Luke 6 Bible study: On a level place

Luke tells of two Sabbaths. On the first, "His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands" (6:1), and "some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why do you do that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day?”" (6:2). Jesus answers with what David did (6:3-4), and says, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." (6:5). Then, "on another Sabbath", he "entered into the synagogue and taught" (6:6). "The scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against him" (6:7). Here is what almost everyone misses: before Jesus speaks to the man or to them, Luke says, "But he knew their thoughts" (6:8). Luke has used the words their thoughts once before, when "The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason" (5:21): "But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them" (5:22). Here he asks them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?" (6:9), and says to the man, "Stretch out your hand." "He did, and his hand was restored as sound as the other" (6:10). Luke ends the scene: "But they were filled with rage, and talked with one another about what they might do to Jesus" (6:11) (tap rage).

Exodus 22:25→leads toLuke 6:35-36

"If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest" (22:25), and God gives his own reason for returning a neighbor's garment taken as collateral: "for I am gracious" (22:27). Jesus said, "lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil" (Luke 6:35), and "Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful" (Luke 6:36). Jesus doesn't cite Exodus 22, so linking the two is a reading: some hear this law behind his words; others read them on their own.

οὐαίouaisay oo-AH-ee

Strong's: "a primary exclamation of grief". Thayer: "an interjection of grief or of denunciation". Jesus says it four times here, once for each blessing before it: "But woe to you who are rich!" (6:24), twice in 6:25, and "Woe, when men speak well of you" (6:26). Luke's Greek has the word 15 times (counted in RP2018, the Byzantine text the WEB translates), and these four are the first. Later Jesus says, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!" (10:13), and "But woe to you Pharisees!" (11:42).