Most of us have heard of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, but have you ever heard of His Sermon on the Plain? We find the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel, chapters 5-7. Luke tells of a very similar sermon that Jesus gave to a crowd in a large field. Some might think that this is a contradiction with Matthew saying the sermon was given on a hill, and Luke saying it was in a field. I believe that they both are correct, as it was two different occasions, even though the content of both sermons was very similar. I am sure that many pastors, especially if they have been pastors for a long time, have reused a sermon or two over time, and their congregations may never know. Traveling evangelists likely do the same. In the days before recording technology, unless one traveled with Jesus from location to location, one could not hear every message He gave. So why wouldn’t He repeat some of His sermons to different crowds? One time the message was given while seated on a hillside, and the other time just so happened to be on a plain. On Luke’s occasion, Jesus was healing people from sickness, and then gave His sermon (vs. 17-19).
As Jesus began His sermon, He stated some of the Beatitudes (vs. 20-23). These each go contrary to what the world states. Jesus said that those who are poor, hungry, weeping, and are persecuted for His sake are blessed. The world says the opposite, as they promote financial success, being happy, and well-fed. Instead, Jesus emphasized the blessedness of our future rewards and the reversal of our circumstances in His Kingdom. He also particularly highlighted how blessed are those who suffer persecution for His sake, as their reward will be great.
The material wealth and worldly comforts that society runs after today are only temporary. The wealth and financial security everyone seeks can be gone in the blink of an eye. Depending on what we find to make us happy, that can also quickly be gone. However, if we are putting our trust and dependence on God, He will bless us, and His blessings are for all eternity.
Jesus then proceeded to speak of some “woes” (vs. 24-26). To be filled with woe is to have misery, sorrow, and distress. It is the opposite of happiness and joy. Jesus proclaimed woe to those who have spent their life seeking to be rich and comfortable, rather than seeking after God and His Word. Again, this goes contrary to worldly wisdom and desires, which tell us to go after wealth, comfort, and popularity, and that you’re a fool if you don’t. These verses highlight the perils of prioritizing earthly treasures over spiritual wealth, and warn us about the danger of seeking worldly success rather than seeking after God and His ways. Those who wish to truly follow the Lord Jesus must deny themselves and their desires, and instead focus on eternal values.
These verses make us think about our life and service for the Lord. Did we give up that lucrative job that could have afforded us a really nice house in an affluent neighborhood, and instead we give our life to spreading God’s Word and live in a tiny apartment in the poorer part of town? God says we’ll be blessed, and He has a mansion prepared for us in heaven. Have we given up the fancy dining, and instead eat simple fare so that we have more to give to the Lord’s Kingdom? There will be plenty of good food in heaven. We can wait!
Perhaps we’re afraid to say anything to our friends, family, or neighbors about Jesus, for fear that they might mock us, laugh, end the friendship, or cut us off from the family. So instead we keep quiet. Jesus says, though, that if these things happen because we were open about our faith in Him, we will be blessed. There are rewards in heaven for those who are persecuted for His sake. We can look through the pages of the Bible, and also the lives of the saints throughout the centuries to see that this has happened to many others, and they did not flinch.
Jesus challenges us to align our lives with the values of God’s Kingdom and His Word. When we embrace spiritual poverty, endure persecution, and put eternal treasures first, we can live faithfully as followers and believers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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