Femi Adedeji defines exegesis as, “…the scientific explanation of a biblical passage.” This simply means that a passage’s meaning is extracted from the text. This is in contrast to eisegesis, in which the reader interprets the text to fit their own ideas. In this paper, I will use a systematic approach to show that Luke’s Beatitudes, (Luke 6:17-36), delineate the kingdom of God through reversal of societal norms while also serving as a canonical guide for defiance of structural injustice. This hermeneutical interpretation will focus on genre, context (both literary and historical), as well as Luke’s intention to prove my thesis. Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain shares many similarities with Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. The main difference between to the two being that Luke’s writings focus on the physical condition of the world (especially in regards to Rome) as opposed to the spiritual condition of the kingdom of God as in Matthew’s writings. Jesus has two main intentions with this sermon. The first (and perhaps most important) is to educate …show more content…
The first deals with loving your enemies. This love does not mean a simple tolerance of your enemies. It is love as an action. Verse 28 states, “…do good to those who hate you”. Jesus wants us to seek out our enemies and show them that no matter the circumstances, show them that they are loved. Verse 29 is an extension of the previous verse, “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also.” This verse coincides with the previous one because Jesus tells us to always come from a place of love and not of hate or anger. If you hit someone who has hit you, you are no longer loving your enemy. “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.” is Jesus’ way of telling us to give to those in need. We are judged by God by how we treat the lowest of