The Sermon on the Mount recorded in Luke forms a chiastic structure:
Luk 6:20-49
1a) Luk 6:20-26, He taught His disciples, saying, Blessed are you + woe to you;
1b) Luk 6:27-36, Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you + be merciful just as Your Father is merciful;
1c) Luk 6:37-38, Judge not, condemn not, forgive, and give;
central axis) Luk 6:39-40, Can the blind lead the blind? A disciple is not above his teacher, but will be like his teacher;
2c) Luk 6:41-42, Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?;
2b) Luk 6:43-45, A good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit;
2a) Luk 6:46-49, He who hears My sayings and does them is like a house built on a rock.
Jesus is comparing two kinds of fruit, two kinds of trees, and two kinds of people. There are those who are poor in spirit, who hunger and thirst for righteousness’ sake, who mourn over their sins, and are reviled by the world. Then there are those who are rich and feel the need of nothing, who enjoy the world and who are well esteemed by the world. They are two different kinds of people bearing two different kinds of fruit. One kind hears the words of Jesus and does them, and the other kind hears the words of Jesus and does not do them. Let’s not be deceived, the other kind can also call Jesus, “Lord, Lord.”
One kind loves, does good (even when they do not profit from it), is merciful, and forgives, bearing the fruit of the good tree.
One kind does not judge or condemn the motives of another’s heart, and instead of focusing their time and attention on what is wrong with YOU, focuses time and attention on what is wrong with ME, and fixing that.
Now the central axis shows us, that disciples will be growing to be like their teacher. In other words, the true disciples of Jesus, who are bearing good fruit, will look like Jesus. They won’t look like the other kind. The true disciples of Jesus will forgive just as their heavenly Father forgives. The true disciples of Jesus will be kind because their heavenly Father is kind. They will look like Him.
The flip side of this teaching, is that the heavenly Father does good to His enemies. The heavenly Father forgives and is merciful. The heavenly Father gives to everyone who asks of Him. The heavenly Father, out of the good treasure of His heart, brings forth good. Aren’t you glad?
David Inman says
This is a wonderful analysis of the sermon on the plain. I’ve been studying the same material to learn Jesus’ doctrine of salvation. I took a slightly different tack, though, and located individual Chiasmus nested inside the sermon. Here’s what I came up with:
Luke 6:20-26
Chiastic Rendering
A. 20 Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
A’. 26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets
B. 21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh
B’. 25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
C. 22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!
C’. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation
X. 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
Luke 6:22-28
Chiastic Rendering
A. 22-23 Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
A’. 26-28 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
B. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation
B’. 25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
Luke 6:20-24
Chiastic Rendering
A. 20-21 Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
A’. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
B. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!
B’. 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
Luke 6:31-38
Chiastic Rendering
A. “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6:31) [What grace is].
A’. “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with what measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:38) [What grace is
B. “If you love those who love you, what kind of grace, Charis, is that? For even sinners love those who love them.” (Luke 6:32) [What grace is not].
B’. “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37c) [What grace isn’t
C. “And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of grace, Charis, is that? For even sinners do the same.” (Luke 6:33) [What grace is not
C’. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned…” (Luke 6:37 b) [What grace is].
D. “And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what kind of grace, Charis, is that? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.” (Luke 6:34) [What grace is not].
D’. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; (Luke 6:37a) [What grace is].
E. “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return…” (Luke 6:35a) [What grace is].
E’. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36) [What grace is
X. 35 “Your reward will be great, and you will be sons of God, for He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” (Luke 6:35b)
Luke 6:36-40
Chiastic Rendering
A. 36-37 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
A’. 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
B. 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
B’. 39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
Luke 6:40-43
Chiastic Rendering
A. 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
A’. 43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit
B. 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
B’. You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
X. 42a How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?
Luke 6:40-46
Chiastic Rendering
A. 40. A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
A’. 46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
B. 41-42 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
B’. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks
X. 43-44 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
Luke 6:40-49
Chiastic Rendering
A. 40 A disciple Is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
A’. 46-49. Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
B. 41- Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
B’. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
C. 43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,
C’. 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
Please let me know if there’s anything amiss with my interpretation. Thank you. And I appreciate your work.
christine says
Hello David, thank you for sharing your insight today, and please do come back again –