Comparison between Matthew and Luke's Sermons by Jesus

Comparison between Matthew and Luke's

Sermons by Jesus

by R.E. Slater & ChatGPT

A Structured Analysis of Matthew and Luke's Teachings

This project compares Matthew’s 'Sermon on the Mount' with Luke’s 'Sermon on the Plain'. Both contain foundational teachings of Jesus, yet differ in location, tone, theological framing, and intended audience.

Each of these Sermons are similar but not identical accounts of Jesus' teachings.

Differences

• Setting - Matthew presents the sermon on a mountain, while Luke depicts it on a plain.

• Beatitudes - Matthew's version includes eight blessings (Beatitudes), while Luke's has four blessings and four woes.

• Focus - Matthew's Sermon on the Mount focuses on spiritual truths and discipleship, while Luke's Sermon on the Plain are more tangible addressing social and economic realities.

• Content - Luke includes teachings not found in Matthew, and vice versa. For example, Luke mentions woes, while Matthew doesn't.

• Target Audience - Matthew's Sermon seems directed towards his disciples, while Luke's appears to be addressed to a larger crowd, including disciples and people seeking healing.

Similarities

• Both accounts present similar core teachings, including the Beatitudes, the call to love one's enemies, and the importance of building one's life on a strong foundation.

• The two sermons are presented in a similar narrative flow, with events leading up to and following the sermons being similar.

Summary

Matthew's version focuses on the spiritual and ethical foundations of discipleship, while Luke's version emphasizes the social and economic dimensions of following Christ. Both are valuable for understanding Jesus' teachings, but they offer different perspectives and focus on distinct aspects of his ministry.

Overview

Both Matthew’s *Sermon on the Mount* and Luke’s *Sermon on the Plain* represent foundational teachings of Jesus. While they share similarities, the differences in location, tone, theological framing, and audience contribute to their distinctiveness.

Gospel	Section Name	Location	Audience Context
Matthew	Sermon on the Mount	Matthew 5–7	Jesus teaching on a mountain (Jewish Moses typology)
Luke	Sermon on the Plain	Luke 6:17–49	Jesus teaching on level ground (universal tone, social focus)

Structured Comparison Table

Matthew (SOTM)	Luke (Sermon on the Plain)	Summary / Differences
Matt 5:1–2	Luke 6:17–20	Setting and audience: mountain vs. plain
Matt 5:3–12	Luke 6:20–23	Luke has 4 blessings; Matthew has 8–9, more spiritualized
—	Luke 6:24–26	Unique to Luke: 4 Woes (counterpart to Beatitudes)
Matt 5:13–16	—	Salt & light metaphors only in Matthew
Matt 5:17–48	—	Law fulfillment and ethical antitheses — Matthew only
Matt 6:1–18	—	Private devotion: almsgiving, prayer, fasting
Matt 6:19–34	Luke 12:22–34	Treasures in heaven, trust in God
Matt 7:1–6	Luke 6:37–42	Judging others; speck and plank
Matt 7:7–11	Luke 11:9–13	Ask, seek, knock — divine generosity
Matt 7:12	Luke 6:31	Golden Rule — identical in meaning
Matt 7:13–14	—	Narrow vs. wide gate — Matthew only
Matt 7:15–23	Luke 6:43–45	Tree and fruit — similar teaching
Matt 7:24–27	Luke 6:46–49	Wise/foolish builder — shared ending

Key Differences

Tone & Emphasis:

• Matthew: Spiritualized, internal, ethical — “kingdom of heaven” language
• Luke: Social, material, economic — “kingdom of God” language

Audience Context:

• Matthew: Aimed at a Jewish-Christian audience with Law fulfillment themes
• Luke: Aimed at a Gentile-Christian audience with justice-oriented tone

Structure:

• Matthew: A structured three-chapter sermon
• Luke: A shorter, more pointed sermon emphasizing social reversal

Greek Keyword and Theological Themes Comparison

Matthew (SOTM)	Luke (Sermon on the Plain)	Greek Keywords	Theological Themes
Matt 5:3–12	Luke 6:20–23	μακάριοι (makarioi) – “blessed”	Beatitudes: spiritual (Matthew) vs. social/economic (Luke) blessings
—	Luke 6:24–26	οὐαί (ouai) – “woe”	Luke's counter-beatitudes emphasize social reversal
Matt 5:13–16	—	ἅλας (halas) – “salt”; φῶς (phōs) – “light”	Disciples as moral example; not in Luke
Matt 5:17–48	—	νόμος (nomos) – “law”; πληρόω (plēroō) – “to fulfill”	Jesus reinterprets Torah; not addressed in Luke
Matt 6:1–18	—	ἐλεημοσύνη (eleēmosynē) – “almsgiving”; προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai) – “to pray”	Private devotion: secrecy and sincerity
Matt 6:19–34	Luke 12:22–34	θησαυρός (thēsauros) – “treasure”; πίστις (pistis) – “faith”	Trust in divine provision
Matt 7:1–6	Luke 6:37–42	κρίνω (krinō) – “to judge”	Warning against hypocrisy and self-righteousness
Matt 7:7–11	Luke 11:9–13	αἰτέω (aiteō) – “ask”; ζητέω (zēteō) – “seek”; κρούω (krouō) – “knock”	God’s responsiveness to human petition
Matt 7:12	Luke 6:31	ὅσα ἂν θέλητε (hosa an thelēte) – “whatever you wish”	Golden Rule: ethical reciprocity
Matt 7:13–14	—	στενός (stenos) – “narrow”; πλατύς (platys) – “broad”	The challenge of righteous living
Matt 7:15–23	Luke 6:43–45	καρπός (karpos) – “fruit”	Ethics flow from internal character
Matt 7:24–27	Luke 6:46–49	θεμέλιος (themelios) – “foundation”	Wise living rooted in Jesus’ teachings

 Church Fathers on the Sermon on the Mount

·         Matthew 5:3 – Blessed are the poor in spirit:

Augustine (On the Sermon on the Mount): 'He begins with humility, as it is the foundation of all virtue.'

·         Matthew 5:8 – Blessed are the pure in heart:

Chrysostom (Homily on Matthew): 'For he that loves purity of heart preserves the nobility of his soul.'

·         Matthew 5:17 – I have not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it:

Origen (Commentary on Matthew): 'Jesus does not abolish Moses but brings the Law to its spiritual fullness.'

·         Matthew 7:24 – Wise man builds on rock:

Hilary of Poitiers (On Matthew): 'The rock is Christ and His teaching; whoever builds here cannot be moved.'

References and Further Reading

• Augustine, *On the Sermon on the Mount*: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/16011.htm

• Chrysostom, *Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew*: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2001.htm

• Origen, *Commentary on Matthew*: https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/origen.html

• Hilary of Poitiers, *On Matthew*: https://ccel.org/ccel/hilary/matthew