My translation of the Sermon on the Plain.
I don’t know whether Jesus preached this as a whole other sermon from the Sermon on the Mount, or whether Luke heard a short version of that sermon… or whether Matthew heard a long version of this sermon. My guess is Jesus gave the same sermon lots of times; shorter or longer versions depending on the location and audience. So this is kinda the short version.
Luke 6.12-49 KWL 12 It happens in those days- Jesus himself comes out to the hill to pray,
- and he’s spending the night in prayer with God.
13 When day comes, Jesus calls his students- and chooses 12 of them, whom he named apostles.
14 Simon who was also named Peter.- Andrew his brother.
- James. John. Philip. Bartholemew.
15 Matthew. Thomas. James bar Alpheus.- Simon who’s called a zealot.
16 Judas bar James.- And Judas the Kerioti, who became a traitor.
17 Coming down with the apostles,- Jesus stands on level ground
- with many crowds of his students—
- a plethora of people from all Judea, Jerusalem,
- the coastline of Tyre and Sidon.
18 They come to hear Jesus—- and be cured from their diseases.
- Those suffering from unclean spirits are dealt with,
19 and all the crowd seeks to touch Jesus,- for his power comes out and cures everyone.
20 Jesus, lifting his eyes to his students, says:- “The poor: How awesome!
- —God’s kingdom is yours².
21 Those hungry now: How awesome!- —you’ll² be filled.
- Those crying now: How awesome!
- —you’ll² laugh.
22 When the people hate you², segregate you²,- condemn and throw out your² names as if evil,
- all because of me: How awesome you² are!
23 Rejoice on that day! Skip!- Look at your² great reward in heaven!
- Their ancestors did likewise to the prophets.
24 But the wealthy: How awful for you²- —you’ve² been encouraged long enough.
25 Those who’ve been full now: How awful for you²- —you’ll² be hungry.
- Those laughing now: How awful for you²
- —you’ll² cry.
26 When the people say everything good about you²: How awful.- Their ancestors did likewise to the fake prophets.
27 “But I tell you² who listen:- Love your² enemies.
- Do good to your² haters.
28 Bless your² cursers.- Pray for your² accusers.
29 To one who whacks you¹ on the cheek:- Offer the other as well.
- To one who takes from you¹ your¹ robe:
- You¹ ought not hold back your¹ tunic.
30 Give to everyone who asks you¹.- From anyone who takes away what’s yours¹,
- don’t ask it back.
31 Same as you² want- that people might do for you²,
- do likewise for them.
32 If you² love those who love you²,- in what way is this grace from you²?
- For sinners also love those who love them.
33 When you² do good for those who do good for you²,- in what way is this grace from you²?
- {For} sinners do the same.
34 When you² lend to those- from whom you² expect similar treatment,
- in what way is this grace from you²?
- Sinners lend to sinners
- so they might receive the same treatment.
35 Regardless, love your² enemies.- Do good, and lend expecting nothing.
- Your² compensation will be abundant.
- You’ll² be children of the Highest,
- for he is kind to the ungrateful and evil.
Double standards. [6.36-38]
36 Be compassionate- just like your² Father is compassionate.
37 Don’t criticize,- and you² won’t be criticized.
- Don’t judge,
- and you² won’t be judged.
- Forgive,
- and you’ll² be forgiven.
38 Give,- and it’ll be given you²:
- They’ll pour a good measurement,
- packed in, shaken, overflowing, into your² apron.
- The measurement you² measure with,
- will measure you² again.”
Can’t see; pretty sure they can. [6.39-40]
39 Jesus also says this analogy to them:- “Can a blind person guide the blind
- without the both falling into a hole?
40 A student doesn’t exceed the teacher;- once fully trained, everyone is like their teacher.
Double standards. [6.41-42]
41 Why do you¹ see the wood chip in your¹ brother’s eye,- yet not notice the support beam in your¹ own eye?
42 How can you¹ tell your brother, ‘Let me get the chip out of your¹ eye’,- with you¹ not seeing there’s a beam in your¹ eye?
- First get the beam out of your¹ eye, hypocrite,
- and you’ll¹ see straight enough to get the chip in your¹ brother’s eye.
Watch out for fake and fruitless prophets. [6.43-45]
43 For a good tree doesn’t grow rotten fruit,- nor a rotten tree grow good fruit:
44 Each tree is known by its own fruit.- One doesn’t gather figs from thistles.
- One doesn’t reap grape bunches from thornbushes.
45 The good person brings up- good things from the good treasury of a good mind.
- The evil brings up
- evil things out of an evil mind.
- From the mind’s overflow,
- their mouth speaks.
When Jesus says, “I don’t know you.” [6.46]
46 “Why do you² call me, ‘Master, master’?- You² don’t do a thing I say.
The house on the rock. [6.47-49]
47 Everyone coming to me,- hearing my teachings, doing them—
- I’ll show you² what it’s like.
48 It’s like a person building a house,- who digs, digs deep,
- and makes a foundation on bedrock.
- The flood-tide coming, the river bursts upon that house,
- and isn’t strong enough to shake it,
- because it’s well-built.
49 Hearers who don’t do as I teach:- It’s like a person building a house
- directly on the ground, without a foundation.
- The river bursts on it,
- and next it collapses.
- The destruction of that house becomes great.”
Beatitudes: Both awesome and awful. [6.20-26]
Love your enemies. [6.27-28]
Jesus rejects karmic thinking. [6.27-30]
The Golden Rule. [6.31]
Be indiscriminate in loving other people. [6.31-36]
The usual notes about my translation:
- It’s mostly present tense because the original text uses present tense. Since
aorist tense has no time, it borrows the time of the nearby verbs, which’d usually be present. - I actually use italics for emphasis! Words added to make the text clearer English are either gray or lighter red.
- Braces mean the words aren’t in the original; they were added by
the Textus Receptus. - The superscript 1 and 2 indicates whether “you” or “they” is singular or plural. Nope, they’re not footnotes.
Yep, there are some obvious differences in the way Jesus presented the material. Like I said, it varied by location and audience. His beatitudes in Matthew were about how awesome the kingdom was for the needy; his beatitudes here include how it’s not so awesome for the greedy. No doubt there were greedy folks in this audience.
So when it comes to following Jesus’s teachings, we need to look at both these sermons. And his parables, and his theological lessons, and his demonstrated actions; let’s strive for the bigger picture of Jesus instead of only the red letters. But neither should we bury him under 20 centuries of navel-gazing and loophole-making: Let’s follow Jesus. Study his sermons. Seek his will.
