I left this alone for a while...but not I am felling a need to jot down stuff I am learning in here a little more.

I was astounded by comparing the Beatitudes in Matt 5 with the same sermon in Luke 6. The tone of the passage is so different... Luke writes, "Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." Jesus called out the disciples as poor...and he gave them the kingdom of God. He goes on to call them hungry, weeping and hated. But guarantees their satisfaction, laughter and rewards. Just by putting this speech in the 2nd person (you) rather than 3rd person (those who) ups the impact. All of a sudden it moves from being a nice poem to put on a wall to a comforting whispered word from a friend.

Then Luke tells us a part that doesn't show up in the Beattitudes. It is pretty scorching:

But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

Luke is certainly recording important words of Jesus. Important for us as well.
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