Luke 6:48 - Printer Friendly

ESV: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

NIV: They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.

NASB: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when there was a flood, the river burst against that house and yet it could not shake it, because it had been well built.

CSB: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn't shake it, because it was well built.

NLT: It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.

KJV: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

NKJV: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.

The crowd listening to Jesus' recent message has received challenging commands. Now He explains why it is so important they respond to His teaching.

If the people follow Him, they will face persecution. They will be called evil by friends and family and possibly be expelled from society and culture. That will lead to social isolation, poverty, and hunger (Luke 6:20–22). But, as serious as these hardships are, they are physical, worldly, external, and temporary. Internally, spiritually, and eternally, faithful believers will stand strong. They will be living in accordance with the omniscient God who created them and the world. Their eternal reconciliation with God will give them far more peace than any gained from circumstantial ease.

Jesus equates obedience with a solid foundation. Obedience is the outward sign of a deep and true faith in Christ. If we believe He is the God of the universe, that what He says is true, and that He loves us and wants the best for us, we will obey. Both the acts of obedience and the faith that drives those acts will build a strong connection with Christ that the world cannot destroy.

Conversely, Jesus explains, if we hear Jesus' words but don't do them, our faith is either weak or non-existent. We don't trust God. Relying on the world or ourselves for peace and security is a very precarious choice (Luke 6:49).

Luke 6:46–49 records Jesus' call for general discipleship. He has chosen the Twelve out of His enormous number of followers (Luke 6:12–16). He revealed some difficult things that He expects of His people, including forgiving their enemies (Luke 6:17–42). To do so requires a good heart (Luke 6:43–45). Now He extends an invitation to the crowd to build their lives on the sure foundation of His words. This concludes the Sermon on the Plain. Next is a series of stories about Jesus' relationships with the other, including a Gentile and several women (Luke 7:1—8:3).

Luke 6 contains two main sections of teaching and calls to discipleship. Luke 6:1–16 continues the pattern of Luke 5. The two ways in which Jesus sets aside tradition—this time by taking authority over the Sabbath—are paired with His call for the Twelve disciples. Luke 6:17–49 records Jesus' teaching on the ''level place,'' or His ''Sermon on the Plain,'' and a call to a crowd for general discipleship. Much of this material has parallels in Matthew 5 through 7, but it's not clear if the two accounts are of the same event. As a travelling teacher, Christ likely gave the same general message multiple times.

Luke 6 completes Jesus' call for disciples and followers that started in Luke 5. Luke 5:1—6:16 consists of three calls for disciples, each paired with two revolutionary teachings about Jesus' authority that increasingly infuriate the religious leaders. Luke 6:17–49 continues the theme with a general call for followers and a description of their responsibilities. In Luke 7:1—8:3, Jesus interacts with the other: Gentiles, women, and even the dead. This is followed by another general call (Luke 8:4–21), a series of miracles (Luke 8:22—9:17), and a final call for the Twelve to follow Him even more deeply (Luke 9:18–50).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.