The Sermon on The Plain

While Matthew records his version of this most famous of all sermons as The Sermon on the Mount, Luke provides a different perspective “He went down with them and stood on a level place” (Luke 6:17)—the setting may be the same for both versions—just approached from different directions.

Matthew provides a more detailed account in his gospel (Matthew 5, 6, and 7). Both authors lay out the ethical life that Jesus taught without compromise. Anyone who reads Luke’s version (Luke 6:20—38) "The Sermon on The Plain" cannot miss the challenges that Jesus gives his disciples:

· Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you

· Bless those who curse you

· Pray for those who mistreat you

· Turn the other cheek

· If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt

· Give to everyone who asks you

· If anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back

· Do to others as you would have them do to you

· Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back

· Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked

· Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful

· Do not judge, and you will not be judged

· Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned

· Forgive and you will be forgiven

· Give and it will be given to you

Jesus calls his followers to action to become what his half brother James would later call “doers of the Word, not hearers only” (James 1:22).

Luke closes chapter six with three of Jesus most memorable teachings.

1. “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?” (see Luke 6:41—42).

2. “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit” (see Luke 6:43—45).

3. The difference between practical wisdom and its opposite are packed into the parable of the wise and foolish builders—the wise man builds his house upon the rock, the foolish man builds on the sand. When the rains and storms come, the house built upon rock stands firm, but the one on the sand collapses (see Luke 6:46—49).

Jesus still invites us to come to him, listen to his teaching, and put his words into practice.