This Bible study focuses on a passage in the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament.

Luke 6:27-42

Objective: To understand the following principles:

o That Jesus' followers emulate their father in heaven

when they love their enemies.

o That God judges us using the standards we use for

judging others.

o The we need to give close attention to correcting our

own faults before attempting to correct the faults of

others.

Introductory Question: Jesus often speaks of God as Father.

In your culture, how are fathers thought of? Do children

want to be like their fathers? What is your relationship

with your father like?

Introduction: Today we are not going to discuss a single

story, but rather a short series of examples that Jesus used

in telling his followers how they should live.

Jesus thought of his followers as children of God. He wanted

them to learn how to act like their father in heaven in the

way they related to other people. Let's read what Jesus had

to say and think about how a person's life would be different

if, with the help of God's Spirit, these ideas were put into

practice.

Reading the Passages: Have the group read each section

before you discuss it. Read the passage silently at first.

Then have someone read it aloud. Discuss any words that

might be unfamiliar to the group.

Questions: Luke 6:27-36 - Love For Enemies

v 27-31 - Have you ever experienced unjust treatment? How

did you feel toward the one who was mistreating you? What do

you think would be the natural human response to the

situations Jesus describes in these verses? What would be

the expected response in your culture to these situations?

By contrast, Jesus recommends that his followers love their

enemies. How do you react to what he says? Do you think

responses like this are possible? desirable? practical?

Do you think of love as an emotion, an action, or decision?

What about the love described in this passage?

v 32-36 - What does Jesus imply is the motive for loving our

enemies? What is God like, according to Jesus? How does he

want people to interact with each other? What do you think

is the great reward that we receive by loving our enemies and

doing good to them. What would relations between people and

countries be like if these principles were followed?

Luke 6:37-42 - Judging Others

v 37-38 - What is the basic principle that underlies all of

Jesus' commands in these verses? What kind of person most

needs to here these commands and put them into practice?

How would you put these ideas into practice? Do you think

they are practical? What if you live in a world where others

are out to cheat you?

What do Jesus words imply about God? about ourselves? about

how God wants us to relate to others?

v 39 - What do you think the saying about the blind man

leading the blind means? What kind of person is like the

blind leading the blind?

v 40 - What kind of person thinks he knows more than his

teacher? What kind of attitude should a person have toward

his teacher? How much confidence should a trained student

have in his own ability to teach?

v 41-42 - What kind of person does Jesus describe in these

verses? Why should we be slow to criticize other

people? What qualifies a person to be a helper or a critic

of someone else?

Thought Questions:

Which of the ideas we talked about tonight was the most

interesting to you? Why did it interest you? What is your

opinion of what Jesus said?

Describe in one or two sentences what you think Jesus wants

his followers to be like. Is this the kind of person you

would like to be like? Why or why not?

Closing: Close with a prayer asking God to help us to

become people that have the courage and faith to put into

practice the kind of lifestyle that Jesus described.

Copyright Information:
Several questions in this study were taken from the Serendipity New Testament for Groups, InterVarsity, 1987.