Luke 6:36-40
Luke 6:36 (KJB)
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Jesus reminds us that we are to merciful to people. The word in the Greek behind
“merciful” is used only three times in the New Testament and it carries with it
the meaning of “have compassion on or pity.” God was merciful to us because many
of us did not get saved till later in life which means we had many years in
sinful living. God could have removed us from this world anytime He wanted but
instead, with many of us, He chose to have compassion on us and save us.
(Rom 5:8 KJV) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. He wants us to commend our love toward others.
Luke 6:37 (KJB)
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be
condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
The true believer is not to make railing or critical judgments as the Pharisees
did against Jesus. We are not look at others with the mindset that we are going
to find fault so we can judge. Now it is proper to make righteous judgments in
the Christian life because we must. We must judge what type of Gospel we are
listening to, we must judge the lifestyle of those who profess to be Christians,
generally we are to make judgments which support the biblical lifestyle. We are
not to condemn others because all unbelievers are already under the condemnation
of God and that area belongs only to Him. If it was not for the mercy and Grace
of God, then we too would be under that condemnation. (John 3:18 KJV) He
that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God. We must never condemn people because we too, as long as we are in the
flesh, have the same propensity to become entangled in sin. (Gal 6:1 KJV)
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such
an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted. Then we are to forgive those who sin against us because we still
sin against God every day and what condition would we be in if God did not
forgive us. (Mat 18:21-22 KJV) Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how
oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? {22}
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy
times seven. Forgiveness means that we completely forget about their sin
and exact no penalty for it, as God does with ours. (Heb 8:12 KJV) For I
will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities
will I remember no more.
Luke 6:38 (KJB)
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
Giving of yourself and of your worldly substance will not go unnoticed by God
because He gives a great promise for that act. First whoever you give to, you
will receive it back in good measure, that is, it will be abundantly more than
what you gave. In fact it will be pressed down as one pushes something down in a
container. The reason for this is to make more room so your blessing will be
increased. The shaking is done for the same purpose and that is to make more
room and even that will not contain the blessing because it will run over
because of the abundance. The worldly blessings will come through other people
but the ultimate source is God Himself. Then the Scripture gives us the
principle of attaining that large blessing and that is according to the way we
have blessed. If we have been selfless and gave what we could without any
reservation, then we can expect the blessing to be abundant but if we are cheap
and manipulative in our dealings with people, then the same things will be dealt
to us. (2 Cor 9:6 KJV) But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap
also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Luke 6:39 (KJB)
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not
both fall into the ditch?
(Mat 15:14 KJV) Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if
the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. One of the most
ominous sayings in Scripture is found in this verse, “Let them alone,” that is,
let them do as they please and do not be concerned about them. They have
completely distorted the truth of God and Jesus is telling the disciples that
they should have nothing to do with them since they have a commission to send
forth the Gospel. When one sets up debates or tries to incessantly argue someone
into Heaven, they are in essence, wasting the time the Lord has given them plus
it is time which can be used to send forth the Gospel. Incessant debates and
arguments tend to tie Christians up and divert them from the task of sending
forth the Gospel. Jesus is saying in this verse that those who have followed the
Pharisees are blind to the truth and the Pharisees are also blind to the truth
of God, therefore, they are blind leaders of the blind. It is the spiritually
dead teaching the spiritually dead and the ditch they are both going to fall in
is eternal Hell. One cannot teach falsely and one cannot believe false teachings
and expect to go to Heaven.
Luke 6:40 (KJB)
The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as
his master.
The disciple will not progress further than his master. Those who are following
the blind leaders of Israel will not progress in knowledge more than them but
will be equal to them when they have become matured in their dead faith. The
disciples will soon grow into the positions that the scribes and Pharisees hold
and will dispense their blind understanding of Scripture to the next generation.
(Mat 10:24 KJV) The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above
his lord. This verse can also be applied to the disciples of the Lord. When the Holy
Spirit will indwell them on Pentecost, then they are going to remember all that
Jesus taught them and they will be teaching the same Gospel with the same
authority and thus, they will be like their Master, teaching the uncompromising
Gospel which has the ability to save.