Chapter Six

In the Grainfields

1. And it came to pass on a second-first Sabbath, that He went through the grain; and His disciples plucked the ears [of grain] and ate, rubbing [them] with [their] hands.

2. And certain of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do what is not permitted to do on the Sabbaths?”

3. And Jesus answering said to them, “Have you not read this which David did, when he hungered, he and they that were with him;

4. When he came into the house of God, and took the bread [that was] set out, and ate, and gave also to those that were with him; which it is not permitted to eat, except for the priests alone?”

5. And He said to them that the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath.

Jesus came to bring a new understanding about what it means to live the life of religion. This is the “new wine,” the invigorating new truth that would include teachings about the nature of God. the inner meaning of the Word, and the essential purpose of the Sabbath. While it was taught that the Sabbath was a day of rest from work, the emphasis on not doing any physical work had clouded the deeper idea that a true Sabbath is resting in God. In a true Sabbath state, we rest from doing our own will, and instead, we do God’s will. ¹

The religious leaders, however, had interpreted the Sabbath day quite literally to mean that it was a day of “no work”—and they meant it. To be caught “working” on the Sabbath was punishable by death. In one case, when a man was caught gathering sticks on the Sabbath, “all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones until he died” (Numbers 15:36). 

People were not even allowed to kindle a fire or pick an ear of corn on that day, for even that was considered “work.” They were still very far from the idea that doing good, not from self, but from God, is what it means to keep the Sabbath holy. ²

It was into this restrictive religious culture that Jesus came, bringing with Him the “new wine” of deeper understanding. One of his first lessons is about the true meaning of the Sabbath—something very different from what had previously been understood.

His teaching begins in a grainfield: “Now it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands” (Luke 6:1). The Pharisees, who are unhappy about what appears to them to be a violation of Sabbath law, ask Jesus’ disciples,  “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” (Luke 6:2). 

Instead of answering their question directly, Jesus responds with his own question: “Have you not even read about what David did when he was hungry, how he … went into the house of God and ate the showbread, and also gave to those who were with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?” (Luke 6:4). 

In answering their question in this way, Jesus made it clear that religious ritual should not be separated from its purpose, which is to lead people into lives of greater compassion.

In the previous episode, Jesus spoke about the “new wine” that could not be poured into old wineskins. He used this illustration to demonstrate that new ways of thinking about God and the life of religion will not be accepted by those whose understanding is as rigid and inflexible as a stiffened old wineskin. The wineskin would burst, and the wine would be spilled. It is a parable about the rejection of new truth among those who are unwilling to receive it—or  even understand it—because their hearts are hardened. 

In this next episode, the disciples are walking through the grainfields and plucking corn on the Sabbath day. This time, the focus is on goodness, symbolized by the grainfields. Throughout the scriptures, the terms “grain” and “bread,” because they are a basic source of physical nourishment, signify spiritual nourishment. These terms especially signify the nourishment that is associated with the reception of God’s love and wisdom. As it is written, “Israel will dwell securely … in a land of grain and new wine” (Deuteronomy 33:28). The “grain and new wine” signify the goodness and truth that God gives to everyone. This “grain” is our “daily bread”—the  “heavenly bread” of God’s love. ³

While the religious leaders of the day imposed a strictly enforced external standard, Jesus as “the Son of Man” came to set a higher spiritual standard. While the letter of the law called for the death penalty for those who would “kindle a fire” on the Sabbath, Jesus came to teach the spirit of the law. To “not kindle a fire” on the Sabbath would mean that God’s presence would extinguish the burning hatreds and fiery lusts that arise from self-love. These infernos of the spirit would not even be allowed to get started or “kindled.”  From now on, the Sabbath would be about doing God’s work, and not one’s own. It would be about letting the “Son of Man”—the  divine truth that Jesus taught—cool the fevers of selfish love. As Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5). ⁴

Doing Good on the Sabbath

6. And it came to pass on another Sabbath, that He entered into the synagogue and taught; and there was a man there, and his right hand was withered.

7. And the scribes and Pharisees watched 

Him  closely, whether He would cure on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.

8. But He saw their reasonings, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Arise, and stand [forth] in the midst”; and standing up he stood [forth].

9. Then said Jesus to them, “I will ask you: Is it permitted on the Sabbaths to do good, or to do evil? to save the soul, or to destroy [it]?”

10. And looking around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out thy hand”; and he did so; and his hand was restored, whole as the other.

11. And they were filled with mindless rage, and talked  with one another  of what they might do to Jesus.

The next episode also takes place on the Sabbath, but it is another Sabbath and in a different place. Jesus will once again use a concrete example to illustrate the true meaning of the Sabbath, and this time it will not be in a grainfield—it will be in a synagogue. As it is written, “Now it came to pass on another Sabbath, that He entered a synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered” (Luke 6:6). 

Many of those who sat in the synagogue observed Jesus carefully, waiting to see whether He would attempt to heal someone on the Sabbath. If He did so, they could criticize Him for “working” on the Sabbath and have “an accusation against Him” (Luke 6:7). 

Fully aware of their desire to find fault with Him, Jesus arose, looked around at them all, and  said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand.” When the man stretched out his hand, it was instantly restored, “as whole as the other” (Luke 6:10). Instead of being filled with awe and admiration, the scribes and Pharisees were outraged (Luke 6:11).

In most translations, the response of the scribes and Pharisees is described as “being filled with rage,” or “infuriated.” The Greek word, however is ánoia which is combination of á (meaning “no” or “the absence of”) and nous (meaning “mind”). So, a more accurate translation would be that the scribes and Pharisees were filled with “senseless fury,” or were “out of their minds with anger,” or were filled with “mindless rage.” Interestingly, this episode is recorded in both the Gospel According to Matthew and the Gospel According to Mark, but in both cases, the detail about the “mindless rage” of the scribes and Pharisees is omitted (Matthew 12:10-14; Mark 3:1-6). In Luke, however, which focuses on the development of a new understanding, this detail is appropriately included. Self-love extinguishes the ability to understand higher truth. When people are  inflamed with self-love, they often respond with irrational, burning anger. In their mindless rage, they wish to destroy anyone who opposes them. As we know from common experience, the more heated the argument, the more difficult it is to understand an opposing point of view. ⁵

Disobeying Sabbath law while in a grainfield is one thing; but doing it in a synagogue is a much more serious offense. In both situations, however, Jesus is making the same point: as Lord of the Sabbath, He is showing them what it means to keep the Sabbath. In doing so, He is demonstrating that the Sabbath is about justice and mercy rather than animal sacrifices and empty rituals. An external ceremony must have a corresponding internal message, otherwise it is meaningless. As the prophet Micah put it, “Would the Lord  be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). ⁶

Similarly, as Jesus steps to the center of the synagogue to heal the man’s withered hand, He is not thinking about strict adherence to religious formalities. Rather, He is thinking about “what is good.” He is thinking about love, about mercy, and about saving life. And so, Jesus poses this question to the religious leaders: “I will ask you one thing,” He says. “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or evil, to save life or destroy it?” (Luke 6:9).

The religious leaders do not answer. After witnessing a miracle that restored a man’s withered right hand before their very eyes, they refuse to answer Jesus’ question. Instead, they consult with one another about how they might deal with Jesus, whom they regard as a troublemaker. Although Jesus has come to bring the new wine of His truth and the goodness of His love, the religious leaders will not receive it. While Jesus has come to save life, the scribes and Pharisees are plotting to destroy it.

A practical application

Like the man with the withered hand, we sometimes lack the power to live according to our highest principles. This happens when the scribes and Pharisees in us flow in, endeavoring to destroy all that is good and true in us. As a practical application, notice any thoughts that insinuate doubt about God’s presence and power in your life. Similarly, notice the subtle ways your desire to do good can be undermined by feelings of futility. These are the inner “scribes and Pharisees” that burn with the desire to destroy your faith in God and your willingness to do good. They leave you feeling debilitated, like the man with the “withered right hand.” When you notice the approach of these inner scribes and Pharisees, remember that God is telling you to “Arise, stand forth, and stretch out your hand.” In the very midst of these inner scribes and Pharisees, God will restore your power to believe in Him and serve others in love. ⁷

Prayer

12. And it came to pass in those days that He went out into a mountain to pray, and passed the night in prayer to God.

13. And when it was day, He summoned His disciples, and chose twelve of them, whom He named Apostles:

14. Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

15. Matthew and Thomas; James the [son] of Alpheus and Simon called Zealot;

16. Judas [the brother] of James, and Judas Iscariot, who also became the traitor.

17. And coming down with them, He stood in the plain, and a crowd of His disciples, and a multitude of many people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases,

18. And they that were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were cured.

19. And all the crowd sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him, and healed all.

After healing the man with a withered right hand, Jesus goes up into the mountains to pray. In fact, it is written that “He passed the night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). As we shall see, prayer—genuine prayer—will become a pervading theme in this gospel. No other evangelist captures the prayer life of Jesus more often, or more poignantly.

For example, Luke is the only gospel that pictures Jesus in prayer at the time of His baptism (Luke 3:21). When the crowds surrounded Him, pressing Him to heal them of their infirmities He did all that He could, and then He “withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16).  And now, as Jesus concludes a series of confrontations with the scribes and Pharisees, He goes “out to the mountain to pray” (Luke 6:12). And He doesn’t just go there to pray for a while; He spends the entire night in prayer.

In prayer, we connect with God, experience rest for our souls, and ready ourselves for lives of service. After a long night of prayer, Jesus is ready to resume His work of ministry. He begins by summoning twelve of His disciples to join Him on the mountain. This time, however, they are referred to as “apostles” (Luke 6:13). The name-change from being “disciples” to “apostles” is significant. As disciples they had been in the role of students, learning from the Master; but as apostles (which means “messengers”) they would be sent forth to carry Jesus’ message to others. All this took place, appropriately enough, on a mountain—a high physical location representing an elevated state of love to the Lord. As it is written, “O Zion that brings good tidings, go up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem that brings good tidings, lift up your voice with strength (Isaiah 40:9). ⁸

As Jesus descends the mountain with His twelve apostles, He is greeted by “a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.” People are now coming from far and wide “to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases” (Luke 6:17). It is noteworthy that the phrase “to hear Him” continues to precede and be coupled with “to be healed by Him.” Truly, Jesus’ words are powerful; they open the way for both natural and spiritual healings.

Meanwhile, the multitudes continue to pour in, not only those who want to hear and to be healed, but also those who are tormented with unclean spirits (Luke 6:18). Even as Jesus restored power to the man with a withered hand in the previous episode, He now sends forth His power to all who seek to touch Him. As it is written, “And the crowd sought to touch Him, for power went forth out of Him and healed all” (Luke 6:19). ⁹

The Sermon in the Plain

20. And He, lifting up His eyes on His disciples, said, “Happy [are you] who [are] poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

21. Happy [are you] that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Happy [are you] that weep now, for you shall laugh.

22. Happy are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach [you], and shall cast out your name as wicked, for the Son of Man’s sake.

23. Rejoice ye in that day and leap [for joy]; for behold, your reward [is] much in heaven; for so did their fathers to the prophets.

24. But woe to you that are rich! For you have your consolation.

25. Woe to you that are full! For you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now! For you shall mourn and weep.

26. Woe to you when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

27. But I say to you that hear, Love your enemies, do well to those that hate you,

28. Bless those that curse you, and pray for those that injure you.

29. And to him that strikes thee on the [one] cheekbone, offer also the other; and him that takes away thy garment, forbid not [to take thy] tunic also.

30. And give to everyone that asks thee; and of him that takes away the things that are thine, seek [them] not again.

31. And as you will that men should do unto you, do you also unto them likewise.

32. And if you love those that love you, what grace have you? For sinners also love those that love them.

33. And if you do good to those that do good to you, what grace have you? For sinners also do the same.

34. And if you lend [to them] of whom you hope to receive back, what grace have you? For sinners also lend to sinners to receive back the equal [amount].

35. Nevertheless love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for  nothing back, and your reward shall be much, and you shall be the sons of the Highest; for He is kind to the ungrateful and [to] the wicked.

36. Therefore be merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

37. And judge not, and you shall not be judged; do not damn, and you shall not be damned; release, and you shall be released.

38. Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken [together], and running over, shall they give into your bosom. For with what measure you measure, it shall be measured back to you.”

39. And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind guide the blind? Shall they not both fall into the pit?

40. The disciple is not above his teacher; but every one that is perfected shall be as his teacher.

41. And why lookest  thou  at the bit of straw that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42. Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me cast out the bit of straw that is in thine eye, when thou thyself lookest not at the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou look carefully to cast out the bit of straw that is in thy brother’s eye.

43. For a good tree brings not forth rotten fruit, neither does a rotten tree bring forth good fruit.

44. For every tree is known from its own fruit; for from thorns they do not collect figs, nor from a bramble do they pick a grape.

45. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good, and the wicked man out of the wicked treasure of his heart brings forth that which is wicked; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

46. And why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do [the things] which I say?

47. Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like.

48. He is like a man who, building a house, dug and made  [it] deep, and put the foundation on a rock; and when the flooding came to pass, the river burst upon that house, and had not the  strength to shake it, for it was founded on a rock.

49. But he that hears and doeth not, is like a man who built a house upon the earth without a foundation, against which the river tore, and straightway it fell; and the tearing [apart] of that house was great.”

It is at this point that Jesus delivers what has become known as “The Sermon in the Plain.” Unlike the Sermon on the Mount (in Matthew), the Sermon in the Plain (in Luke) takes place while Jesus is standing in the midst of a great crowd.

The setting is very different. In Matthew Jesus is still on the mountain, sitting on a rock, looking down upon the crowd beneath Him. In Matthew, Jesus was gradually revealing His divinity. While this is also a theme in Luke,  a more prominent theme in this third gospel is the gradual reformation of our understanding. In Luke Jesus comes down to our level, and meets us where we are so that He can gradually raise our understanding to higher things. So, in this gospel, Jesus does not preach from the mountaintop to the crowds below. He descends, along with His apostles, to begin His direct teaching. As it is written, “And going down with them, He stood in the plain with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people” (Luke 6:17).

There are other differences too. For example, the Sermon in the Plain is much shorter. It is only about a fourth as long as the Sermon on the Mount. Also, while the Sermon on the Mount begins in the third person (he/she/they), speaking about the people who will receive God’s blessings, the Sermon on the Plain begins in the second person (you) with a direct address to the people who are surrounding Him at that moment. In other words, while standing in the plain among the people, Jesus is not talking about those who are poor, or mourn, or who are hungry. Instead, He is speaking directly i>to them.

Here are some specific examples of how Jesus uses direct address in Luke’s version of the sermon in contrast to Matthew’s version of the sermon:

In Matthew, while sitting on the mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor,” but in Luke, while standing in the plain, Jesus says, “Blessed are you poor.”  

In Matthew, while sitting on the mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger,” but in Luke, while standing in the plain, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who hunger.”  

In Matthew, while sitting on the mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn,” but in Luke, while standing in the plain, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who weep”. (Luke 6:20-21)

In Matthew, while sitting on the mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,” but in Luke, while standing in the plain, Jesus says, “Blessed are you when men shall hate you, separate you, reproach you, and cast you out”. (Luke 6:20-22)

After this initial series of blessings (known as the “beatitudes”), the Sermon on the Mount shifts to the second-person pronoun (you) and remains there for the rest of the sermon, sounding very much like the Sermon in the Plain.

However, there are some other significant differences. Immediately after the blessings, the Sermon in the Plain includes a series of “woes.” As it is written, “But woe to you that are rich! For you have your consolation. Woe to you that are full! For you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now! For you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men shall speak well of you! For so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:24-26).

With these words, Jesus is clearly announcing His solidarity with all those who suffer, as well as His opposition to all those who do nothing to relieve suffering. These “woes” deliver a powerful literal warning to the rich who do not help the poor, to the well-fed who do not help the hungry, and to those who are more interested in enhancing their reputation than in promoting the dignity of others. But these “woes” also contain deeper spiritual lessons about our responsibility to share with others our spiritual riches (truth), our bread (good), our laughter (the joy of spiritual living), while doing all of this sincerely and not to gain anyone’s praise.

These “woes” bring to mind the words of Mary at the beginning of Luke when the angel Gabriel comes to her and announces that she will bring forth a son whose name shall be called, “Jesus.” Soon afterwards, while sharing the news with her cousin Elizabeth, Mary speaks about the mighty works of God. “He has taken down the powerful from thrones,” she says. “and He has exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty” (Luke 1:52-53).

While the literal words of Mary’s annunciation can sound like the overthrow of government and the setting up of a more equitable economic system, there is a deeper message. The promise that God “Has taken away the powerful from thrones” means that hellish influences will no longer have power over us. They cannot rule us. Instead, we who were once “lowly” and under their influence, will rule over them. This is meant by the words, “He has exalted the lowly. True power only comes from the Lord, and we can only receive it in states of humility. It is the power to understand the Word and live according to the truth it teaches. And the hunger that Jesus comes to fill is the hunger to do good. This hunger will be filled, while those who fancy themselves “rich” in their knowledge of the Word but do not live accordingly, will find that their lives are empty. As it is written, “The rich He has sent away empty.” ¹⁰

After pronouncing the four woes, Jesus focuses on the importance of loving our enemies: “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to them who hate you, bless them who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you” (Luke 6:27-28). These words are almost identical to the words spoken in the Sermon on the Mount, as are the words that follow: “And to him who smites you on one cheek, offer him the other, and whoever takes away your garment, let him also take away your tunic. And give to everyone who asks, and if someone takes away something that belongs to you, do not seek to get it back. And as you will that others do to you, do you also to them likewise” (Luke 6:29-31).

At a time when hating one’s enemy was the norm, and revenge was a standard response, these new teachings about loving one’s enemy and blessing those who curse you would be considered nothing less than revolutionary. Turning the cheek rather than striking back, and giving to everyone without seeking anything in return were most definitely counter-culture teachings. But Jesus was making an important point. He was asking people to live in ways that did not seem possible. Human beings, who are born with selfish inclinations of every kind, simply cannot do these things. But Jesus is emphatic about this point. Even though the Sermon in the Plain has far less content than the Sermon on the Mount, four verses later Jesus repeats the exhortation to love one’s enemies. “Nevertheless, love your enemies,” He says, “and do good. Lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward shall be much, and you shall be sons of the Highest, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked” (Luke 6:35).

At this point in the sermon, Jesus says, “Be merciful, as your Father also is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Jesus is summing up the seemingly impossible exhortation to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, to turn the cheek, and to lend hoping to get nothing in return with a gentle reminder that the ability to do this is not within our power. This power is given to us as a gift from our Heavenly Father, the Source of all that is good and all that is merciful. That’s why Jesus does not tell us to simply be merciful, but rather to be merciful, “even as our Father is merciful.” It is a reminder that these qualities and abilities come to us from God. ¹¹

Moreover, because we are born natural and not spiritual, these qualities and abilities can only be accessed through prayer. As we have seen in the previous episode, prayer is an essential aspect of our spiritual lives. When Jesus went into the mountains to pray, He spent the entire night in prayer. In prayer, we commune with God. This involves both speaking and listening. As we enter more deeply into our prayer, we may be given a glimpse of the subject we are praying about, a more interior view of the matter. We may even receive an “answer,” perhaps not an audible one, but something more like a feeling, a perception, or a thought as we lift our minds towards God. We might even experience something like a revelation as we remain focused on what the Lord is saying to us through His Word. ¹²

For example, as we enter prayerfully into the depths of the Lord’s Word, we begin to understand what it means to “turn the cheek.” It means that our love for our enemy never ceases, because it is the Lord’s love flowing into us. It means that our mercy never ends because it is the Lord’s mercy working through us. When we are standing in the power of God’s love and truth, we can respond to rudeness without a desire to retaliate; we can respond to being overlooked, or kept waiting or misjudged, or cheated without getting angry and acting from anger; we can respond to an insult without taking offense. As it is written in the Psalms, “Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165) “Turning the cheek,” then, means that the words and actions of others cannot shake us because we are firmly established in the Word of God. No matter what is happening in the external world, we remain in a state of equanimity. Jesus, as always, is speaking primarily about our spiritual life, not our natural life. ¹³

This principle of biblical interpretation is important to keep in mind, especially when dealing with passages that would lead to the destruction of society if taken literally. For example, in the next verse Jesus says, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged” (Luke 6:36). What would happen if people were not held accountable for their actions? Criminals would not be brought to trial. People would feel free to murder, commit adultery, lie, cheat, and steal to their heart’s content because no one was allowed to “judge” them. This is another example of why it is necessary to understand that Jesus is referring to our inner life, not our external actions. When He says, “Judge not,” He is not forbidding us from making civil and moral judgments. Rather, Jesus is telling us to not make spiritual judgments. This means that we cannot say that a person is evil, for that is a spiritual judgment. ¹⁴

The exhortation to avoid making spiritual judgments is followed by a lesson about the rewards of being a generous giver.

“Give and it shall be given unto you,” says Jesus, “full measure, pressed down, shaken together, shall be given into your bosom” (Luke 6:37-38).

This does not mean that God will reward us in the future for our generosity. Rather, this is a precise description of how the Lord’s love and mercy flows into every selfless action we perform, “full measure, pressed down, overflowing our hearts.”

Jesus then adds these words:

“For with what measure you measure, it will be measured back to you.” In brief, to the extent that our love flows out to others in charitable actions, the Lord’s love flows into us. This is much more than a “reward” for good works; it is the immediate consequence of how we live our lives. ¹⁵

It is at this point in the Sermon in the Plain that Jesus adds another parable that is not included in the Sermon on the Mount. “Can the blind guide the blind?” Jesus asks. “Shall they not both fall into a pit?” (Luke 6:39). Jesus is here referring to the false teachings of the scribes and Pharisees, teachings which, when blindly followed, would lead people into spiritual darkness, symbolized by falling into a “pit.”

Jesus has just finished a remarkable series of teachings that are in many ways diametrically opposed to the teachings of the religious leaders. While Jesus’ teaching was primarily about love, mercy, and charity, the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees was primarily concerned with animal sacrifices, man-made traditions, and strict adherence to the letter of the law apart from its spirit. Jesus’ teaching was given to open blind eyes and lead people into greater light, while the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees was leading people into greater darkness. Blinded by their own self-righteousness, the religious leaders were unable to see or teach the truth, even when it was right in front of them. ¹⁶

Jesus then adds these words: “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher”.  This reference to being “perfectly trained” occurs only in Luke. It will be remembered that this gospel begins with Luke’s bold statement, “It seemed good to me, having had perfect understanding …” (Luke 1:3). These opening words refer to the reformation of the understanding—an area of special interest in Luke. This is perhaps why this theme recurs  at this point during the Sermon in the Plain.

Whether we are speaking about having “perfect understanding” or being “perfectly trained,” the subject is the reformation of the understanding.  In order to receive the love and mercy that God wants to pour into our hearts—pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing—a new will must be developed. And a new will can only be developed to the extent that we have perfected our understanding. ¹⁷

As we begin to learn truth, and thereby perfect our understanding, the truth that we learn serves as a recipient vessel for the love that is associated with that truth. But the perfection of the understanding depends upon the soundness and purity of the truth it is given. Depending on the purity of the truth, especially the truth that teaches us to look deeply within before pointing fingers at others, we become more or less “perfectly trained.” ¹⁸

That is why self-examination is so important. To the extent that we subordinate self-love and remove self-righteousness, we begin to see reality more clearly. Therefore, in the very next verse, Jesus says, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?”. “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye”. This is the key to the reformation of the understanding.

As He concludes the Sermon in the Plain, Jesus returns to the theme of charity. “A good tree brings forth not bad fruit,” He says. “Neither does a bad tree bring forth good fruit … the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things” (Luke 6:43-45). Once again, Jesus shifts from matters that relate to the understanding to matters that relate to the will. While the development of the understanding is essential, and the purity of truth is crucial, these are both means to the end which is living according to that truth. ¹⁹

That’s why both the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon in the Plain end with the same parable about the wise man who built His house upon a rock.

“Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and does them, is like a man building a house, who dug and made deep, and laid the foundation on a rock; and when the flood arose, the river burst upon that house, and had not strength to shake it, for it was founded on a rock” (Luke 6:47-48).

The Sermon in the Plain is a brief sermon, much briefer than the Sermon on the Mount, but whatever pertains to the eye—that is, to the perfection of the understanding—has not only been retained, but also reinforced. Read in the light of its placement within the Gospel According to Luke, the Sermon in the Plain invites us to see Jesus eye-to-eye. He meets us at our level, on a level playing field. As Jesus puts it, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). On the mount, the master was looking down at the students. In the plain, we are on the same level.

In other words, Jesus meets us where we are so that we can begin the upward ascent—the ascent into higher understanding—together. And as we do that, strengthening our understanding along the way, especially through living according to a true understanding of the commandments—in their letter and in their spirit—no  river, no matter how much it may rage, can shake our foundation. Falsity will have no power over us. As it is written, “And when the flood arose, and the river burst upon that house, it had not the strength to shake it, for it was founded on a rock.” ²⁰

Footnotes:

537. Verse 2. And he opened the pit of the abyss, signifies communication and conjunction with the hells where and from which are such falsities. This is evident from the signification of "to open" as here being to communicate and conjoin (of which presently); and from the signification of "the pit of the abyss" as being the hell where and from which are such falsities. These are called in the Word "pits [or wells] of the abyss" because a "pit" [or well] signifies the Word in the sense of the letter and the truth of doctrine therefrom, but in the contrary sense the Word falsified and the falsity of doctrine therefrom; and the "abyss" (or depth of the sea) signifies hell. This signifies the hell where those are who have falsified the truths of the Word by applying its truths to the evils of life, because such hells appear to those who are above like seas, and those who are in them appear to be in their depths. These seas or hells I have also seen, and also those who are in their depths; but those who spoke with me therefrom declared that they were not in waters, but on dry ground. This shows that the waters of these seas are appearances corresponding to the falsities in which those are who are in them. The waters of these seas are grosser and denser according to the falsifications, and the depths also differ in accordance with the evils that have been falsified.

[2] What "abyss" signifies in the Word will be told below. "To open the pit of the abyss" signifies communication and conjunction with such hells, because the hells are not opened except when evil spirits enter, which takes place when they have fulfilled their time in the world of spirits; for it is not allowed to any evil spirit to go out from hell when he has been once cast into it; if he goes out he nevertheless immediately falls back into it. But every man is conjoined with spirits who are in the world of spirits, who are such as he himself is; consequently a man who falsifies the Word by applying it to evils of life and to falsities confirming those evils, is conjoined with like spirits, and by them with the hells that are in like falsities. Every man after death becomes a spirit, and he then becomes at once attached either with infernal or with heavenly societies, according to his life in the world; and all spirits, before they are cast down into hell or raised up into heaven, are first in the world of spirits, and they are then with men who are living in the world, evil spirits with the evil, and good spirits with the good. Through these man has communication and conjunction either with the hells or with the heavens. This makes clear that "to open the pit" does not signify to open hell, but to have communication, and by communication conjunction with hell. From every one of the hells falsities of evil exhale in great abundance, and in these falsities are the spirits who are in the world of spirits, and at the same time the men who are in like falsities in our world. No spirit or man can be anywhere else than where the love of his life is, for that which a man loves, that he wills, that he thinks, and that he breathes. (What the world of spirits is, see in the work onHeaven and Hell 421-431, et seq.)

[3] A "pit" [or well] signifies the Word and the truth of doctrine, and in the contrary sense the Word falsified and the falsity of doctrine therefrom, because "pits" contain waters, and "waters" signify truths, and in the contrary sense falsities (as shown above, n. 71, 483, 518). That a "pit" [or well] has these two meanings can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Moses:

They journeyed to Beer; this is the well whereof Jehovah said unto Moses, Gather the people together, and I will give it ¹ waters. Then Israel sang this song, Come up, O well; answer ye from it; the princes digged the well, the willing ones of the people delved it, through the lawgiver, with their staves (Numbers 21:16-18).

That this "well" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word is evident from the song that Israel sang respecting it: "Come up, O well, answer ye from it," signifies that doctrine from the Word should teach truth and that they should receive it, "Come up, O well," signifying the calling forth of truth, and "answer ye from it" reception and instruction; "the princes digged the well, the willing ones of the people delved it, through the lawgiver, with their staves," signifies that those who are in truths and in the goods of truths are enlightened by the Lord, and from Him by means of the Word search out and collect doctrine; "princes" signifying those who are in truths; "the willing ones of the people" those who are in the goods of truth; "to dig" to search out and gather up; "lawgiver" the Lord in respect to the Word and the doctrine from the Word, and "staves" the potency and powers of the mind, here from the Lord by means of the Word, because it is said, "by the lawgiver." This makes clear what "well" here signifies. "Israel sang a song" respecting it, because "Beer," in the original, means a well, and in the spiritual sense "a well" signifies the Word, and doctrine from the Word; likewise "Beersheba," which is often mentioned in the historical parts of the Word.

[4] The same is meant by:

Jacob's well, at which the Lord sat and spoke with the Samaritan woman, and said, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee, thou wouldest ask water of Him, and He would give thee living water; and this should become a fountain of water springing up unto everlasting life (John 4:6-15).

The Lord spoke with the Samaritan woman at that well, because "the Samaritan woman" meant the church to be established with the Gentiles, and "the Samaritans" who are also mentioned in other passages, mean the Gentiles that were to receive doctrine from the Lord and respecting the Lord. This "well" signifies doctrine from the Word, the "water" the truth of doctrine, and "the Lord sitting at that well" the Word or Divine truth. That salvation is from the Lord by means of Divine truth from the Word is signified by "the water which He would give should become a fountain of water springing up unto everlasting life."

[5] Something similar to what is signified by "the well of Jacob" is signified also by:

The wells that the servants of Abraham and the servants of Isaac dug, respecting which they strove with the servants of Abimelech (Genesis 21:26; 26:1, 15, 18-22, 25, 32).

The wells that the servants of Abraham and the servants of Isaac dug signify the truths of doctrine, because by "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," in the Word, the Lord is meant; but "Abimelech" king of Gerar, or of the Philistines, means those who place salvation in truths alone without the good of life, as those do at the present day who are in faith alone. And as every truth is from good, or everything of faith from charity, and as those who separate and exclude good from truth, or charity from faith, possess no genuine truth of doctrine, but every truth of the Word with them is like the meaning of the mere words with no perception of the thing, thus like a shell without a kernel, so they dispute about the truths of faith; this was represented and signified by the strifes of the servants of Abimelech with the servants of Abraham and of Isaac respecting the wells. There is an internal spiritual sense in the historical parts as well as in the prophetical parts of the Word, as can be seen from the Arcana Coelestia, where the histories that are contained in Genesis and Exodus are explained in respect to the internal spiritual sense; so, too, what is said about the wells of Abraham and Isaac, as may be seen. Why else should there be historical statements respecting wells in the Word?

[6] In Luke:

Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a well; and will not straightway draw him out on a Sabbath day? (Luke 14:5).

This was a statute with the Israelitish and Jewish nation, because of the spiritual sense contained in it; for all the statutes, judgments, and commandments given to the sons of Israel signified spiritual things belonging to heaven and to the church; so this statute signified that if anyone falls into falsity or into evil, he must be led out of it by means of the truth that is taught from the Lord on the Sabbath day. The "well" here means falsity and the evil of falsity; "an ass and an ox" signify the truth and good of the natural man; "to fall into a well" signifies into falsity and into the evil of falsity; "to be drawn out on a Sabbath day" signifies to be instructed and thus led out of these; for "the Sabbath day" signifies here the Lord in relation to instruction and doctrine, therefore He calls Himself "Lord of the Sabbath." (That an "ass" signifies the truth of the natural man, see Arcana Coelestia 2781, 5741; and that an "ox" signifies the good of the natural man, n. 2180, 2566, 9134.)

[7] Nearly the same spiritual sense is contained in these words in Moses:

When a man shall open a pit, or when a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall into it, the owner of the pit shall requite and shall return silver unto the owner ² of it; and the dead beast shall be his (Exodus 21:33, 34).

"When a man shall open a pit" signifies when one shall proclaim any falsity that he has; or "when a man shall dig a pit" signifies when he shall frame or hatch out a falsity; "and an ox or an ass fall therein" signifies the perversion of good and truth in the natural belonging to another; "the owner of the pit shall requite" signifies that he from whom is the falsity shall make amend; "and return silver to the owner of it" signifies by means of truth with him whose truth and good in the natural has been perverted; "and the dead beast shall be his" signifies that the evil or the falsity shall remain with him (but this may be seen more fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 9084-9089). Here "pit" has the same signification as well.

[8] So in Matthew:

Blind leaders of the blind. When the blind leads the blind, both fall into the pit (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39).

This the Lord said to the scribes and Pharisees, who understood nothing of truth, although they had the Word, in which are all Divine truths; and because they taught falsities and their falsities were also believed by the people, they are called "blind leaders of the blind;" those are called in the Word "blind" who do not understand truth; and because "pit" signifies falsity, it is said that "they both fall into it."

[9] In David:

Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the depths of waters. Let not the billows of waters overwhelm me, neither let the abyss swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me (Psalms 69:14, 15).

Here very evidently the "pit" signifies the hell where and from which are falsities, for it is said, "let not the pit shut her mouth upon me," that is, let not the hell from which are falsities, or falsities from hell, wholly possess me, that I may not escape; "deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink," means out of the evil of falsity, lest I perish; "let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the depths of waters," signifies to be delivered from evils and falsities that are from the hells, "them that hate" meaning evils therefrom, and "depths of waters" falsities therefrom; "neither let the abyss swallow me up" signifies, let not the hell where are the falsities of evil, or the falsities of evil from hell, do this.

[10] In the same:

They make their mouth smooth as butter, and when one's heart draweth near, his words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords. But Thou, O God, wilt cast them down into the well of the pit (Psalms 55:21, 23).

This is said of those who simulate good affections when they utter falsities by which they lead astray; "to make the mouth smooth as butter" signifies a simulation of good by means of affections, "butter" signifying the good of external affection. "Their words are softer than oil" has a like signification, "oil" meaning the good of internal affection; "yet are they drawn swords" signifies, and yet they are falsities destroying good and truth, "drawn swords" meaning falsities destroying; "but Thou, O God, wilt cast them down into the well of the pit," signifies into the hell where there are destructive falsities of that kind.

[11] As "pits" have nearly the same signification in the Word as "wells," for they are like wells, I will also quote some passages respecting them. In Jeremiah:

Their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters; they came to the pits, they found no waters; they returned with their vessels empty (Jeremiah 14:3).

"Nobles" mean those who lead and teach others, "little ones" those who are led and taught, and "waters" truths; this makes evident what is signified by "Their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters;" "the pits in which there were no waters" signify doctrinals in which there are no truths; this makes evident what is signified by "they came to the pits, they found no waters;" that they had no knowledge [scientia] or understanding of truth is signified by "they returned with their vessels empty," "vessels" signifying in the Word things recipient of truth, and thus things of knowledge and understanding.

[12] In Zechariah:

By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth the bound out of the pit wherein is no water (Zechariah 9:11).

This is said of the deliverance of the faithful by the Lord, who were detained in the lower earth until His coming; and also of the enlightenment of the Gentiles who were in falsities from ignorance. "The blood of thy covenant" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Word, which is called a covenant because it is the means of conjunction, "covenant" signifying conjunction. "The bound in the pit in which there is no water" mean those who are in falsities from ignorance, "pit" here meaning doctrine not of truth, and also the lower earth where those who were in falsities from ignorance were detained until the Lord came, "wherein is no water" means where there is no truth; they are called "bound" because they could not be delivered from falsities except by the Lord.

[13] In Jeremiah:

My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew out for themselves pits, broken pits, that cannot hold waters (Jeremiah 2:13).

"To hew out pits, broken pits, that hold no waters," signifies to hatch out doctrinals from self-intelligence, which are false because they are from man's own (proprium), for man's own is nothing but evil, and because it is evil, falsity is brought forth from it, for evil can bring forth nothing but falsity. (But this may be seen explained above, n. 483.)

[14] In the same:

Jehovah, who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of the desert and the pit, in a land of drought and of dense shade, through a land that no man [vir] passed through, and where no man [homo] dwelt (Jeremiah 2:6).

It has been shown in the Arcana Coelestia, where Exodus is explained, that "the wilderness in which the sons of Israel were led," represented and signified the first state of the church that is to be established with those who are in mere ignorance of good and truth; and as that state was represented and signified by their wanderings in the wilderness, it is said that "Jehovah led them in a land of the desert and the pit, in a land of drought and of dense shade;" "a land of the desert and of drought" means here, as elsewhere in the Word, a state of non-perception of good, and "a land of the pit and of dense shade" means a state of ignorance of truth, and thus of falsity; "that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt," signifies where there is no understanding of truth nor perception of good, "man" [vir] in the Word meaning the understanding of truth, and "man" [homo] the perception of good, and the absence of both meaning no church either in respect to truth or to good.

[15] In Isaiah:

He that leadeth forth shall hasten that it may be opened, that he may not die in the pit, and that his bread fail not (Isaiah 51:14).

This is said of the Lord. His coming is meant by "he that leadeth forth shall hasten;" deliverance from the falsities of ignorance is signified by "that he die not in the pit," thus "pit" here has a similar signification as "the pit in which were the bound," above; that spiritual instruction and nourishment shall not fail is signified by "that his bread fail not," for "bread" means all spiritual food, and spiritual food means instruction in truths and goods, from which come intelligence and wisdom.

[16] In Ezekiel:

Behold, I bring strangers upon thee, the violent of the nations; and they shall draw their swords upon the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall profane thy radiance; they shall bring thee down into the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the heart of the seas (Ezekiel 28:7, 8).

This is said of the prince of Tyre, by whom are meant those who hatch out falsities from self-intelligence, which destroy the knowledges of truth and good; their destruction by their own falsities is signified by "Behold, I bring strangers upon thee, the violent of the nations," "strangers" signifying the falsities that destroy truths, and "the violent of the nations" the evils that destroy goods; that such will be destroyed by their falsities that are from self-intelligence is signified by "they shall draw their swords upon the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall profane thy radiance," "swords" meaning falsities destroying truths; "they shall bring thee down into the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the heart of the seas," [signifies their immersion in falsities and destruction and damnation by falsities from hell, ] ³ "pit," in like manner as "well," signifying infernal falsity; "them that are slain" those who perish by falsities, and "the heart of the seas," in like manner as "abyss," the hell where and from which are such falsities.

[17] The "pit:"

Into which they let down Jeremiah the prophet, and out of which Ebed-melech and the men with him drew Jeremiah by means of old cast off and old worn out things (Jeremiah 38:6-13);

signifies the truth of doctrine falsified, the "prophet" signifying the truth of doctrine, and "to let down into the pit" signifying to be falsified; the "old castoff and old worn out things by which he was drawn out" signify the vindication and restitution of the truth of doctrine by means of such goods and truths of the sense of the letter of the Word as had not been perceived and understood, and therefore had been neglected and rejected; this is the signification of these old things; why otherwise would it be mentioned in the Divine Word that the prophet was drawn out by means of such things? From these few passages it can be seen what "well" and "pit" signify in the Word, namely, the Word and the truth of doctrine, and in the contrary sense the Word falsified and the falsity of doctrine therefrom. In some passages "well" and "pit" have a similar signification as "fountain," respecting the signification of which in both senses see above n. 483.

Footnotes: