Two Sermons, One Kingdom
On the Hill and the Plain
Christ’s Kingdom Manifesto
Beatitudes and Beyond
The Kingdom Ethics of Jesus
A Study of Jesus’ Greatest Teachings
The Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain
The comparison between the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain has fascinated scholars and theologians for centuries. These two sermons, found respectively in Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6:17-49, contain many similar teachings yet differ in structure, emphasis, and setting. Understanding these differences sheds light on the unique theological aims of the Gospel writers and offers deeper insights into Jesus’ message for His followers.
1. The Context and Setting
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount from a hillside, symbolizing a new Moses delivering a new law. William Barclay notes that Matthew, writing primarily for a Jewish audience, deliberately frames Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament law and prophets. The mountain setting evokes Sinai, where Moses received the law, underscoring the continuity between the old covenant and the new.
By contrast, Luke presents the sermon in a more level place, often called the Sermon on the Plain. Alexander Maclaren points out that this setting emphasizes Jesus’ accessibility to all people, not just those who might ascend to a lofty mountain. N.T. Wright concurs, suggesting that Luke’s version reflects a more inclusive, down-to-earth portrayal of the kingdom of God, focusing on practical, immediate issues faced by ordinary people.
John Stott highlights the symbolic significance of both settings: the mountain suggests transcendence—God revealing His new covenant—while the plain suggests immanence—God meeting His people in their everyday struggles.
2. Similarities in Content
Both sermons contain core teachings about the kingdom of God, including:
• The Beatitudes
• Loving one’s enemies
• Judging others rightly
• The importance of bearing good fruit
Eugene Peterson, in The Message, paraphrases these teachings to highlight their radical call to counter-cultural living. His rendering of Matthew 5:3—“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope”—captures the essence of Jesus’ invitation to humility and dependence on God.
Stott emphasizes that both sermons present a vision of life under God’s rule that is radically different from the prevailing cultural norms. He writes, “The Sermon is a manifesto for discipleship, calling us to live distinctively as salt and light in a decaying and dark world.”
3. Differences in Emphasis
The Beatitudes
One significant difference lies in the way the Beatitudes are presented:
• Matthew includes eight Beatitudes, beginning with “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).
• Luke includes four Beatitudes and contrasts them with four corresponding woes (Luke 6:20-26).
Luke’s Beatitudes are more direct, focusing on literal poverty and hunger. N.T. Wright observes that Luke’s version emphasizes Jesus’ concern for the marginalized and reflects the theme of reversal—God exalting the lowly and humbling the proud. Luke’s corresponding woes (“Woe to you who are rich…”) underscore the temporal nature of wealth and power.
In contrast, Matthew’s Beatitudes are more spiritualized. Barclay notes that Matthew’s “poor in spirit” refers to those who recognize their spiritual need and utter dependence on God. This broader application makes Matthew’s version more universally applicable, transcending socio-economic conditions.
Ethical Teaching
Both sermons include ethical teachings about love for enemies, judging others, and building a life on a solid foundation. However, Luke’s version is shorter and more concise, emphasizing immediate, practical obedience. Matthew, in contrast, expands on these teachings, providing a fuller exposition of kingdom ethics.
4. Theological Implications
The differences in emphasis reflect the distinct theological aims of the Gospel writers:
• Matthew, writing for a Jewish audience, emphasizes Jesus as the new Moses and the fulfillment of the law and prophets.
• Luke, writing for a broader Gentile audience, emphasizes Jesus’ compassion for the marginalized and His challenge to social and economic injustices.
Maclaren highlights that both sermons ultimately call for a radical reorientation of life around the values of the kingdom of God. Whether on a mountain or a plain, Jesus calls His followers to live as citizens of God’s kingdom, embodying its values in a world that often runs contrary to them.
5. Key Themes and Practical Applications
Kingdom Values
Both sermons emphasize the upside-down nature of God’s kingdom, where the poor, meek, and persecuted are blessed, and love triumphs over hatred. Eugene Peterson urges readers to reflect on how radically different Jesus’ vision of life is from the world’s values.
Righteousness
John Stott stresses the centrality of righteousness in both sermons, noting that Jesus redefines righteousness not as external adherence to the law but as an inward transformation of the heart. He writes, “The Sermon on the Mount is not about superficial morality but about a deep, heartfelt pursuit of God’s will.”
Obedience
Both sermons conclude with a call to action: to hear Jesus’ words and put them into practice. In Matthew, this is illustrated by the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27), while Luke uses a similar parable (Luke 6:46-49) to emphasize the importance of obedience.
Alexander Maclaren writes, “It is not enough to admire the beauty of Christ’s words; we must act on them, building our lives on the rock of His teaching.”
6. Living Out the Sermon Today
For modern Christians, the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain remain foundational texts for discipleship. They challenge believers to:
• Live humbly and dependently on God.
• Love enemies and show mercy to all.
• Pursue righteousness not for show, but from a transformed heart.
• Build lives on the solid foundation of Jesus’ teachings.
N.T. Wright emphasizes that these sermons call us to live as signs of God’s coming kingdom in the present world, demonstrating through our lives what it means to belong to Christ.
John Stott concludes, “The Sermon is not a charter for an ideal world, but a call to live in the real world as followers of the King. It offers a blueprint for countercultural living that testifies to the reality of God’s kingdom breaking into our world.”
Conclusion
While the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain differ in presentation and emphasis, they share a common goal: to call Jesus’ followers to a radical way of life grounded in love, humility, and obedience. As William Barclay writes, “The Christian life is the life of the hill and the plain, the life of vision and the life of action, the life with God and the life for others.”
Both sermons remain as relevant today as when Jesus first spoke them, challenging believers to embody the values of God’s kingdom in a world that desperately needs His light.
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