(Luke) Shining Light Tells the Good Story 6

CHIEF OF THE DAY OF RESTING

1On another Day of Resting, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and his followers were walking through a field of grain. The men were hungry, so they plucked some grain, rubbed the husks off in their hands, and began to eat. 2When the Separated Ones (Pharisees) saw what they were doing, they said to him, “Why do your followers do what is not permitted on the Day of Resting?”

3-4He answered them, “Have you not heard about the time long ago when the great chief Much Loved One (David) was hungry? How he and his followers went into Creator’s sacred lodge and ate the ceremonial bread? Only the holy men are permitted to eat this bread.”

He paused to let them think about his words.

5And then he added, “The True Human Being is Chief over the Day of Resting!”

HEALING ON THE DAY OF RESTING

6On another Day of Resting Creator Sets Free (Jesus) went into a gathering house and began to teach the people. A man was there with a shriveled and useless hand. 7The scroll keepers and the Separated Ones (Pharisees) kept a close eye on Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to see whether he would heal the man, so they could accuse him of not honoring the Day of Resting.

8Creator Sets Free (Jesus) knew what they were scheming, so he said to the man, “Come, stand here, where every-one can see you.” So the man did what he said. 9Then Creator Sets Free (Jesus) asked them, “On the Day of Resting, is it permitted to help or to harm, to rescue or destroy?”

They just looked at him and said nothing. At first there was fire in his eyes! But his anger turned to sorrow when he saw their hearts of stone.

10He looked around the room and then turned to the man and said, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was the same as his good hand!

11The Separated Ones (Pharisees) stormed out in a fit of rage and began to counsel together about what could be done with Creator Sets Free (Jesus).

TWELVE MESSAGE BEARERS

The crowds were growing larger. The task of healing and helping this great number of people was too much for Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to do alone. He knew that he needed help from the ones who were walking the road with him.

12He went by himself to a mountain, where he prayed all night to the Great Spirit. 13In the morning, on the mountainside, he gathered the ones who had been walking the road with him. He chose twelve of them to be his message bearers.

Here are the names of the ones he chose:

14First there was One Who Hears (Simon), whom he named Stands on the Rock (Peter), and his brother Stands with Courage (Andrew). Then he chose two brothers whom he called Sons of Thunder—He Takes Over (James) and He Shows Goodwill (John).

Next there was Friend of Horses (Philip) and Son of Ground Digger (Bartholomew) 15along with He Brings Together (Levi)#6:15 Later known as Matthew and Looks Like His Brother (Thomas).

Then he chose He Takes Charge (James), son of First to Change (Alphaeus), along with One Who Listens (Simon) the Firebrand (Zealot) 16and Speaks Well Of (Judas) the son of He Takes Hold (James). And last of all he chose Speaks Well Of (Judas), who later betrayed him.

17Creator Sets Free (Jesus), along with his twelve message bearers and a large number of his followers, went down from the mountain to where the ground is flat. A great number of people came to hear him speak and to be healed. They came from all over the Land of Promise (Judea), from Village of Peace (Jerusalem), and from the coast of Rock Land (Tyre) and Hunting Grounds (Sidon).

18The ones tormented by unclean spirits were being set free. 19All the people were trying to touch him, for great power was flowing out from him to heal them all!

WAYS OF BLESSING OR SORROW

20Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked out over the crowd of his followers and began to teach them about the ways of Creator’s good road.

“Creator’s blessing rests on you who are poor and in need. The good road is yours to walk.

21“Creator’s blessing rests on you who hunger now, for you will be filled to the full.

“Creator’s blessing rests on the ones who weep now, for your sorrow will turn into laughter.

22“Creator’s blessing rests on you when you are hated and rejected, looked down on and treated as worthless, all because you have chosen to walk the good road with the True Human Being.

23“When this happens, let your hearts be glad and jump for joy! The spirit-world above will honor you, for this is the same way your ancestors treated the prophets of their day. You are walking in their moccasins now!”

Here is what he said to the privileged among the people:

24“Sorrow and trouble will be the end of you who store up possessions for yourselves, for you have already had a life of ease.

25“Sorrow and trouble will be the end of you who eat your fill now. You will go hungry later.

“Sorrow and trouble will be the end of you who are laughing about this now, for your own trail of tears is coming.

26“Sorrow and trouble will be your end, when others say only good things about you, for that is what our ancestors said about the prophets who told lies.

THE WAY TO TREAT YOUR ENEMIES

27“Hear me, you who are listening now, I am telling you to love your enemies, do good to the ones who look down on you, 28return blessing for cursing, and send up good prayers for the ones who give you trouble and pain.

29“If someone slaps you on the side of your face, show the strength of your heart and offer the other side. In the same way, if a thief takes your coat, offer your shirt also.

30“When someone in need asks, do not hold back. Do what you can to help. If someone takes what is yours, let them keep it.”

“Here is another way to see what I am saying: 31Help others in the same way you would want them to help you.

32-34“Where is the honor in only showing love to the ones who do the same for you? Why should you be given respect for doing good to the ones who do you good, or for lending only to the ones who can repay you? Even tribal tax collectors and outcasts do these things.

35“Instead, show love and respect to your enemies, help them when they are in need without asking them to repay you. This will show that you are children of your Father from above, for he is kind and takes pity on the ones with bad hearts, even when they do not thank him for it. 36So then, show kindness to others in the same way as your Father the Great Spirit.

BLIND GUIDES

37“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. When you release others from their wrongdoings, you will be released from yours. 38The amount you measure out to others is the amount that comes back, like a basket that has been filled to the top, shaken down, and packed together, until it overflows. What you give out will come back to you—full circle.”

39He gave them a wise saying, “How can a blind person guide another who is blind? Will they not both stumble and fall? 40The one guided cannot rise above his guide but will be just like him—blind.

“Think of it this way, 41how can you see the speck of wood in someone else’s eye when you cannot even see the log in your own eye? 42How can you say, ‘Here, let me help you,’ when you cannot see that you are the one who needs help? Stop pretending to be something you are not!

GOOD AND BAD TREES

43“Healthy trees give good fruit and rotten trees give bad fruit. 44Do grapes come from a thorn bush or figs from thistles?

45“The human heart is like a medicine pouch. Good-hearted people speak from the good medicine stored in their hearts. Bad-hearted people speak from the bad medicine stored in their hearts. For the mouth will speak what the heart is filled with.

46“How is it that you call me ‘Great Chief’ but do not walk in my ways? 47The ones who listen to me and walk in these ways are like a man who built a lodge. 48He dug deep to find solid ground to build on. When a flood came, the waters beat against the lodge, but it stood strong. Nothing could shake it, for it was built on solid ground.

49“The ones who hear my words but do not walk in these ways are like another man, who built his lodge on soft ground. When the flood came against it, the lodge crashed to the ground, and all that was in it was lost.”

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