The Sermon on the Plain — What is it?

from the old testament

• The Sermon on the Plain is recorded in the New Testament.

from the new testament

• The Sermon on the Plain is a sermon Jesus preached to a large crowd before entering Capernaum as recorded in Luke 6:20–49. The Sermon on the Plain is strikingly similar to the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew chapters 5—7. Both sermons are placed in the narrative after the calling of the disciples and before entering Capernaum to heal the centurion's servant. They both start with the Beatitudes and include teaching about loving others, judging others, and knowing a tree by its fruit. Both end with the story of the wise and foolish builders. However, the Sermon on the Plain occurs as Jesus descends a mountain having spent the previous night praying atop it; the Sermon on the Mount occurs as Jesus ascends a mountain in response to gathering crowds. The Sermon on the Plain is markedly shorter than the Sermon on the Mount despite including a list of woes not included in the Sermon on the Mount. Both sermons are delivered to large crowds, but the people groups listed as present in the crowds differ between Luke's and Matthew's accounts.
• After healing the crowd of diseases and evil spirits (Luke 6:17–19), Jesus began to preach to His disciples. He started with a list of blessings that seemed counter-cultural. In Jesus' day, people believed that prosperity, wealth, health, and good fortune were signs of God's favor and that misfortune, illness, disease, and poverty were signs of God's judgment (Luke 6:20–23). Thus, the Beatitudes where Jesus identified the poor, hungry, weeping, and persecuted among His followers as blessed would have been radical new thinking.
• Jesus warned the rich, well-fed, rejoicing, and well-respected in society by pronouncing four woes in an inversion of the previous four statements of blessing (Luke 6:24–26). He then called His followers to love their enemies by praying for them, turning the other cheek, and being generous (Luke 6:27–30). He pronounced the Golden Rule: "And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them" (Luke 6:31).
• In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus also taught about withholding condemnation and instead extending forgiveness. He said, "for with the measure you use it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38).
• Jesus spoke against hypocrisy (Luke 6:42). He said a blind person cannot effectively lead another blind person; disciples must be trained (Luke 6:39). Jesus' followers should humbly consider their own hearts, actions, and beliefs before trying to teach or help others change: "First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye" (Luke 6:42).
• Jesus also taught that just as a tree is known for the fruit it produces, so too a person can be recognized by the outward speech and actions produced by the good or evil stored within their hearts (Luke 6:43–45).
• Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Plain with a story contrasting the success of the builder who dug a deep foundation on which to build his house with the failure of the builder who built without a foundation. For the first builder, "when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built" (Luke 6:48). But for the one who built without a foundation, "the ruin of that house was great" (Luke 6:49). Jesus said that those who put His teaching into practice were like the successful builder and those who heard it only and never followed through were like the failed builder.

implications for today

To practically live out the teachings of the Sermon on the Plain, we can begin by examining our hearts and actions, ensuring they align with the values Jesus emphasized. From this heart, we can choose to live out the teachings of the Sermon on the Plain, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can love our enemies by praying for those who wrong us and extending kindness instead of retaliation. Practicing forgiveness becomes essential, as we rely on God's grace to forgive others and withhold judgment, remembering Jesus' call to focus on our own flaws before addressing others. Living by the Golden Rule—treating others as we want to be treated—means approaching relationships with humility and generosity, seeking to understand others and treat them well. Finally, we can build a strong foundation of faith by consistently studying Jesus’ words and intentionally putting them into practice in every aspect of life.