereuō* (G1273):** only here in the NT.
- **apostles — *apostolos* (G652):** envoys carrying the sender’s authority.
- **power — *dynamis* (G1411):** power coming from Him (v19; 5:17).
- **blessed — *makarios* (G3107) / woe — *ouai* (G3759):** God’s favor / a cry of doom.
- **receiving in full — *apechō* (G568):** “paid in full”; **comfort — *paraklēsis* (G3874).**
- **love — *agapaō* (G25):** keep on loving, by action.
- **credit — *charis* (G5485):** grace, thanks (vv32–34).
- **merciful — *oiktirmōn* (G3629):** compassionate; Luke 6:36; Jas 5:11. **kind — *chrēstos* (G5543).**
- **speck — *karphos* (G2595) / log — *dokos* (G1385):** a straw / a beam; **hypocrite — *hypokritēs* (G5273).**
- **rock — *petra* (G4073) / foundation — *themelios* (G2310):** bedrock / foundation stone.

**Key insights to carry (from the Deep Dive):**
1. **The day was God’s; the rules were men’s** (Sproul, Guzik).
2. **Only the Creator rules the Sabbath** — v5 claims deity.
3. **Rage on the Sabbath** — *anoia*, senseless fury.
4. **He prayed before He chose** — and still chose Judas.
5. **Paid in full** — *apechō* (v24).
6. **Mourning is not the last chapter** (Sproul).
7. **Love is a verb** — love, do good, bless, pray.
8. **“What credit?” is “what grace?”** — *charis*.
9. **Merciful, like the Father** — Luke’s “perfect.”
10. **The foundation is hidden until the flood** (Guzik).

**Cross-references:** Gen 2:3; Exod 20:8–11; Lev 19:18; Deut 23:25; 1 Sam 16:7; 21:1–6; Ps 1:1–3; Prov 25:21; Isa 5:8–22; Dan 7:13–14; Matt 5–7; 12:1–14; Mark 2:23–3:19; Luke 2:25; 22:22; Rom 5:10; 12:14–21; 1 Cor 3:11; 2 Cor 8:9; Eph 2:20; Jas 1:22; 5:11; 1 Pet 2:23.

### Application

**Command to obey — “love your enemies.”** Jesus didn’t leave it vague: do good to them, bless them, pray for them (vv27–28). Some of the men I sit with have real enemies — the man who testified against them, the family member who walked out, the guy on the block. I have mine too. This week I will pray by name, every day, for one person who has hurt me, and do one good thing for him if I can.

**Sin to confess — the log in my own eye.** I am quick to see other men’s specks and slow to see my beam. I give myself the best-case reading and give others the worst (Sproul). I confess the hypocrisy of correcting my brother while I step around my own sin. First the log, then I can see clearly.

**Promise to trust — “your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.”** When I love enemies and lend expecting nothing, I am not losing. Guzik: “you can’t out-give God.” And for the man who weeps now, hungers now, is hated now for Jesus’ sake — the “now” is not the last word. “Your reward is great in heaven.”

**Example to follow — Jesus on the mountain.** The Pharisees were plotting against Him, and He spent the night praying, then made the most important choice of His ministry. Before my next big decision — a job, a move, a relationship, a confrontation — I will take real time to pray before I choose.

**Warning to heed — “Lord, Lord.”** It’s easy to say the words in group and in chapel. Jesus asks why I call Him Lord and don’t do what He says. The storm is coming for every man; the only question is the foundation. I will pick one thing Jesus said in this chapter and do it this week, not just agree with it.

**Questions for the table (from the Deep Dive):**
1. The Pharisees watched Jesus “closely” to find fault. When I watch other people, am I looking for something to accuse or someone to help? (6:7–11) *They watched Jesus closely, but with no heart of love for Him (Guzik).*
2. Jesus spent the whole night praying before a big decision. What decision in front of me have I not really prayed about yet? (6:12–13) *We are never less alone than when we are thus alone (Henry).*
3. Which of the four woes is the one I most need to hear — comfort, fullness, laughter, or everyone speaking well of me? (6:24–26) *Watch out for the person of whom everyone speaks well (Sproul).*
4. Name one enemy — someone who has hurt me. What would it look like this week to do good to him, bless him, and pray for him? (6:27–28, 35; Rom 5:10) *Love is defined more by a verb than a noun (Sproul).*
5. What is the “log” in my own eye that I keep stepping around while I point at other men’s specks? (6:41–42) *We are far more tolerant of our own sin than of others’ (Guzik).*
6. If a flood hit my life tomorrow, what would it show my foundation to be — hearing Jesus, or doing what He says? (6:46–49; Jas 1:22) *The real foundation is only proven in the storm (Guzik).*

**Worship.** The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath — the Creator who rested on the seventh day stood in a synagogue and restored a withered hand. He prayed all night for the men He would send, power went out from Him to heal them all, and He spoke blessing over the poor. He is kind to ungrateful and evil men — He was kind to me — and His word is the rock that no flood can shake.

**Prayer.** Lord Jesus, You are Lord of the Sabbath and Lord of me. Forgive me for calling You “Lord, Lord” and not doing what You say. Take the log out of my eye. Teach me to love my enemies — to do good, to bless, to pray for the ones who hurt me — because You loved me when I was Your enemy. Make me merciful, as my Father is merciful. Help me dig deep and build on You before the storm comes. Amen.


---
_Do not edit below — this block lets the Berean Dashboard re-import this study._
```berean-study
{"name": "Luke 6 — Merciful as Your Father Is Merciful (O·I·A)", "created": "2026-11-10", "notes": {"42:6": {"O": "**Setting.** On a Sabbath Jesus’ disciples pick and rub grain in the fields, and the Pharisees object (vv1–5). On another Sabbath, in a synagogue, He heals a man’s withered right hand while the scribes and Pharisees watch for a charge (vv6–11). He spends the whole night praying on a mountain and at daybreak chooses twelve apostles (vv12–16). He comes down to a level place, where crowds from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre and Sidon are healed (vv17–19), and He teaches His disciples (vv20–49).\n\n**Structure:**\n- vv1–11 — **Lord of the Sabbath:** grain in the fields — “Why do you do what is not lawful?” (vv1–2); David and the consecrated bread (vv3–4); “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (v5); the withered hand — “Get up and come forward!”; “is it lawful to do good or to do harm …?”; “Stretch out your hand!” — restored (vv6–10); filled with rage (v11).\n- vv12–19 — **prayer and the Twelve:** the whole night in prayer (v12); twelve chosen, named apostles (vv13–16); a level place, a great throng, power coming from Him (vv17–19).\n- vv20–26 — **blessings and woes:** blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated (vv20–23); woe to the rich, the well-fed, the laughing, the praised (vv24–26).\n- vv27–38 — **love your enemies:** love, do good, bless, pray (vv27–28); cheek, coat, giving (vv29–30); the golden rule (v31); “what credit is that to you?” ×3 (vv32–34); sons of the Most High; be merciful as your Father (vv35–36); do not judge, condemn — pardon, give; good measure (vv37–38).\n- vv39–49 — **fruit and foundation:** blind guides; pupil and teacher (vv39–40); speck and log (vv41–42); good and bad trees, the heart’s treasure (vv43–45); “Lord, Lord” — two builders, one torrent (vv46–49).\n\n**Repeated words, with counts:**\n- “good” ×11 — vv9, 27, 33 (×2), 35, 38, 43 (×2), 45 (×3); “do good” ×5 — vv9, 27, 33 (×2), 35.\n- “Sabbath” ×6 — vv1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9; “lawful” ×3 — vv2, 4, 9.\n- “love” ×6 — vv27, 32 (×4), 35; “enemies” ×2 — vv27, 35.\n- “eye” ×6 — vv41 (×2), 42 (×4); “speck” ×3 and “log” ×3 — vv41, 42 (×2).\n- “judge / judged / condemn / condemned / pardon / pardoned” ×6 — all in v37.\n- “Blessed” ×4 — vv20, 21 (×2), 22; “Woe” ×4 — vv24, 25 (×2), 26.\n- “now” ×4 — vv21 (×2), 25 (×2).\n- “sinners” ×4 — vv32, 33, 34 (×2); “credit” ×3 — vv32, 33, 34.\n- “hand” ×4 — vv6, 8, 10 (×2).\n- “disciples” ×4 — vv1, 13, 17, 20.\n- “hear / hears / heard” ×4 — vv18, 27, 47, 49; “acts / acted” ×2 — vv47, 49.\n- “house” ×5 — vv4, 48 (×2), 49 (×2); “foundation” ×2 — vv48, 49.\n- “evil” ×5 — vv22, 35, 45 (×3).\n- “measure / measured” ×3 — v38; “give / given” ×3 — vv30, 38 (×2).\n- “tree(s)” ×3 and “fruit” ×3 — vv43 (×2), 44; “heart” ×2 — v45.\n- “Lord” ×3 — vv5, 46 (×2); “Son of Man” ×2 — vv5, 22.\n- “pray / prayer” ×3 — vv12 (×2), 28; “merciful” ×2 — v36; “reward” ×2 — vv23, 35.\n\n**Contrasts:** Not lawful ⟷ Lord of the Sabbath (vv2, 5). Do good ⟷ do harm; save ⟷ destroy (v9). Restored ⟷ filled with rage (vv10–11). Disciples ⟷ apostles (v13). Blessed ⟷ woe; now ⟷ then (vv20–26). Lovers ⟷ enemies; sinners ⟷ sons of the Most High (vv32–35). Speck ⟷ log (vv41–42). Good tree ⟷ bad tree; good treasure ⟷ evil treasure (vv43–45). Saying “Lord” ⟷ doing (v46). Rock ⟷ ground; stood ⟷ collapsed (vv48–49).\n\n**Shape of the chapter:** two controversies (vv1–11) lead to a night of prayer and the founding of the Twelve (vv12–19), then the sermon on the level place: blessing and woe, the command of mercy, and a closing call to build on His words.\n\n**Chapter theme (my words):** The Lord of the Sabbath gathers a new people and tells them how His kingdom lives — upside down from the world, merciful like the Father, and built on actually doing what He says.", "I": "**Did the disciples break the Law?** No. Deuteronomy 23:25 let a hungry man pick grain by hand. Sproul: “By no means were Jesus and His disciples breaking the law of God”; they broke the Pharisees’ hundreds of added rules. Guzik: the problem was the day, not the deed. David’s example shows “human need is more important than religious ritual.”\n\n**What does “Lord of the Sabbath” claim?** Sproul: the Sabbath “was instituted at creation,” so “Only the Creator can be Lord of the Sabbath day” — “a clear declaration of the deity of Christ.” Guzik: “This was a direct claim to Deity.” Sproul also explains why the church gathers on the first day: the Lord of the Sabbath rose on it.\n\n**Why did healing make them furious?** Guzik: “There is never a wrong day to do something truly good,” and their rage and plotting were the real Sabbath violation. Henry: “Anger is a short madness, malice is a long one.” Jesus’ question in v9 exposes them: refusing to do good is doing harm.\n\n**Why pray all night, and why choose Judas?** The night came right after the plot (v11) and before the choice (v13). Guzik: Jesus did not simply use His infinite knowledge; He prayed as a man who depended on the Father. Sproul: He prayed knowing one would betray Him. Choosing Judas was not a mistake; it was part of the Father’s plan (Luke 22:22).\n\n**Sermon on the Plain or on the Mount?** Guzik calls it the Sermon on the Plain; Sproul treats it as a segment of the Sermon on the Mount. Luke says “a level place” (v17) — possibly a plateau on the mountainside. Jesus surely taught these things more than once; the substance is the same either way.\n\n**Who are “the poor”?** Here our teachers lean differently. Guzik: a spiritual reversal, not social revolution; poverty of spirit is the entry point. Henry: “Christ’s poor are rich in faith.” Sproul, in one sermon, weighs real material poverty too, since Luke omits “in spirit,” and warns against assuming the poor are lazy; in the next, he reads poor and hungry spiritually. I hold both: God cares for the literally poor, and the blessing rests on the poor who look to Him. The rich are not doomed (Sproul) — but they are “paid in full” if riches are their comfort.\n\n**Blessings now or later?** The “now” of vv21 and 25 points forward: “your reward is great in heaven” (v23). Jesus speaks to disciples living between His first coming and His kingdom. Sproul: “Mourning is not the final chapter.” I believe that kingdom will come in fullness when Christ returns and reigns.\n\n**Does “turn the other cheek” mean never resist evil?** Guzik: “It is wrong to think Jesus meant evil should never be resisted” — this is personal ethics, not the state’s duty. Sproul: “mercy, not vengeance”; vengeance belongs to God. Love acts: “love is defined more by a verb than a noun.”\n\n**Does “Do not judge” forbid discernment?** Sproul: “Our Lord was not saying … that we are to do away with discernment between good and evil.” It forbids a harsh, fault-finding spirit — give your neighbor “the benefit of the doubt.” Then deal with your own log first.\n\n**Faith and works in the two builders.** Sproul: “What we do will not get us into the kingdom of God,” yet “the proof of the pudding is obedience” — “justification is by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone.” Guzik: none of us does these words perfectly, which keeps us dependent on our Savior. Spurgeon: the rock is real repentance and faith on Christ alone.\n\n**Word study (Greek):**\n- **lawful — *exesti* (G1832):** permitted (vv2, 4, 9).\n- **withered — *xēros* (G3584):** dried up; his right hand.\n- **rage — *anoia* (G454):** senseless fury; Luke 6:11; 2 Tim 3:9.\n- **spent the whole night — *dianyktereuō* (G1273):** only here in the NT.\n- **apostles — *apostolos* (G652):** envoys carrying the sender’s authority.\n- **power — *dynamis* (G1411):** power coming from Him (v19; 5:17).\n- **blessed — *makarios* (G3107) / woe — *ouai* (G3759):** God’s favor / a cry of doom.\n- **receiving in full — *apechō* (G568):** “paid in full”; **comfort — *paraklēsis* (G3874).**\n- **love — *agapaō* (G25):** keep on loving, by action.\n- **credit — *charis* (G5485):** grace, thanks (vv32–34).\n- **merciful — *oiktirmōn* (G3629):** compassionate; Luke 6:36; Jas 5:11. **kind — *chrēstos* (G5543).**\n- **speck — *karphos* (G2595) / log — *dokos* (G1385):** a straw / a beam; **hypocrite — *hypokritēs* (G5273).**\n- **rock — *petra* (G4073) / foundation — *themelios* (G2310):** bedrock / foundation stone.\n\n**Key insights to carry (from the Deep Dive):**\n1. **The day was God’s; the rules were men’s** (Sproul, Guzik).\n2. **Only the Creator rules the Sabbath** — v5 claims deity.\n3. **Rage on the Sabbath** — *anoia*, senseless fury.\n4. **He prayed before He chose** — and still chose Judas.\n5. **Paid in full** — *apechō* (v24).\n6. **Mourning is not the last chapter** (Sproul).\n7. **Love is a verb** — love, do good, bless, pray.\n8. **“What credit?” is “what grace?”** — *charis*.\n9. **Merciful, like the Father** — Luke’s “perfect.”\n10. **The foundation is hidden until the flood** (Guzik).\n\n**Cross-references:** Gen 2:3; Exod 20:8–11; Lev 19:18; Deut 23:25; 1 Sam 16:7; 21:1–6; Ps 1:1–3; Prov 25:21; Isa 5:8–22; Dan 7:13–14; Matt 5–7; 12:1–14; Mark 2:23–3:19; Luke 2:25; 22:22; Rom 5:10; 12:14–21; 1 Cor 3:11; 2 Cor 8:9; Eph 2:20; Jas 1:22; 5:11; 1 Pet 2:23.", "A": "**Command to obey — “love your enemies.”** Jesus didn’t leave it vague: do good to them, bless them, pray for them (vv27–28). Some of the men I sit with have real enemies — the man who testified against them, the family member who walked out, the guy on the block. I have mine too. This week I will pray by name, every day, for one person who has hurt me, and do one good thing for him if I can.\n\n**Sin to confess — the log in my own eye.** I am quick to see other men’s specks and slow to see my beam. I give myself the best-case reading and give others the worst (Sproul). I confess the hypocrisy of correcting my brother while I step around my own sin. First the log, then I can see clearly.\n\n**Promise to trust — “your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.”** When I love enemies and lend expecting nothing, I am not losing. Guzik: “you can’t out-give God.” And for the man who weeps now, hungers now, is hated now for Jesus’ sake — the “now” is not the last word. “Your reward is great in heaven.”\n\n**Example to follow — Jesus on the mountain.** The Pharisees were plotting against Him, and He spent the night praying, then made the most important choice of His ministry. Before my next big decision — a job, a move, a relationship, a confrontation — I will take real time to pray before I choose.\n\n**Warning to heed — “Lord, Lord.”** It’s easy to say the words in group and in chapel. Jesus asks why I call Him Lord and don’t do what He says. The storm is coming for every man; the only question is the foundation. I will pick one thing Jesus said in this chapter and do it this week, not just agree with it.\n\n**Questions for the table (from the Deep Dive):**\n1. The Pharisees watched Jesus “closely” to find fault. When I watch other people, am I looking for something to accuse or someone to help? (6:7–11) *They watched Jesus closely, but with no heart of love for Him (Guzik).*\n2. Jesus spent the whole night praying before a big decision. What decision in front of me have I not really prayed about yet? (6:12–13) *We are never less alone than when we are thus alone (Henry).*\n3. Which of the four woes is the one I most need to hear — comfort, fullness, laughter, or everyone speaking well of me? (6:24–26) *Watch out for the person of whom everyone speaks well (Sproul).*\n4. Name one enemy — someone who has hurt me. What would it look like this week to do good to him, bless him, and pray for him? (6:27–28, 35; Rom 5:10) *Love is defined more by a verb than a noun (Sproul).*\n5. What is the “log” in my own eye that I keep stepping around while I point at other men’s specks? (6:41–42) *We are far more tolerant of our own sin than of others’ (Guzik).*\n6. If a flood hit my life tomorrow, what would it show my foundation to be — hearing Jesus, or doing what He says? (6:46–49; Jas 1:22) *The real foundation is only proven in the storm (Guzik).*\n\n**Worship.** The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath — the Creator who rested on the seventh day stood in a synagogue and restored a withered hand. He prayed all night for the men He would send, power went out from Him to heal them all, and He spoke blessing over the poor. He is kind to ungrateful and evil men — He was kind to me — and His word is the rock that no flood can shake.\n\n**Prayer.** Lord Jesus, You are Lord of the Sabbath and Lord of me. Forgive me for calling You “Lord, Lord” and not doing what You say. Take the log out of my eye. Teach me to love my enemies — to do good, to bless, to pray for the ones who hurt me — because You loved me when I was Your enemy. Make me merciful, as my Father is merciful. Help me dig deep and build on You before the storm comes. Amen."}}, "marks": [{"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 5, "phrase": "The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath", "color": "gold", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 5, "phrase": "the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath", "color": "gold", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 9, "phrase": "is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 9, "phrase": "Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 10, "phrase": "Stretch out your hand!", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 10, "phrase": "Stretch forth thy hand", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 10, "phrase": "his hand was restored", "color": "gold", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 11, "phrase": "they themselves were filled with rage", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 11, "phrase": "they were filled with madness", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 12, "phrase": "He spent the whole night in prayer to God", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 12, "phrase": "continued all night in prayer to God", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 13, "phrase": "chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles", "color": "gold", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 13, "phrase": "he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles", "color": "gold", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 16, "phrase": "Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 16, "phrase": "Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 17, "phrase": "stood on a level place", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 17, "phrase": "stood in the plain", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 19, "phrase": 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receiving your comfort in full", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 24, "phrase": "ye have received your consolation", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 26, "phrase": "Woe to you when all men speak well of you", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 26, "phrase": "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 27, "phrase": "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 27, "phrase": "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 28, "phrase": "bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 28, "phrase": "Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 31, "phrase": "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 31, "phrase": "as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 35, "phrase": "you will be sons of the Most High", "color": "violet", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 35, "phrase": "ye shall be the children of the Highest", "color": "violet", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 35, "phrase": "He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men", "color": "gold", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 35, "phrase": "he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil", "color": "gold", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 36, "phrase": "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 36, "phrase": "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 37, "phrase": "Do not judge", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 37, "phrase": "Judge not", "color": "green", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 38, "phrase": "Give, and it will be given to you", "color": "violet", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 38, "phrase": "Give, and it shall be given unto you", "color": "violet", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 42, "phrase": "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 42, "phrase": "Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 44, "phrase": "each tree is known by its own fruit", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 44, "phrase": "every tree is known by his own fruit", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 45, "phrase": "his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 45, "phrase": "of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh", "color": "amber", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 46, "phrase": "Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 46, "phrase": "why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 48, "phrase": "laid a foundation on the rock", "color": "violet", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 48, "phrase": "laid the foundation on a rock", "color": "violet", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 49, "phrase": "immediately it collapsed", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 49, "phrase": "immediately it fell", "color": "rose", "style": "hl"}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 1, "phrase": "Sabbath", "color": "sky", "style": "hl", "all": true}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 20, "phrase": "Blessed", "color": "sky", "style": "hl", "all": true}, {"b": 42, "c": 6, "v": 24, "phrase": "woe", "color": "sky", "style": "hl", "all": true}], "legend": {"gold": "God — His character & actions", "green": "Command / instruction", "sky": "Key repeated word", "rose": "Sin / warning", "violet": "Promise / blessing", "amber": "Time / place / contrast"}, "method": "inductive"}
```