THE GREAT SERMON: The Blessings and the Curses

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LUKE 6:17-38
Lesson #18
THE GREAT SERMON: The Blessings and the Curses

• Memory verse: Luk 6:38
• In the book of Matthew the author spends three chapters giving us the details of this great sermon given by Jesus. There in Matthew it is called the Sermon on the Mount. (Mat 5, 6, 7)
• Here in the book of Luke it is called the sermon on the plain. Why the difference?
  • The various details in this sermon were evidently given many times on various occasions during Jesus’ ministry. In Matthew they were given on a mountain top and in Luke they were given on a plain.
  • It is not the location that is important. It is the details of what Jesus tells us in how to live this new life in relationship with God.
• Read Luk 6:17-23
  • Why is the teaching in Matthew more complete than in Luke?
    • Remember that Matthew was proving that Jesus Christ was the Messiah that came to rule as a King over His Kingdom. Therefore, because the sermon deals with living in the kingdom, Matthew gives us all of it.
    • Luke is proving that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that is the perfect man identified with us.
  • The setting:
    • Notice that there was a great multitude of people around him.
    • Notice that thousands of people were healed. In fact Luke tells us that all the sick were healed. (19)
  • The similarities and differences in the Sermon between Matthew and Luke.
    • The Beatitudes:
      • The word beatitude means = attitude of being; an aspect of one’s character.
      • In other words these are attitudes that the person must have to come to Christ, to mature in Christ, and then to serve Christ.
    • The teaching of the Beatitudes:
      • This sermon is the standard of moral living in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ when He returns to reign on earth for 1000 years.
      • The word blessed means = the joyful internal spiritual condition for eternity in relationship to Christ the King.
      • Notice the progression from receiving Christ with the first beatitude to becoming mature in service to Christ with the last beatitude. This process of maturing in Christ is called sanctification.

• Read Luk 6:24-26 The curses
  • Remember in the Old Testament under the Law of Moses, there were the blessings and curses because that covenant was a conditional covenant…if the people were faithful to God, God would be faithful to bless them. If they were not faithful to God, they would be cursed. (Deu 28)
  • The New Covenant that we live under today is a covenant of grace. It is an unconditional covenant of blessing upon the people of God.
    • However, in this passage we see some curses but they are on the non-believer that does not receive Jesus Christ as his personal savior.
    • It is important to notice this difference between the old and the new. The old covenant of the Law of Moses passed away with the first coming of Jesus Christ. He comes in the new covenant of His blood.
    • The new covenant makes a difference between believers and non-believers.
  • Woes (curses) on the non-believer: The Contrast to the Blessings of the Beatitudes: (24-26)
    • Woe to the rich. (24)
      • The person that is self-sufficient will not bow his knee to humble himself before God.
      • Therefore, he will not see his need of a Savior.
      • In this life he may have abundance and be content materially but in eternity he will have nothing.
    • Woe to those not hungry. (25)
      • We have seen how the believer comes to recognize that his life is not full spiritually.
      • The non-believer never recognizes a spiritual hunger because his life is already filled with material things.
    • Woe to those that are happy now. (25)
      • The non-believer that goes through life happy and content in his spiritual blindness will not recognize that there is a final judgment one day.
      • They will mourn their spiritual condition when it is too late to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
    • Woe to those that are accepted by men. (26)
      • The non-believer plays out his life on the world stage impressing other people.
      • The God of eternity is the one for whom we need to live our lives because He has the final word in man’s eternal destiny.
• Read Luk 6:27-38 The Model of the Christian life:
  • Love your enemies and bless them. (27-28)
    • Notice that this is a command by Jesus Christ.
    • How can Jesus command an emotion of love that I do not feel?
      • The command to love is not based on feelings as we would naturally think.
      • The command to love is based on faith.
        • In other words, while I do not feel like showing love to my enemy, I will find some way to express love to him because I am commanded to do so.
        • By faith I will show love trusting in God that He will work in that person’s life as well as in my life.
        • If you keep on showing love by faith, eventually the feelings are there and God mediates the circumstances of that situation.
  • Pray for your enemies that God will bless them. (27-28)
    • This is a new concept to what we see in the Old Testament.
    • Many of the Psalms pray and ask God to pour destruction and death upon an enemy.
    • While the Old Testament thinking is what comes naturally from the human spirit, the New Testament concept is that the Holy Spirit inside of the believer wants to use the believer to bring healing and reconciliation to a relationship.
  • Be a giving person (29-30)
    • This part of Jesus’ sermon used to bother me because it sounds like you should let people take unfair advantage of you.
    • To an extent that is the Christian model. However, we must keep in mind that this sermon is the standard of Law for the Millennial Kingdom of Christ on earth.
      • At the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ there will be no non-believers.
      • Remember the Beatitude, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” Believers will inhabit the kingdom and non-believers will not be there.
      • In the Millennial Kingdom of Christ there will be no crime or criminal activity tolerated because Christ will rule according to law and peace.
  • The Golden Rule of love: (31-32)
    • “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” (31)
    • This is what used to be called the “golden rule” by which all conduct was measured.
  • Doing good with mercy: (33-36)
    • The lifestyle of the believer should look different from the lifestyle of the non-believer.
    • Marked by good deeds and mercy, the non-believer should be able to tell the difference in your life and another non-believer’s life.
  • Judgment and forgiveness: (37)
    • The believer is not to judge with condemnation other people. Why?
    • It is because God will judge them eventually.
    • God is a better judge because He knows every detail of a person’s life.
  • The New Testament standard for giving offerings to God: (38)
    •  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.” (38)
    • In the Old Testament, the standard for giving to God was the tithe (10%) determined by God.
    • In this New Testament age of grace, the standard for giving to God is determined by the believer, not by God.
      • However, notice that the reward for giving to God is based on what the believer decides is right for him.
      • If the believer uses a small measuring cup to give to God, God will use that same small measuring cup to reward the believer.
        • However, God always gives more than the believer gives.
        • God has promised to press down the contents of the measure, to shake the contents together, and to give an overflowing amount above what the believer gave.
        • Therefore, a person’s love and maturity for God will always be reflected in his giving.
• Application:
  • In what way does the amount we give to God reflect all the Beatitudes and commands in this section of scripture?
    • Money measures time, talent, and priorities in life. For example:
      • …the more time you spend working the more money you make.
      • …the more talent you have, the higher will be your wage.
      • …the decisions you make in spending your money will demonstrate your priorities in life.
    • Therefore, for the believer in Jesus Christ, his attitude toward giving will demonstrate his love for God and his love for others.
  • Remember Jesus said there are two commandments in this age of grace that fulfill all the Commandments and Beatitudes.
  • Read Luk 10:26-27

Homework
Luk 6:39-49

• Application for Luk 6:17-38
  • In which area of the Christian life that is mentioned in this section of scripture are you either weak or lacking?
• Preparation for Luk 6:39-49
  • Read Luk 6:39-49
    • Pick one of the 5 parables and explain what it means:
      • =1= The Parable of the Blind leading the Blind (39-40)
      • =2= The Parable of the Mote and the Beam (41-42)
      • =3= The Parable of the Good Tree and the Bad Tree (43-44)
      • =4= The Parable of the Good Man and the Evil Man (45-46)
      • =5= The Parable of the Two Houses (47-49)
• Memory Verse:Luk 6:46