The Sermon on the Plain is an important teaching by Jesus recorded in Luke 6:17-49. After spending the night in prayer, Jesus came down from the mountain with his disciples and stood on a level place where a large crowd had gathered. There, Jesus delivered a powerful sermon addressing many important spiritual and ethical topics.
The Sermon on the Plain is similar to the more well-known Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7. Both sermons contain many of the same teachings and parables. However, while the Sermon on the Mount focuses more on Jesus’ kingdom of heaven, the Sermon on the Plain emphasizes the ethical implications of Jesus’ teaching for disciples. Together, these sermons provide a rich picture of Jesus’ core message and expectations for those who would follow Him.
Here is an overview of some of the key themes and topics addressed in the Sermon on the Plain:
The Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-26)
The sermon opens with a series of blessings and woes reminiscent of the beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus pronounces blessings on the poor, hungry, weeping, and reviled, promising them comfort and satisfaction. He warns those who are rich, well-fed, laughing, and spoken well of that difficult times are ahead for them.
Love for Enemies (Luke 6:27-36)
Jesus calls his followers to radical, counter-cultural love through serving enemies, turning the other cheek, giving freely without expecting repayment, doing good to those who hate, blessing those who curse, and praying for abusers. This transforms unjust relationships and breaks cycles of vengeance.
Judging Others (Luke 6:37-38)
Jesus warns against hypocritically judging and condemning others when we ourselves are imperfect. We are to model God’s mercy and generosity, which will in turn come back to us.
Integrity and Wisdom (Luke 6:39-45)
Christ illustrates the importance of integrity and wisdom in the Christian life. The blind cannot lead the blind without both falling into a pit. Students are not greater than their teacher. A healthy tree produces good fruit while a diseased tree produces bad fruit. The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
The Two Foundations (Luke 6:46-49)
Jesus concludes his sermon by contrasting those who hear his words but do not put them into practice with those who hear and obey. Their lives and faith can be compared to the foundations of two houses, one built on rock and the other on sand. Only the firm foundation of hearing and obeying Christ’s words can withstand the storms of life.
Within these central themes, the Sermon on the Plain contains valuable teachings on prayer, the golden rule, loving enemies, charity, ethics, humility, the danger of riches, righteousness, judging others, and bearing good spiritual fruit in one’s life. Jesus repeatedly calls his followers to wholehearted commitment to living out his kingdom values in practical ways.
In many respects, the Sermon on the Plain presents an even more challenging call to discipleship than the Sermon on the Mount. Whereas the latter portrays more of a devotional posture oriented around the kingdom of heaven, the Sermon on the Plain linearizes these teachings into direct ethical applications for Christ’s followers.
Jesus does not merely call people to personal piety and spiritual disciplines here. He outlines specific ways their lives must tangibly demonstrate the outworking of God’s kingdom through counter-cultural love, grace, wisdom, integrity and obedience. This will require sacrifice, selflessness and perseverance in the face of opposition.
Both sermons uphold the importance of sincere faith that translates into outward action. A mere intellectual awareness or emotional appreciation for Jesus’ teachings is inadequate. Christians are called to build their entire lives upon Kingdom values by putting Christ’s words into practice through the power of the Holy Spirit.
In summary, the key points and themes of the Sermon on the Plain include:
- The beatitudes and blessings for the humble and persecuted.
- Loving enemies and living peacefully instead of seeking retaliation.
- Giving freely to others and practicing the golden rule.
- Withholding judgment and extending mercy as God has done.
- Pursuing spiritual wisdom, integrity and good fruit.
- Hearing and obeying Jesus’ words in every practical way.
This revolutionary message would have been both inspiring and incredibly challenging for Jesus’ original listeners. It made starkly clear the kinds of lives Jesus expects his followers to live. Although countercultural, these values and practices are central to Jesus’ teachings on the Kingdom of God.
When sincerely embraced, the message of the Sermon on the Plain has the power to bring incredible blessings through transformed relationships and new purpose. However, merely admiring Jesus’ words is not enough. We must build our lives upon them in order to weather the challenges and storms of this world.
Two thousand years later, the Sermon on the Plain remains a profound blueprint for Kingdom living marked by godly wisdom, integrity, justice and love. As we read and re-read Christ’s words, the Holy Spirit continues speaking to our hearts and empowering us to live them out against the cultural tides of our day. There is always more depth to plumb as we prayerfully meditate on applying Jesus’ upside-down Kingdom in practical ways.
When believers embrace the Sermon on the Plain’s countercultural values and act on them through the Spirit’s enabling, the Kingdom manifests on earth as it is in heaven. The blessings and principles Jesus taught so long ago remain powerfully relevant for every generation of Christians who would follow him wholeheartedly today.
The Sermon on the Plain, along with the Sermon on the Mount, equips believers with ethical instructions and wisdom for pursuing lives that are pleasing to God, bringing blessing to the world, and advancing His Kingdom. As we walk in the footsteps of Jesus, He transforms us increasingly into His image and empowers us to live out his revolutionary lovingkindness.
Though not always easy or comfortable, obeying the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Plain ultimately results in fruitfulness, security, purpose, and eternal reward. The life built upon Christ’s words stands strong despite whatever storms may come. By taking his teachings to heart and putting them into practice through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians discover the blessings of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
