Bible Discussions - Episode 131 - The Life of Christ - Part 42: The Sermon on the Plain

Many people have heard of the Sermon on the Mount preached by Jesus and recorded by Matthew in his gospel, but not as many have heard of the very similar sermon recorded by Luke, which is called the Sermon on the Plain. There are many common elements to these sermons, but they very likely represent two separate occasions where Jesus preached a similar message. This is obvious from the very beginning of each story. In Matthew 5, verses 1-2, the Sermon on the Mount starts like this: "Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them." However, listen to the setup for the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6, verses 17-19: "He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all." In the first instance, Jesus is sitting calmly and teaching. In the second, Jesus is standing, people are crushing in on him, and power was emanating from him. The situations couldn't have been more different, and it affects the message and teaching style of Jesus in each case. In fact, Luke's account shows how Jesus, the master teacher, uses the energy of the crowd to maximum effect. Join us in this episode to find out how. You're listening to Bible Discussions on ‪@Biblocus‬ where the Bible intersects with your life. Biblocus® is a registered trademark of Timothy Klingerman