Sermon on the plain - Pt. I

From calling to teaching

Jesus called fulfillment (Lk4:14-21)

Jesus called disciples (Lk5:1-11; 27)

Jesus calls out He is Lord of the Sabbath (Lk6:1-11)

Jesus called the apostles (Lk6:12-16)

Life in the times was difficult, circumstances were not great. There was not much hope.

Many had the belief that happiness was found in an abundance of possessions, or in holding and exalted position.

Jesus is going to teach what they needed most was not a change in their circumstances but in their relationship to God and their outlook on life. (Exposition Bible Commentary)

Sermon on the plain is likened/linked to the Sermon on the Mount (Mt5-7) though this clearly shows he came down mountain and stood on a level place (LK6:17)

Sermon on the mount and Sermon on the Plain have the same teaching, our’s is an abbreviated version. Was it the same teaching just two peoples views? Was it a common teaching that Jesus gave in many places regarding kingdom attitudes?

We know this message comes just after the choosing of the twelve after a night of prayer (Lk6:12-17). Before sending them out to preach all in the villages of Galilee (consider Lk9:1-6) they needed this very important teaching, as do we today about kingdom attitudes as kingdom dwellers

Pate said in his commentary:

“It maybe surmised that the sermon served a two fold function: to encourage the faithfulness among Jesus’ disciples and to challenge non-disciples to follow Him.”

(Transition) Today is just the start of this, there is much in it, even though a few verses, much for us to grasp and apply.

The words of Jesus before us.

Luke 6:20–21 NASB95

20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

Luke 6:22–23 NASB95

22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. 23 “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.

Anything stick out to you in (vv.20-23)?

Who is Jesus speaking to (v.20)?

The disciples (followers).

Who are blessed according to (vv.20-22)

Those who are poor, who hunger, who weep, who are hated and ostracized, insulted because of the Son of Man.

Why are you to be glad and leap for joy (v.23)?

Because you are in good company, the same way the prophets were treated.

(Transition) - let’s go back to the scripture now and look at the rest of the passage

Luke 6:24–25 NASB95

24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. 25 “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

Luke 6:26–27 NASB95

26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way. 27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

Luke 6:28–29 NASB95

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

Luke 6:30–31 NASB95

30 “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

Luke 6:32–33 NASB95

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

Luke 6:34–35 NASB95

34 “If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

Luke 6:36–37 NASB95

36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.

Luke 6:38 NASB95

38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Anything stick out to you in (vv.24-38)?

What are the two woe’s you see in (vv.24-25)?

Woe to the rich

Woe to the well-fed.

There is another woe (v.26), what is it and what are you to do (v.27)?

Woe to you! for what they did to the Fathers they do to you

You love them, do good to them.

How are we to bless those who curse, mistreat, hit you (vv.28-29)?

Offer the other check, offer your shirt

There are some specific instructions given (vv.30-31), what are they?

Give, do not demand back, treat others the same way you want to be treated.

In (vv.32-34) Jesus sets up about love, who to love in (v.35) and why, what do you see in (v.35)?

Love your enemies

Great will be your reward , you will be sons of the Most High.

We see more instructions (vv.36-38) be merciful, do not judge, do not condemn, give, but then there is result of that (v.38), what is it?

They will pour into your lap, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, in measure you give (love) the measure will be returned.

I know that is a lot to take in and let’s now pull from the passage some things to learn and apply.

For your knowledge and application

First we see the blessed state of the kingdom dweller (vv.20-23)

For he knows he is poor (Matthew says in spirit) and the kingdom is theirs. - this poor Jesus refers to is severely poor, one who must depend on another. This person who must beg for anything, everything. This is our spiritual state.

Moody: “Poverty of spirit, so poor they must beg, are rewarded: for they receive the kingdom of God. Therefore, poverty of spirit is an absolute prerequisite for receiving the kingdom, because as long as we keep illusions about our own spiritual resources, we will never received from God what we absolutely need.”

Poor in spirit, do I know I am in spiritual poverty if outside of Christ? and God offers us the kingdom when we rely, trust Him?

Hungry: While we know about physical hunger, Jesus is speaking of spiritually hungry because we know we need what God has to offer to us.

Someone who is hungry seeks to fulfill their hunger. Jesus describes the blessedness of those who hunger for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Knowing that you are in spiritual poverty, cannot provide for self, God offers us what we need, to spiritual feed our hunger.

Weep: blessed when you weep. The impoverished, hungry one weeps for need. The spiritually broken one weeps over sinful condition, they know the low state and weep to be filled and laugh.

Spurgeon: “I do not believe in that faith which has not a tear in its eye when it looks to Jesus. Dry-eyed faith seems to me to be bastard faith, not born of the Spirit of God.”

We should know

Psalm 30:5 NASB95

5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

We can be separated from God, his wrath upon us due to being a son of disobedience, but His favor for those who love Him brings shouts of joy. Weeping may come at night, come due to circumstances, but the joy of the Lord is our strength and brings the joy of laughter into our lives too.

(transition) Jesus is a revolutionary teacher, teaching a new way, to give a new hope to the poverty, hungry, weeping. For blessed are those who put their trust in the Lord, even in difficult circumstances in which he speaks of some Christian attitudes in the rest of this passage.

Blessed are you when you are hated (v.22-23)

Followers of Jesus in that day, and today oftentimes were hated, persecuted, reviled, even called evil like

Cannibalism: due to misunderstanding Lord’s supper

Immorality: due to misunderstanding of love feast

Revolutionary fanaticism because they believed that Jesus would return and bring judgment.

Treason: because they would not honor the Roman gods, or in emperor worship.

Rejoice in that day! Great is your reward in heaven for you are in good company, the prophets before you.

One more thought

Jesus is teaching kingdom principles for kingdom living to kingdom dwellers (apostles, disciples).

He calls us salt and light (Mt5:13-16)

Salt can sting on a wound, and light exposes sin.

People can avoid, reject us (6:22) insult us (6:28) even abuse (6:29) could sue (6:30) this is something to expect (consider Php1:29; 2Tim3:12)

So love your enemies! treat others how you want to be treated even if they do not do like in return.

These kingdom instructs are not rules to be obey, but are to be an attitude of the heart of the kingdom dweller.

So, go forth and sow love today, forgive, do not condemn and be blessed in the kingdom today!