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After choosing the Twelve, Jesus laid out his "platform," to use a modern political analogy. These are the principles of life in his Kingdom. Luke used much (but not all) of the material from "The Sermon on the Mount" (cf. Matthew 5-7) in this passage. That is not a conflict, however—most scholars believe these ideas were likely the core of most of Jesus’ sermons as he proclaimed "the good news of the Kingdom of God" (Luke 4:43).

• Jesus spoke here about "status inversion." Like Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55, this sermon offered God’s favor and comfort to people we typically see as unfortunate, while warning those we see as particularly elevated. For us, in a rich community in the richest country on earth, Jesus’ words can be disturbing. Which parts of his sermon most challenge our culture’s wisdom on how to "succeed"? Which of Jesus’ promises in this sermon mean the most to you?
• From Francis of Assisi to his namesake Pope Francis, from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Mother Teresa, many Christ followers have stood with the poor and oppressed. In The Message, Luke 6:46 says, "Why are you … always saying ‘Yes, sir,’ and ‘That's right, sir,’ but never doing a thing I tell you? These … are words to build a life on." How are you building your life on Jesus’ values, as so many of his followers through the centuries have done.