This detailed response elaborates on the differences between the Sermon on the Mount (found in Matthew chapters 5–7) and the Sermon on the Plain (found in Luke chapter 6) by presenting the information in comparative cards. While both sermons share many common themes, sayings, and core ethical teachings, they possess distinct characteristics regarding length, setting, audience, and specific content. The teachings of both sermons are foundational to Christian ethics and outline Jesus' message on morality, compassion, and spiritual fulfillment.
Card 1: Setting, Length, and Overall Scope
| Feature | Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) | Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49) |
|---|---|---|
| Location/Setting | Delivered on a mountain. | Delivered on a plain (or level place). |
| Length and Scope | Generally more extensive, spanning three chapters (Matthew 5, 6, and 7). | Shorter, contained within a single chapter (Luke 6). |
| Emphasis | Focuses more on inner disposition and the fulfillment/reinterpretation of the Jewish Law (Torah). | Focuses more explicitly on socio-economic reversal and practical, radical mercy toward the marginalized. |
| Audience Implication | Scholars often interpret Matthew’s placement (on a mountain) as deliberately evoking Moses receiving the Law, emphasizing Jesus as the definitive teacher and fulfillment of the Law. | Luke emphasizes Jesus standing with the disciples and a great crowd, perhaps highlighting the immediate and practical nature of the radical ethics for the common people. |
The opening sections of the sermons—the Beatitudes—show the most striking difference in content and emphasis, particularly due to Luke's inclusion of "Woes".
| Feature | Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12) | Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-26) |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity and Focus | Presents nine Beatitudes. These focus primarily on spiritual and ethical dispositions. | Presents fewer Beatitudes. These are more socio-economically focused and material in nature. |
| Key Examples | Blessings are given to those who are: "poor in spirit," "meek," "hungry for righteousness," "merciful," "pure in heart," and "peacemakers". These describe the character of those in God's Kingdom. | Blessings are given to those who are: "poor" (without the qualifier "in spirit"), "hungry" (physical need), and "weep now". |
| Woes | Does not include parallel condemnations (Woes). | Includes four direct "Woes" that immediately follow the Beatitudes. These condemnations are directed toward those who are currently benefiting from worldly comfort: the rich, the full, those who laugh now, and those who are popular. The Woes offer a more direct contrast between earthly comfort and spiritual blessedness. |
| Thematic Implication | The Matthew Beatitudes emphasize that inner qualities and the pursuit of righteousness are the measures of blessedness. | Luke's Beatitudes and Woes underscore a call to care for the marginalized and critically examine systems that perpetuate inequality. They serve as a powerful warning against the dangers of worldly comfort. |
While both sermons contain the Golden Rule and the parables of the Wise and Foolish Builders, the longer Sermon on the Mount contains several substantial sections that are either absent or covered in less detail in the Sermon on the Plain.
| Content Area | Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) | Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17-49) |
|---|---|---|
| The Law (Torah) | Contains the extensive section on the "Fulfillment of the Law" (Matthew 5:17-48). Jesus explicitly reinterprets several aspects of the Mosaic Law, pushing beyond external observance to internal attitudes. | This deep, sequential reinterpretation of the Law is not found in the Sermon on the Plain. |
| Inner Purity (Specifics) | Includes detailed expansion on: Anger (linking it to murder), Lust (linking it to adultery), Divorce, and Oaths. This demonstrates a deeper, more radical righteousness. | While emphasizing inner transformation generally, the Sermon on the Plain does not contain these specific, detailed legal extensions equating anger to murder or lust to adultery. |
| Practices of Piety | Dedicated to instructions on True Righteousness (Matthew 6). This includes specific warnings against hypocrisy regarding giving to the needy secretly, praying sincerely (providing the Lord's Prayer as a model), and fasting privately. | These detailed instructions on how to give, pray, and fast are largely absent from the Sermon on the Plain. |
| Love for Enemies | Commands love for enemies and non-retaliation ("turn the other cheek"), framed as the ultimate requirement to be "perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect". | Strongly echoes the command to love enemies, but specifically emphasizes the practical command of "lending without expecting to get anything back" (Luke 6:35), highlighting sacrificial generosity. |
| The Narrow Gate | Explicitly includes the warning about the "narrow gate" (Matthew 7:13-14), emphasizing the demanding, difficult path of discipleship that few choose. | The metaphor of the narrow gate is not found in the Sermon on the Plain. |
In summary, the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew) provides a longer, more structured teaching that positions Jesus as the authoritative interpreter and fulfillment of the Law, emphasizing internal ethical purity and the character of the Kingdom's citizens. Conversely, the Sermon on the Plain (Luke) is shorter and contains Beatitudes that are more directly socio-economically focused, intensified by the inclusion of the Woes. This makes Luke's version a more immediate challenge to the status quo regarding wealth and comfort, underscoring a call to social justice and active compassion for the marginalized. Both sermons, however, conclude with the same powerful call to active obedience (building on the rock), stressing that merely hearing Jesus' radical words is insufficient.