The Sermon on the Plain
Jesus teaches to a large crowd, including his own disciples and people who hope to be healed or freed from evil spirits. He talks about the
kind of life the people need to lead in order to enter the Kingdom of God, and what it means to be a true follower of Christ. The Parables of the Lost
Blessings and Woes The Parables of the Lost focus on the theme of seeking God and finding salvation.
Jesus begins the sermon with a series of beatitudes which praise the values that are regarded as wrong and rejects those regarded as They hold the message that God does not wait for people to find him, but helps
admirable. ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God’, Jesus praised the poor as they rely on God, while the rich are those who are seeking for him, rejoicing when a lost sinner is found. This was
self-reliant and feel that they don’t need God. ‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh’, Jesus blessed those who weep at the evil revolutionary, as Jewish teaching only implied that a sinner would be welcomed
in the world as, when the Kingdom is established, they will be joyful. The woes are statements where Jesus warns those who enjoy values back by God, while Jesus states that God would find the lost sinner himself.
that are admires. ‘Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort’, Jesus tells them that wealth will not satisfy their spiritual
need.
Love The Parable of the Lost Son
Jesus emphasises the importance of love, encouraging followers to love al people, even the unlovable, called agape. This is concerned with In the parable, the younger son of three asks his father for his share of the estate,
those who deserve love and those who don’t. ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you’, Jesus teaches that his followers must which was illegal until the father had died, so the son was treating the father as
love all people, including their enemies, and should act upon this by doing good works. ‘If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the though he were dead. The father agrees, and the son wastes the money on an
other also’, Jesus states that people must not seek revenge, but should offer love. ‘Your reward will be great’, Jesus sets high standards for elaborate life. When the money is all spent, the son is forced to feed pigs in order to
his followers, they must give all they have out of love, and their reward will be great in heaven. live, which was particularly unpleasant, and Jews regarded pigs as unclean creatures.
Judging Others Realising he has sinned, he returned to his father and asked to be employed as a
Jesus tells his followers that they should not make judgements about people through gossip, rumour or unkind conversation. ‘Do not judge, servant, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you’. The father is
and you will not be judged’, Jesus suggests that those who make judgements will be punished in heaven. ‘First, take the plank out of your overwhelmed with love and orders a celebratory feast; however, the elder son
eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eyes’, followers must ensure that they are spiritually loving to refuses to attend, complaining that he had always worked hard for his father, yet
bring people to God. had never been rewarded. ‘This brother of yours was dead and is alive again, he was
Firm Foundations lost and is found’. God welcomes the sinner back and does not accept the
Jesus teaches that a good person produces good things by having a good heart. Those who follow him must change the way they are from complaints of the righteous – to show love to those who are lost does not mean that
the heart, for this is where goodness comes from, ‘the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart’. The wise builder God loves his own people any less.
builds his house on solid foundations to withstand the torrent, while the foolish builder built his house on weak foundations and it gave way.
Jesus stresses the important of basing one’s belief in him on a firm foundation to remain strong in their faith when persecution comes.
The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
The Parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus’ Moral Teachings Jesus’ teachings concerning wealth and poverty highlight the differences between
Jesus uses the Parable of the Good Samaritan to establish to his disciples and the rich and the poor. Those he calls the poor are those who recognise their need for
followers the relationship between neighbours, and what it means to be and do The Parable of the Lost Sheep
God, while those he calls the rich are self-satisfied and feel no need for God. He
good. He is telling the people to be loving and compassionate regardless of a Jesus shows God as a shepherd with 99 sheep that
are safe and on who is lost, reflecting a person who
warns those who are wealthy that their attitude towards their material possessions
person’s race, religion, or any judgements that are made about them. A lawyer will prevent them from knowing their need for God. In the parable, the rich man has
has lost sight of their need for God. He searched until
asks Jesus how to ‘inherit eternal life’, and is rehearsed in the teachings to Jesus’ a full life with all that he needs and wants, while the poor man, Lazarus, has nothing
he finds it and rejoices when he has done so, ‘There
law, ‘love the Lord your God’, ‘love your neighbour as yourself’, and asks Jesus who will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who and suffers due to the rich man’s unkindness. After they have died, Lazarus goes to
he should direct this at. Jesus tells the story of a man who is attacked by robbers, repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who Abraham’s side in heaven, while the rich man goes to hell. In death, the rich man still
and is passed by both a priest and a Levite, both of which so not help him or show do not need to repent’. This shows that Jesus holds onto his worldly values and believes that Lazarus should act as his servant,
compassion, however when a Samaritan walks by, someone who was regarded as believed that it requires more strength to recognise ‘father, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and
a lower class, he ‘took pity on him’ and took care of him, bringing him to an inn for the need for God after going astray and find the will cool my tongue’, and he remains self-centred, asking Abraham to help his brothers
shelter and covering all expenses of this. The lawyer is asked who was the to repent than to remain loyal to God for their entire rather than the poor, however Abraham replies that all of the brothers have the help
neighbour to the man who was attacked by the robbers, and he is unable to say life. they need in the scriptures, ‘if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they
‘Samaritan’ due to his deep hatred for them, saying instead ‘the one who had will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’. Jesus is warning those
mercy on him’. Jesus ends the parable in this way, stating ‘go and do likewise’ in who are wealthy that wealth affects their lives so much that they are unable to
order to encourage his followers to give generously and freely to any person that The Parable of the Lost Coin accept God’s teachings in the scriptures and their need for him, as wealth affected
they encounter as they are one’s neighbour, and they are to put aside any Jesus tells the story of a woman who has ten silver the rich man’ attitude to life so much that he was unable to accept the truth of the
prejudice that they may have against them, only focusing on showing love and coins and loses one. She sweeps the whole house scriptures. In Jesus’ view, being rich or poor is a state of mind as well as being about
compassion. until she finds it, and rejoices when she finds it,
material possessions, ‘in the teaching of Jesus the good news of the Kingdom of God
Eternal Life telling all of her neighbours, ‘I tell you, there is
was for the poor and there were stern warnings to the rich about the danger of
rejoicing in the presence of the angel of God over one
The implication of this parable is shown through the lawyer’s first question, ‘what being kept outside the Kingdom by their possessions’ (Marshall). That fate of those
sinner who repents’. In the same way, God will seek
must I do to inherit eternal life?’, that Jesus says that by showing compassion and once they die is determined by their status as rich or poor, ‘the afflicted on earth will
out a lost sinner himself, and will rejoice when he
kindness and treating all people as their neighbour, they will be able to gain a great have treasure in heaven. Those who are self-satisfied now will experience future
finds it. This shows the importance to God of finding
reward in heaven. Jesus’ followers must give all that they have out of their love for those who have sinned and leading them to repent deprivation’ (Marshall).
others without expecting a reward. And have a positive and loving attitude and find their need for him.
towards all people, and, because of this, they will live a great life after death.
