Part 8-Luke 6:12-49 (A) "teachings"

Here are my responses for this week's Luke study guide. Click the link below to read the rest.

OBSERVE // what does it say?

Compare Luke 6:20-49 with Matthew 5:1-7:29 for these similarities & differences to understand Luke’s specific emphases:

A) The number of beatitudes

Luke has four beatitudes. Matthew has eight.

B) The order of the beatitudes

Using Matthew’s list as a reference point, Luke includes 1, 4, 2, and 8 in his list.

C) The progression of themes in the beatitudes

Luke’s order seems to move from a general condition (e.g. poor), to a result (e.g.
hunger), to a response (e.g. weeping), to a cause (e.g. persecution).

D) The manner of address

Matthew’s beatitudes are in the third person (e.g. “Blessed are the/those who…”). Luke’s beatitudes are in the second person (e.g. “Blessed are you who…”).

E) The characterization of those addressed

Luke’s characterizations could be read as pointing only to the material realities of this world. He speaks to the poor, the hungry, and the persecuted.

Matthew’s characterizations make it clear that spiritual realities that transcend this world are also in-view. Thus, he speaks to the poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and those who are persecuted because of righteousness.

Additionally, Luke makes no disparaging references to Gentiles as Matthew does since he is writing to them, rather than a Jewish audience (cf. Mat. 5:47; 6:7; 18:17).

F) Luke’s unique inclusion

Unique to Luke is the list of four woes that stands in contrast to the statements proclaiming blessedness. The content is not really new, merely a restatement of the prior statements from the opposite perspective.

G) The temporal analysis

Luke places more of an emphasis on the fact that these realities speak of something that is already happening (cf. “now” 6:21, 25) rather than just being statements about a distant future.

Who is present at Jesus’ teaching (v. 17)?

Three groups are noted to be present. First, there are the twelve core disciples that Jesus has just chosen to be in His inner-circle. Second, there is “a large crowd of disciples” that were already following Him from a distance (v. 17). Third, there is “a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon.” Jesus was simultaneously addressing his committed apprentices, his interested followers, and the curious public.