The Sermon on the Plain

Illustration of The Sermon on the Plain

Luke's parallel to the Sermon on the Mount, delivered on a level place after a night of prayer. It pairs blessings on the poor and hungry with sober 'woes' to the rich and comfortable, and presses home radical love: 'love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.' It closes with the same call to be a tree known by its fruit and a house built on a foundation.

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Strongest connections in Scripture
Luke 6

Key Passages

Blessings and Woes

Luke 6:20-26

Jesus blesses the poor and hungry and warns the rich and full-satisfied - reversing the world's values.

A20nd he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of manโ€™s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. 24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

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Did You Know?

1

Luke's version is delivered on 'a plain' after a whole night of prayer.

2

It pairs four blessings with four matching 'woes.'

3

'Love your enemies' is its most radical and repeated command.

4

It ends, like Matthew's version, with a house built on rock versus sand.