Jesus's Sermon on the Plain

See Mark 3:7-12 below. Many came to hear Jesus, including a large crowd of his disciples A large crowd of his disciples was there and "a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon" (Luke 6:17). People were healed of their diseases and those troubled by evil spirits were cured (Luke 6:18). Stein points out:

At this point Luke introduces Jesus' Sermon on the Plain with a summary of Jesus' activity taken from Mark 3:7-12. A comparison of the two accounts helps reveal Luke's theological emphases. The addition "went down" (Luke 6:17) and the setting on a mountain (Luke 6:12) tie the preceding account geographically and chronologically to the following sermon "on a level place" (Luke 6:17). Luke also emphasizes the presence of "power" (Luke 6:19) and Jesus' healing ministry (Luke 6:17-19). The addition of "had come to hear him" (Luke 6:18) also places greater emphasis on Jesus' message than we find in Mark's account.

Luke 6:20-26 forms a chiastic structure (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) focusing upon the Lord's blessings and woes:

• A. Blessed are you who are poor (Luke 6:20)
  • B. Blessed are you who are hungry (Luke 6:21)
    • C. Blessed are you who weep (Luke 6:21)
      • D. Blessed are you when people hate you (Luke 6:22)
        • E. for so their fathers did to the prophets (Luke 6:23)

• A'. woe to you who are rich (Luke 6:24)
  • B'. Woe to you who are full (Luke 6:25)
    • C'. Woe to you who laugh (Luke 6:25)
      • D'. Woe to you, when all people speak well of you (Luke 6:26)
        • E'. for so their fathers did to the false prophets (Luke 6:26)

Blessed are the "poor" means "you disciples, poor as you are," not "the poor" as such. But what does "poor" mean? Stein states:

The term "poor" has more of a theological than an economic sense here. In the OT the term is used in Pss 40:17; 86:1; 109:22, where the psalmist stated, "I am poor and needy." These psalms are all psalms of "David." Clearly no reader of these psalms thought that King David was referring to his economic status, for, as a king, David was not economically poor. They would have interpreted this metaphorically along the lines of Matt 5:3, "poor in spirit." . . . The term "poor" is also used in Prov 3:34; 16:19 antithetically to those who are proud, not to those who are rich. The religious nature of this term is also revealed by the fact that the members of the Qumran community referred to themselves as "poor." The term "poor" furthermore was "a traditional characterization of Israel understood in terms of its suffering and humiliation at the hands of the nations. The fact that "poor" is not qualified by "now," as hungry and weep are in the next beatitudes, also indicates that poor does not refer to an economic status that will change but to a permanent religious character. The believer will always be "poor" in that he or she will always be humble. It is clear that Matthew understood "poor" in this religious sense, for he qualified the term by adding "in spirit." Thus Luke provided his readers with a word-for-word translation of Jesus' beatitude and Matthew a thought-for-thought one, but for both this term was understood as referring not to the economic poor of the world but to believers who are poor, i.e., the humble/ poor in spirit.

Having said this, it is also clear that Luke in his Gospel had a special concern for the economic poor. . . . He stated earlier that Jesus came "to preach good news to the poor" (Luke 4:16; cf. Luke 1:52-53). He also pointed out that the disciples left everything to follow Jesus (Luke 5:11, 28; cf. also Luke 18:28), and in their mission they would be dependent on the hospitality of others (Luke 9:3-5, 57-58; 10:8-11). Furthermore such teachings as those found in Luke 6:30, 35, if heeded, certainly do not lead to earthly riches. Nevertheless Luke was aware both that there are "blessed" disciples who are not economically poor and that the term refers primarily to the believing poor (cf. Jas. 2:5). As a result, whereas this beatitude fits especially well the believing poor, it also is a pronouncement of blessing on all those who, like David, have humbled themselves before the Lord. The latter are also the poor of this beatitude.

Applying either meaning, Jesus emphasis is that he had blessed them with the Kingdom! The Kingdom delivers spiritually, from pride, from the humiliation of being ruled by evil kingdoms ("prince of the power of the air," Eph. 2:2) and even from real proverty to the riches of the Kingdom of God, both now and in the consummation of the Kingdom.

In Luke 6:21, we read of those that are "hungered" and blessed with "satisfaction." Those who are hungry realize their need and look to God for satisfaction. Hughes says:

Two eloquent passages in the Psalms give spiritual hunger lyric expression: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:1, 2). And, "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1).

David's imagery is passionate. His soul thirsts. His spiritual longing is like a bodily ache. Life apart from God is desiccated. But on the flipside, God has promised Israel, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

Luke 6:21 continues and speaks of those who mourn. Stein says:

This corresponds to the second beatitude in Matthew, which speaks of those who "mourn." The terms "mourn" and "weep" are used together in Luke 6:25; Jas. 4:9; Rev. 18:11, 15, 19. This may refer to the weeping caused by the kind of oppression mentioned in the next beatitude. This is more likely than the view that this refers to the sorrow that comes from repentance of sin (Jas 4:9-10). The "now" fits the former better and alludes to the time when there will be no more weeping, for God will wipe away every tear from the believers eyes (Rev. 7:17; 21:4).

You will laugh. Although this verb is not a passive, it functions like a divine passive for "God will cause you to laugh" and refers to the coming consolation of God's people (Luke 2:25; 16:25). Although laughter is usually portrayed negatively as a sign of derision or joy over one's enemies, in Psa. 126:1-2 it is a positive expression of joy for God's having brought his people back to Zion (cf. Gen. 21:6; Job 8:21).

Luke 6:23 speaks of suffering "because of the Son of Man." Hughes rightly says:

The fact is, everyone who lives like Jesus will be persecuted. Jesus stated in John 15:20, "Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." Since the wind was in Jesus' face, it will be in the faces of his followers as well.

Paul advised Timothy, "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). Paul also warned the Thessalonians, "You know quite well that we were destined for them [trials]. In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know" (1 Thessalonians 3:34). Likewise, he and Barnabas told the Christians in Antioch and elsewhere, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

In the last day, the blessed will inherit the Kingdom of God (Luke 6:23). In comparison, Butler says, "The blessed life has a counterpart - the woeful life. The Greek ouai reflects a situation of horror, disaster, and calamity." So, the "woe" section of Luke 6:24-26 corresponds to the previous "blessed" section (Luke 6:20-22). Those who do not realize their spiritual poverty but rely on their own achievement will in the end reap disaster. "Woes" are often introduced a prophetic oracle of doom (e.g., Ezek. 34:2). Stein speaks of the woe of those who are rich saying:

Such "woes" are found elsewhere in the Gospels (esp. in Luke), as well as in the rest of the Bible. The meaning of "woe" and "rich" must be understood in light of the meaning of "blessed" and "poor" in Luke 6:20. Thus rich should not simply be equated with an economic status. It denotes the arrogant, haughty (Prov 28:11; Sir 13:20), and dishonest (Prov 28:6) who oppress the poor (Sir 13:19) and who were the object of the prophets' criticism (Isa 32:9-14; and esp. Amos 6:1f.). The kind of "rich" Luke had in mind is clear from Luke 12:13-21; 16:14, 19-31; 18:18-30. The woes refer to the experiencing of God's wrath instead of his blessing. The strong adversative "but" indicates that what awaits the rich is not the blessedness of the beatitudes but terrible torment (Luke 16:19-31).

The rich, the arrogant, the proud, etc. already have their temporary consolation.

Those who are well fed now, will hunger on judgment day and for eternity (cf. Isa. 5:22; 6:13; Amos 8:11). Those who are well fed now in their own self-righteousness, have no need and have no invitation to the marriage feast of the Lamb on the last day (Rev. 19:9). Those who have please in sin for a season and laugh now (Luke 6:25), will morn and weep. Stein says, "The present temporary state of happiness, laughter, and gluttony of the haughty rich will one day end and will be followed by an eternal state of mourning and weeping. (Cf. Jas 4:9 for the contrasting of weeping, mourning, and laughing)."

As to the last woe, Stein says, 'This woe again speaks to those arrogant, oppressive, unbelieving rich about whom "all" speak well. When all people praise someone, he or she best beware, for those prophets in the OT who received universal praise were in fact false prophets (Isa 30:9-11; Jer 5:31; 23:16-22; Mic 2:11)."

Having looked at the parallelism of the beatitudes and the woes (Luke 6:20-26), Luke now turns our attention back to the last beatitude; "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man" (Luke 6:22).

Luke 6:27-36 forms an unusual chiastic structure (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) focusing upon how to love:

• A. Love your enemies (Luke 6:27)
  • B. do good (Luke 6:27)

    • i. bless those who curse you (Luke 6:28)

    • ii. pray for those who abuse you (Luke 6:28)

    • iii. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also (Luke 6:29)

    • iv. from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either (Luke 6:29)

    • v. Give to everyone who begs from you (Luke 6:30)

    • vi. from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back (Luke 6:30)

    • vii. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them (Luke 6:31)

• A'. love . . . love . . . love . . . love (Luke 6:32)
  • B'. do good (Luke 6:33)

    • viii. if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same (Luke 6:33)

    • ix. if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount (Luke 6:34)

• Ax2'. love your enemies (Luke 6:35)
  • Bx2'. do good (Luke 6:35)

    • x. lend, expecting nothing in return (Luke 6:35)
      • a. your reward will be great (Luke 6:35)

      • b. you will be sons of the Most High (Luke 6:35)

      • c. for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil (Luke 6:35)

    • xi. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36)

Luke 6:27, speaks to them that hear. Since Luke 6:20-26 were not directed to the disciples, Luke includes the words, "But I tell you who hear me" to assist his readers to recognize that what follows is not a set of conditions or actions needing to be met in order to become disciples, but rather instructions to those who are already disciples. In Luke 6:27-28, is a poetic rhythm of four commands concerning loving our enemies in order to match the four reproaches in Luke 6:22. Luke says, "Love . . . do good . . . bless . . . pray." What does love here mean? Though love includes the emotions, here Luke is concentrating on the actions of love. These actions may be commanded. Jesus did not command his followers "to feel" in a certain way but to act in a certain way. Biblical love involves doing good (cf. Luke 7:5; 10:27-37).

Part of Christian love then is to "do good to those who hate you." As stated above, this action will not secure one's salvation, but rather is evidence of it. This is the reality of the true salvation demonstrated in Acts 7:54-60; 16:28-32, etc. However, this command does not mean that Christians were prohibited from defending themselves by legal means against non-Christians (cf. Acts 16:37-39; 22:25-29; 25:10-11). See below.

Luke then uses the expression, "If someone takes your cloak." The parallel in Matthew 5:40 foresaw a legal situation in which the believer is sued for his inner garment (the tunic) and also gives up the outer garment (the cloak), which was exempt from legal suits because it was a basic essential for life (Exod. 22:26-27). Luke in contrast sees a situation in which a thief takes the outer garment (the cloak) and is also given the inner garment (the tunic). The former example no doubt would have been more meaningful for Matthew's Jewish audience, whereas for Theophilus, Luke's example would have been more relevant. The reader is urged to give up his or her possessions in such instances as willingly as Peter (Luke 5:11) and Levi (Luke 5:28) did.

In Luke 6:30, he says, "Give to everyone who asks you." No exceptions are stated. Luke's "everyone" is not found in Matt 5:42. It is best to understand this as an overstatement for effect, for we do find an exception in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13. Nevertheless the use of overstatement in this command serves to heighten its importance, and this issue will come up again in Luke 6:34-35. Luke's point is that love for possessions should not prevent generosity. There may be reasons why some gifts are not given, but this must not reflect a determination to keep all that one has. See WLC 141. Luke then says, with "If anyone takes what belongs to you," where Luke, as in Luke 6:29 has theft is in mind.

Luke continues with the Golden Rule (Luke 6:31), which he states in a positive, not negative way (cf. for a similar rules stated in a negative way see Tobit 4:15; Didiche 1:2, etc.). Luke though continues with a positive example as is found in Leviticus 19:18. Despite these parallels, the command is not simply seen as a prudent rule but as corresponding to God's character of mercy (Luke 6:36; cf. Rom 5:8-10). The Golden Rule is essentially another way of saying, "Love your neighbor"; and, as the following verses clearly show, this love of one's neighbor, which involves doing not feeling, goes beyond simple reciprocity toward one's friends. Whereas the lawyer of Luke 10:29 sought to restrict the command to love one's neighbor, the Golden Rule permits no such restriction, for Christian love is not dependent on others' behavior.

In each of the next three verses we find three examples of the Golden Rule that show that reciprocity is not enough (cf. Luke 14:12-14). Christian love must go beyond the kind of love sinners have toward one another, for like the first command in Luke 6:27-28 believers must love even their enemies. The parallel in Matthew 5:46-47 involves tax collectors and pagans (Gentiles), but Luke contextualized the categories for his readers.

Luke asks, "What credit is that to you?" The word "credit" was regularly employed by Hellenistic ethicists to designate the return for his good deeds a moral man might properly expect." The Golden Rule, however, goes far beyond this, for it seeks nothing in return for its love (cf. 1 Pet. 2:19-20). The second example seen in Luke 6:33 is patterned after the second command in Luke 6:27-28. It again demonstrates that reciprocity is not enough.

In Luke 6:34 "And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment." In this third example follows the same pattern as the first example in Luke 6:32. The kind of repayment being referred to is unclear. Does it refer to return of the principle that was loaned or return of the principle with interest (which technically was forbidden by Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:35-37; Deut. 23:20), or does it refer to the opportunity of being offered future loans in return? The reciprocity of the previous two verses favors the latter interpretation.

The three commands in Luke 6:35 build upon Luke 6:32-34: love (Luke 6:32), do good (Luke 6:33), and lend (Luke 6:34). They are present imperatives and emphasize the need for the believer to continually love, do good, and lend. Even as God has been gracious to believers "while we were still sinners" (Rom 5:8), so we are to give freely in return. For the command to lend, compare Leviticus 25:35-37.

Luke writes, "Then your reward will be great." Whereas in Luke 6:32-34 Jesus commanded believers to do good and not to base their behavior on the hope of receiving reciprocal treatment, now he promised that in so doing God would reward them. Believers are to focus not on the kinds of things this world provides but on the treasure that cannot be exhausted (Luke 12:33-34).

Luke continues with, "And you will be the sons of the Most High." Matthew 5:45 used a typical Matthean phrase, "sons of your Father in heaven," but Luke used the same terminology ("son[s] of the Most High") that he used in Luke 1:32 with respect to Jesus. Like the beatitudes, this whole section (Luke 6:27-36) is addressed to believers who already have God as their Father, as the next verse clearly states (cf. Luke 11:2, 13; 12:30, 32). Therefore the verb "will be" should not be understood as "will become" but rather "will show yourselves to be."

Luke says, "Because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked." The commands given above are not based on the shortness of time remaining before the Kingdom's consummation, i.e., as an interim ethic, but upon God's character. It is not an eschatological urgency that serves as the basis for these commands but God's character ("he is kind," Rom 2:4) and the fact that the believer while ungrateful and wicked has been the recipient of God's mercy. Believers are commanded to "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36). This concluding summary follows the form found in Leviticus 19:2. The Matthean parallel (Matt 5:48) reads, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." The main difference involves the terms "merciful" and "perfect." "Merciful" suits the immediate context better in that it matches "kind" in Luke 6:35. (Matthew's "be perfect," on the other hand, fits well his emphasis in Matt. 6 concerning the need for a righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, i.e., a perfect righteousness). We also find reference to God's mercy in Luke 1:50, 54, 58, 72, 78 (cf. also Luke 10:37; Psa. 145:8-9).

Luke 6:37-42 forms a simple AB chiastic structure (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) focusing on proper judgement:

• A. Judge not (Luke 6:37)
  • B. and you will not be judged (Luke 6:37)
• A. condemn not (Luke 6:37)
  • B. and you will not be condemned (Luke 6:37)
• A. forgive (Luke 6:37)
  • B. and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37)
• A. give (Luke 6:38)
  • B. it will be given to you (Luke 6:38)

    • i. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap (Luke 6:38)

    • ii. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:38)

• A. Can a blind man lead a blind man? (Luke 6:39)
  • B. Will they not both fall into a pit? (Luke 6:39)
• A. A disciple is not above his teacher (Luke 6:40)
  • B. but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher (Luke 6:40)
• A. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye? (Luke 6:41)
  • B. but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (Luke 6:41)

• A. How can you say to your brother, Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye? (Luke 6:42)
  • B. when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye (Luke 6:42)

• A. You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye (Luke 6:42)
  • B. and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye (Luke 6:42)

Lastly, in Luke 6:39-42, in very quick succession, Jesus presented three vivid, but unrelated, images dealing with the attitudes of disciples. In them he highlighted the danger of following (or being) a blind leader (Luke 6:39); the importance of a disciple's deference to his teacher (i.e., Christ) (Luke 6:40); and the danger of hypocrisy, as portrayed in the illustration of the speck and the plank (Luke 6:41-42). See below.

Luke 6:43-45 forms a chiastic structure (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) focusing upon

• A. no good tree (Luke 6:43)
  • B. bears bad fruit (Luke 6:43)
• A. nor again does a bad tree (Luke 6:43)
  • B. bear good fruit (Luke 6:43)
    • C. for each tree is known by its own fruit (Luke 6:44)

      • i. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes (Luke 6:44)

      • ii. nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush (Luke 6:44)

      • i'. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good (Luke 6:45)

      • ii'. and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil (Luke 6:45)

    • C'. for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45)

To call Jesus "Lord" is to say that he should be obeyed. The contrast between hearing and doing corresponds to the contrast between confession and obedience in the parallel in Matthew 7:21. The importance of obeying what Jesus said is also found in Luke 8:21; 11:28 (cf. Jas 1:21-25; Rom 2:13). Obedience is the nature of true faith. "What I say" in the present context refers to Luke 6:20-45.

If we compare the analogy in Luke 6:48-49 with the parallel in Matthew 7:25-27, it is evident that Luke contextualized the message of Jesus in order to fit better the situation of Theophilus and his other readers. The account in Matthew sees a storm in Palestine that produces rising streams, i.e., wadis swollen with rainwater descending down from the hills. In contrast, Luke envisioned a storm that causes a river to rise and the torrent or flood to hit a house. Luke also may have been describing a house with a basement ("dug down deep") that fits well Hellenistic houses that typically had basements.

The reality to which this analogy points is clear. The foundation corresponds to what a person does with Jesus' claims and his teachings, and the flood refers to divine judgment. Thus the exhortation warns the reader not only to hear Jesus' words but to put them into practice (Luke 6:47), in order that he or she may escape the divine judgment. The issue at the divine judgment is ultimately dependent upon whether people by grace alone become his followers. For those who follow Jesus and bear good fruit, there will be blessing and reward in heaven (Luke 6:20-23), but for those who reject him and his teachings there will be woes (Luke 6:24-26) and complete eternal destruction (Luke 6:49).