Luke 6:1-26

Jesus and His disciples were walking through a field of grain on the Sabbath. His disciples were picking the heads of grain and eating them. The Pharisees considered this work and therefore that the disciples were not keeping the Sabbath properly. At this, Jesus reminded them of how David took bread from the temple that was supposed to be only for the priests. Another Sabbath, Jesus healed a man's hand in the synagogue. The Pharisees who were there were outraged that He would heal someone on the Sabbath, again considering this work.

Here were these Pharisees with their made up rules tying to tell Jesus, the Son of God, what was right and what wasn't. They had added so much on top of the laws God had already given them as to be a burden for anyone who honestly wanted to follow all the law. Jesus corrected them by trying to get them to change their thinking about why they thought these things were wrong. Misconceptions get in the way when we are slow to abandon them. Sometimes we need someone else to show us the right way to think because we've gotten so entrenched in one way of thinking. When that someone comes along, we need to be open and listen, then thoughtfully consider what has been said and how it compares to what God's word actually says.


Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the poor. He taught that those who are hungry, mourning (those who weep), or are hated and persecuted are blessed and that they will have rewards in heaven. On the other hand, He said that for those who are rich, well-fed, gleeful (those who laugh), or well-respected by men there would be only grief waiting for them.

Not everyone who is poor will get into heaven, just as simply being rich will not keep anyone out of heaven. The picture here is more that those who put off the worldly comforts in this life for Jesus' sake will be rewarded in heaven; those who put worldly comfort as their first priority will not find comfort in eternity. The choice is ours to make. We can think short term or long term. We each have (usually) sixty to eighty years on this earth, and then we go off to eternity. The rewards this world has to offer pale in comparison to the rewards waiting in heaven for those who serve God. Likewise, the eternal pain caused by not accepting Christ and doing your own thing are far beyond anything we can experience in this world. The momentary pleasures of this world are not worth the eternal pain they earn, but the rewards freely given by God for a life dedicated to Him will more than compensate for any mistreatment or discomfort this world can throw our way.