HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1295
L UKE 6
page 925
11 At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with
rage and began to discuss what to do with him.
Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles
12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a
mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all
night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of
his disciples and chose twelve of them to be
apostles. Here are their names:
14
15
16
Simon (whom he named Peter),
Andrew (Peter’s brother),
James,
John,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James (son of Alphaeus),
Simon (who was called the zealot),
Judas (son of James),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
Crowds Follow Jesus
17 When they came down from the mountain,
the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level
area, surrounded by many of his followers and
by the crowds. There were people from all over
Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north
as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had
come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil* spirits were
healed. 19 Everyone tried to touch him, because
healing power went out from him, and he healed
everyone.
The Beatitudes
20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,
21
“God blesses you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
God blesses you who are hungry now,
for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
for in due time you will laugh.
22 What
blessings await you when people hate
you and exclude you and mock you and curse
you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.
23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for
joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.
And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.
Sorrows Foretold
24 “What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
for you have your only happiness now.
25 What sorrow awaits you who are fat and
prosperous now,
for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning
and sorrow.
6:18 Greek unclean.
26
What sorrow awaits you who are praised
by the crowds,
for their ancestors also praised false
prophets.
Love for Enemies
27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love
your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.
28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who
hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek,
offer the other cheek also. If someone demands
your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone
who asks; and when things are taken away from
you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as
you would like them to do to you.
32 “If you love only those who love you, why
should you get credit for that? Even sinners love
those who love them! 33 And if you do good only
to those who do good to you, why should you
get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if
you lend money only to those who can repay
you, why should you get credit? Even sinners
will lend to other sinners for a full return.
35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend
to them without expecting to be repaid. Then
your reward from heaven will be very great, and
you will truly be acting as children of the Most
High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful
and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just
as your Father is compassionate.
Do Not Judge Others
37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be
judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all
• Faith
LU K E 6:13
Jesus was surrounded by disciples (followers), from whom he chose twelve to
be his regular companions. He did not
choose these twelve because of their
exceptional faith, because their faith
faltered (as we see in many episodes of
Jesus’ ministry). We see no evidence in
Scripture that Jesus chose these people
on the basis of any extraordinary talents
or assets they possessed. The only notable characteristic they all shared was
their willingness to follow Jesus. And
after Jesus’ ascension to heaven, they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
carried out special roles in the development of the early church. We should
not disqualify ourselves from service for
Christ because we think we do not have
the right credentials. Being a good disciple is simply a matter of following Jesus
with a willing heart.