Luke Chapter 6 — The Sermon on the Plain and the Twelve

Luke Chapter 6 begins with Jesus challenging traditional interpretations of the Sabbath by allowing his disciples to pluck grain and by healing a man with a withered hand. These actions lead to a confrontation with the Pharisees. Following a night of prayer on a mountain, Jesus officially selects twelve apostles from his followers. He then descends to a level place to address a large crowd, delivering what is often called the Sermon on the Plain. This teaching includes the Beatitudes and corresponding woes, emphasizing blessings for the poor and hungry. Jesus commands his followers to love their enemies, practice radical generosity, and avoid hypocritical judgment. He concludes the chapter with parables about the tree and its fruit and the necessity of building one's life on a firm foundation. He warns that those who hear his words but do not act on them are like a man who builds a house without a foundation, which is easily destroyed by a flood.