The Great Sermon

The Great Sermon - B

Feb 20, 2022

Luke 6: 27-38

The Great Sermon is in two places in the Bible. In Matthew, chapters 4 through 7, it is called the Sermon on the Mount because Matthew writes that Jesus went up on hillside to speak to the crowd.

In Luke, chapters 5 and 6, it is the Sermon on the Plain because Jesus comes down from another account and addresses the crowd on the plain. Both sermons contain pretty much the same material.

The Sayings Gospel Q is the common source for Matthew and Luke. Remember, Matthew and Luke apparently had written copies of the Gospel of Mark and of the Sayings Gospel Q –that hypothetical book of Jesus’ sayings and parables. Q was not a narrative story of Jesus’ life and ministry; it was just a collection of Jesus’ sayings and brief teachings –sort of one-liners. But Q organized many of those brief teachings by subject matter.

So, Matthew and Luke had a collection of Jesus’ statements from which they both, independently, developed their “sermons.” In all probability Jesus did not preach this sermon as it appears here; he probably said these teachings many times in several different forms and contexts during his active ministry. At least the Gospel of Thomas, another collection of early teachings, has a number of these quotations, but there they are not grouped together.

So at least the some of the oral traditions carried these lessons independently. Last week we considered the blessings and woes or the congratulations and curses. Remember, Congratulations you poor, you hungry, and you persecuted and hated. Why were they being congratulated? Because God’s kingdom belongs to them.

Or maybe it could be argued that these attributes –poverty, hunger, and persecution are attributes of living God’s way. That suggests that we who have comfortable incomes and have plenty (maybe too much) food, and who live respectable lives are missing God’s dream for us; that’s an interesting idea to think about.

That reminds me of a story (I think it was)about Rev. Dr. E. Stanley Jones. The great missionary was coming to speak to a community about his experiences. When the time came for his arrival on the train, the welcoming party, of course, waited by the first class cars, looking for the great man. But they couldn’t find him among those passengers.

Finally, they discovered him at the back of the train in the second class section. When they asked him why he was riding in one of the second-class cars, Dr. Stanley said, “Because there is no third class.” That is, money is to be used to help needy people, not to provide us comfort and prestige.

That was last week, lets look at some more of the Great Sermon. Let’s look at some of the teachings in today’s lesson from the Gospel of Luke –a continuation of the Great Sermon. “Love your enemies,” Jesus said. “Do favors for those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for your abusers.” (Luke 6:27-28, SV)That is pretty clear, isn’t it? Any questions? Okay, you say that you don’t really have any enemies.

So, substitute “little-e” enemies like someone that you don’t like very well. Maybe it’s that kid down the street who uses such vulgar language. Or, it might be that co-worker who always rubs you the wrong way. Oh, this one for sure, it’s that loud-mouth Democrat (or Republican) who runs his mouth all the time and listens to nothing responsible that you try to tell him. There’s your enemy: love him. Do favors for her. Bless him. Pray for her.

That’s what Jesus said, have you heard him?This next one is even more interesting. Jesus said, “When someone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well” (Luke 6:29ab).Maybe this is a guy thing but looking at the news recently I think everyone is addressed. How about it?If we read this from Matthew {5:39c),we can argue that we get some wiggle room by his softening of it –“When someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other as well” (5:39). To strike someone on the right check requires a back of the hand slap which suggests that it is an action to a person of lessor status.

So, Matthew makes the hitter treat you as an equal by turning your left check to him, too. But that is not the Q statement that probably goes clear back to Jesus. If someone hits you, don’t hit back, even let him hit you again. That is what Jesus said.“When someone takes away your coat, don’t prevent that person from taking your shirt along with it” (Luke 6:29c). That seems to be pretty clear, doesn’t it? Any questions? Let me add some background information:in that culture people wore two items of clothing: a shirt and a “coat.” So, taking one’s coat and shirt leaves him (and perhaps her) naked.

Some scholars have argued that going to court to force someone to surrender his coat and shirt, leaving him naked would embarrass and prejudice everyone against the one taking the coat and shirt so he wouldn’t do it. But, that is not what Jesus said; that is our looking for a loop hole.The next lesson reads, “Give to everyone who begs from you. (Luke 6:30a). Can you imagine giving to everyone who begs from you? Take a walk through downtown Wilmington and give a dollar to the first person who asks you for money.

All of the rest of the street folks will see and step up for their turns; you will be a popular–and broke –person in a few minutes. That is what Jesus teaches us.The next parts of that verse extend this idea even further: “When someone takes(steals)your things, don’t ask for them back” (Luke 3bc). The parallel teaching in Matthew (5:42) includes begging and lending: “Give to the one who begs from you and don’t turn away the one who tries to borrow from you.”Luke apparently left out this teaching, but he includes the other half of it a few verses later: “Lend, expecting nothing in return” (Luke 6:35). These are universal instructions; we are to do them every time and always. That is what Jesus teaches us.Luke rounds out these teachings with what we call the Golden Rule, “Treat people the way you want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31). Jesus may have used this standard of behavior here and elsewhere as a summarizing statement; it is in Q and the Gospel of Thomas, but it is also found in many places in the common lore.

Jesus teaches us to love our enemies, to accept being struck without striking back, even offering the other cheek. If someone takes your coat, offer your shirt also, leaving you naked. Give to everyone who begs of you and lend to everyone who requests a loan with no expectation of receiving the money back. And if anyone steals from you, do not expect to get the items back. And he summarizes this series of lessons with the Golden Rule, “Treat people the way you want them to treat you.

Why? That is a pretty big order, why would we do it? Luke reports that if you love those who love you, do good to those who do good to you, lend to those from whom you hope to get as much (or more) in return, what merit is there in that?

After all, even sinners do as much. “But love our enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you’ll be children of the Most High. As you know, the Most High is generous to the ungrateful and the wicked (Luke 6:35).Therefore, we should be generous, too.“Be as compassionate as your Father is.

Don’t pass judgment, and you won’t be judged; don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned, and you’ll be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you . . . . For the standard you apply will be the standard applied to you” (Luke 6: 36-38).“For the standard you apply will be the standard applied to you.”“Be as compassionate as your Father is” (Luke 6:36).. Don’t pass judgment, and you won’t be judged; Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned; for you’ll be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you . . . . For the standard you apply will be the standard applied to you” (Luke 6: 36-38).That is Luke’s reporting on the Great Sermon. That is what Christianity is about.

That is what we need to be about. Yes, these are some strong teachings. But they seem to be typical of Jesus. He tends to over state his teachings so that the people will hear them.

Matthew and Luke have softened the teachings some, Matthew more than Luke. If, for example, you always give to everyone who asks and lend to everyone not expecting to be repaid, you won’t have any resources for very long. But we certainly can love our neighbors and our enemies.

We can accept being struck without responding in kind. We can give to beggars when we are helping them grow, but not when our gifts push them deeper into addictions. We can listen to Jesus’ teachings and begin to model our lives on his instructions.If we strive to learn and practice being compassionate, then we will not be condemned, but forgiven.If we give, we will receive God’s gifts. If we love, we will be loved.If we grow our lives and our patterns and our values and our actions into Jesus’ Way, we will grow into God’s dream for us. That is when we find life at its fullest and richest and best. Let us do it, starting right now.AmenSermons\Lk6_27-38.2c22

Children’s SermonSome of Jesus’ teachings are hard to do:Love your enemies –the bullies at school, those neighbors who keep messing with you, etc. If someone hits you, do not hit back. You have to talk to your parents about this, but if someone takes some of your things, maybe you can just let him or her have them.If someone asks for something, maybe you can give it to him or her.

Certainly you can learn to apply the Golden Rule:“Treat people the way you want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31). That is the way to make your life really great. That is what Jesus teaches us to do and be.