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Luke 6:20-31

With thanks to page sponsor:
Rev. R. Karl Watkins
and First United Methodist Church,
Sheffield, Iowa USA
(Oct 07-08)

• Reading the Text:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
  • Primary comparative texts of Rabbinic Wisdom from Mahlon H. Smith's Into His Own: Perspective on the World of Jesus, Rutgers University.
  • Chapter II, The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, Polycarp of Smyrna (c 115).
  • Chapter XV, Chapter XVI, The First Apology of Justin Martyr. (c 150)
  • III.XIV.3, IV.XIII.3, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • Chapter XVIII, On Baptism,  Tertullian (c. 198)
  • Chapter X, Exhortation to the Greeks, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • III.12, Paedagogus, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • II.18, III.4, IV.6, Stromata, Clement of Alexandria (c 200)
  • Chapter VIII, On Patience, Tertullian (c. 202)
  • Chapter XXXV, On the Soul, Tertullian (c. 210)
  • IV.14, IV.15, IV.16, IV.27, Against Marcion, Tertullian (c. 210)
  • Chapter XII, On Idolatry, Tertullian (c. 211)
  • Chapter IX, Chapter X, Scorpiace,  Tertullian (c. 213)
  • Chapter XI, On Monogamy, Tertullian (c. 215)
  • On the Lapsed -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 251)
  • Epistle LV -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 252)
  • Chapter 14, On Cleaving to God, Albertus Magnus, c. 1275.
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "Christ teaches against all philosophers, and especially the Epicureans, that the greatest happiness of man is laid up in no place here on earth, but in heaven, and that persecution for righteousness' sake is the right way to achieve it."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary (c. 1700).
    • "All believers that take the precepts of the gospel to themselves, and live by them, may take the promises of the gospel to themselves, and live upon them."
  • From Wesley's Notes. John Wesley (1703-1791).
    • "Happy are ye poor - The word seems here to be taken literally: ye who have left all for me."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "In this form of the discourse, then, our Lord seems to have had in view "the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love Him," as these very beatitudes are paraphrased by James (Jas 2:5)."
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "These four woes are addressed to four classes: (1) Those who worship wealth; (2) those satisfied with their present life; (3) those who live for present enjoyment; (4) those whose aim is human praise and adulation."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
  • Commentary, Luke 6:20-31, David Tiede, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
    • "Saints are "holy ones" (Greek: hagioi), the 'blessed of God' (Greek: makarioi: Luke 6:20-22). But who are they really?"
  • Luke 6:20-31, Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), All Saints C, Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • "Is Jesus Selling Us a Bill Of Goods?" Nadia Bolz-Weber, The Hardest Question, 2010.
    • "The Beatitudes feel like Jesus is Tom Sawyer and discipleship is painting a fence."
  • "Love of Enemies," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources. Includes detailed textual notes.
  • Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, Luke 6:20-31, David Ewart, 2010.
    • "This is a great text to preach as a high calling to the character of Christian community. Preaching it as pre-conditions for being resurrected - that would be a mistake. Preaching it as a calling to live as those who have been raised from the dead - that would be a blessing."
  • "Global Poverty: Beyond Utopian Visions," study guide for adults, Robert B. Kruschwitz, (other resources at) "Global Wealth," Christian Reflection, The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University, 2007.
  • From Luke: The Gospel of the Gentiles by Robert Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies Foundation:
    • "Defining Discipleship" (Luke 6:12-26)
      • "Life involves choices. We must choose what in life to pursue. Every choice has both benefits (blessings) and a price to pay."
    • "Tough Love" (Luke 6:27-49)
      • "We are to do what no one else will do?love our enemy. We are to do so because God has loved us while we were His enemies. We are to do so because God is the One who will bless us for obeying His commands."
• Articles & Background:
  • "Sermon on the Plain," wikipedia.
  • "Honoring the Dishonored: The Cultural Edge of Jesus' Beatitudes," Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J., 1995.
  • "Attitudes to the Poor in New Testament Times," Jerome H. Neyrey, S.J., University of Notre Dame, 2002.
    • "When taxes were so high, life for peasants was at best ?subsistant,? i.e., they had only several months of food stored. The wolf was always at the door. And there was no unemployment insurance, no social security, no medicare. The state took the surplus of peasants and gave them nothing in return."
  • "The Tension between Poverty and Possessions in the Gospel of Luke," John Sheila Galligan, Spirituality Today, Spring 1985.
    • "No fanatic about renunciation of possessions, Jesus nevertheless warned us that they could hinder our being open to the Kingdom and that we have to use them for others welfare."
  • "Jesus, Apocalyptic, and World Transformation," David B. Batstone. Theology Today, 1993.
    • "It is often overlooked how ideologically explosive the notion of the kingdom of God was within Jesus' own social milieu. In first-century Palestine, it did not have the same metaphorical and strictly religious connotation that makes the term so safe within our own theological world. In fact, it evoked the memory and visionary impulse of Yahweh who acts to deliver Yahweh's 'chosen ones' from occupation and oppression at the hands of alien nations. Intrinsic to that symbolic universe is the conviction that the chosen suffer and the unjust prosper in the present day only because history stands at the brink of a great reversal."
• Reviews:
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices.
  • Burghardt, William, S.J., "Gospel Joy, Christian Joy," The Living Pulpit, 1996. (see Joy issue focus of The Living Pulpit 5.4, 1996.)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Carter, Warren, "Love Your Enemies," Word & World, 2008.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Haggmark, Steven A., "Islam as an Enemy? A Study in the Social Construction of 'Realities,'" Word & World, 2008.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Hess, Mary, "Resisting the Human Need for Enemies, or What Would Harry Potter Do?" Word & World, 2008.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Kirk, Alan, "Some Compositional Conventions of Hellenistic Wisdom Texts and the Juxtaposition of 4:1-13; 6:20b-49; and 7:1-10 in Q," Journal of Biblical Literature, 1997.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Simpson, Gary M., "'Changing the Face of the Enemy': Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Beloved Community," Word & World, 2008.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Sermons:
  • "Saint Carlton Is Lowest," the Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler, Day 1, 2010.
  • "The Third Way," Dr. Walter Wink, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 1993.
  • "Prayer: Connecting to the Divine Presence," the Rev. Arthur Cribbs, 30 Good Minutes, Chicago Sunday Evening Club, 2002.
  • "Is the Communion of Saints a Community of Losers?" John Jewell, 2001.
  • "The Paradox of the Beatitudes," Paul Tillich, from The Shaking of the Foundations, 1955. At Religion Online.
• With Children:
  • "Jesus Counts Our Blessings for Us," "Jesus Comforts People in Hard Times," Sunday School Lessons: Family Bible Study, art projects, music, stories, etc.
  • "Beatitudes 2," Fr. Max Bowers, Kid's Church.
• Drama:
  • "God Is On Our Side," from A Certain Jesus by Jose Ignacio and Maria Lopez Vigil. Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today's gospel. Claretian Publications.
  • "The Fire and the Flood," Glenn Hascall, dramatix.
  • "Persecution of the Church," Melissa Denny, dramatix.
  • "The Persecutor," David Marriott, dramatix.
  • "The Sanctuary," Richard G. Huxley, dramatix.
  • "Bygones," Erina Caradus, dramatix.
  • "Super Secret Sisters," Glenn A. Hascall, dramatix.
  • "To Be Or Not To Be (Kind, That Is)," Kelly Gross, dramatix.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Luke 6:17, 20-26, Luke 6:20-26, Liturgical Drawing, Maria d.c. Zamora, Claretian Resources, Philippines. ("Download and use these for free.")
• Hymns and Music:
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
• Find Worship Resources & Suggested Other Readings for use with this text:
  • All Saints C
• Resources for the Matthean Beatitudes
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of Luke

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©2010 and 2011, Jenee Woodard