Some “Disciples” Become Apostles. Luke 6:12-26 Incidents during the time of Jesus’ ministry were important for Luke to write about as he interviewed eyewitnesses to the great life-changing events in that three-year period. When Theophilus read this book, he would have been able to pass on to the Gentile believers the names of the twelve Jewish apostles who had been commissioned by Jesus to be the foundation of the church. Seventy disciples had been sent out to the Jews at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry with the news that the kingdom of God was here. Out of that group of “learners,” the Lord chose twelve to “be with Him” whom He would “send forth to preach.”
The Lord Jesus Christ knew whom He would call to apostleship before He openly chose them, so His all-night prayer would likely have been of special communion with His Father in relation to those men and what they would go through in years to come. When the morning came, He chose them for special service, and they were identified by name personally. It wasn’t their choice, it was His. Unlike our omniscient Lord, we don’t know what is ahead of us.
When we make decisions that are going to affect other people and their future, as well as ours, we need divine guidance. The fact the Holy Spirit made it a point to tell us the Lord prayed all night, teaches us the lesson that major decisions are not to be taken lightly. We must take the necessary time to seek the Lord’s guidance to be sure of the Lord’s will in the matter. Important decisions can be made after we are confident that the word of God and the peace of God gives us rest in our souls. Prayer enables us to think of God’s thoughts, know His way, and act upon His will.
Luke’s account shows that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Perfect Man and He made prayer a fundamental part of His life. Communion and fellowship with God will keep us from making mistakes. The twelve disciples Jesus chose to be apostles were ordinary men from Galilee, except for Judas Iscariot, who came from Judea. Before these, whom many people would consider “unqualified” to represent and serve God as His representatives, stepped out in public to preach the Gospel, they would have to learn their own limitations. The whole group, each with unique characteristics, was necessary to fulfill all that would be demanded of them.
A group of people is necessary to meet the variety of needs that must be faced in the work of the Lord. “Free-lancers” can create more problems than help when they think they can overcome all obstacles by themselves with their “ardor and impetuosity.” The combination of spiritual gifts working together in fellowship with a common objective makes it possible to accomplish what could never be done alone.
Each person in the Godhead has given gifts for an assembly so the work our Lord has placed before us can be done. God has a purpose for assemblies and those who reach out to new places. Those who labor in the Gospel to reach people beyond our borders need the safety and power available to more than one person. More than just the ability to meet the demands of the work is also the safety of accountability to our fellow laborers. Working with others provides needed strength; it teaches us patience, adaptability, perseverance, and how to work compatibly with those who are different from us.
People came from all parts of Israel to hear what Jesus taught and to be healed. Some came from the cities/states of Tyre and Sidon in the north. Others came from Judea and Jerusalem in the south, as the whole country was stirred because the Lord Jesus Christ was here. “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” However, others from different places and nations did receive Him.
The whole country was stirred and aware of the Lord and His authority over the words and works of men and their problems. The Son of Man was here and dealt with the diseases and demons that afflicted the people. He did that without prejudice and partiality as that great multitude on that level plain gathered. He healed them all as a testimony to His authority and taught them the principles of the kingdom of God.
It is unclear whether this sermon was a shorter condensed version of the sermon on the mount or at a different time and was called the sermon on the plain. The point Luke made as the Spirit guided him was that the same truths must be taught repeatedly. He focused on the principles of the Lordship of Christ in every age and circumstance. Some of the teachings of Matthew’s Gospel are not here, but that does not mean they are less important. The Holy Spirit teaches differently at different times to emphasize things consistent with the message's main thrust.
Contrasting reasons for blessings with reasons for woe relates to individuals personally in this passage of scripture, rather than contrasting keeping the law and the spirit of the law. The message is that there are “constants” in every part of the world, not just for the Jewish law-keepers. Four kinds of people will be blessed, and four other kinds of people will have sorrow. The blessings are for those with sorrow and difficulties now who will have lasting joy later. The four woes are pronounced on those who have temporary comfort now but will have lasting sorrow later. The poor and hungry, those who weep and are hated for Christ’s sake, are really those who are happy. They endure with peace and happiness because they are true followers of Christ in this day and age. The rich, full, scornful, and popular people now will be rejected in the future.
Those who follow the Lord Jesus Christ and suffer for “the Son of Man’s sake” are the winners. Those who have it all now are losers because all they have is temporary. The outcome of our choices in life shows why it is worthwhile being a disciple despite the temporary hardships that are likely to come. There are a variety of reasons people have for attending a church and saying they are Christians.
True Christians follow Christ because they belong to Him. Their faith is in Him, which makes the times of rejections and trials endurable and not a reason to hold back from doing what they know is right. Vital and vibrant Christianity does not happen out on the fringes where professing Christians try to be as much like the ungodly world as possible. Living by faith brings joy and the outcome of the labor of love in which the “love of Christ constrains us” to live holy, righteously, and godly in this world.
True disciples will be outside the laughing, mocking, rich, and popular world. They understand that fads come and go, and they also know that even though we are in the world, we are not like the world. There will be a respectful distance between those who love darkness and those who are the light of the world. Usually, people who love the world and the things in it want to distance themselves from those who walk with the Lord in the light of His word.
There is a clear distinction between disciples and other people. That distinction may not be easy to discern at first, but before long, a wholehearted commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and His kingdom will be obviously different from those who want one foot in the world and one in the kingdom of God. When one is congratulated for what they say and do that pleases those who want nothing to do with God, that person is in the wrong place, which is a dangerous signal of an even deeper problem.