Luke 6:17-19 17And after coming down with them, he stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were healed. 19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
Jesus’ popularity had grown. Many people were interested and many more committed to following him. The next story compares to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Luke’s version has been called the Sermon on the Plain. The debate has been long and unconfirming if these were the same events, just labeled and described differently, or if these were two different occasions. Many of the teachings are similar yet others are different. Jesus had been up on the mountain praying and then choosing his disciples. He came down from the high places to where the crowds had gathered, reminiscent of Moses coming down from Mount Sinai. The level place would have made it easier to speak to the crowds than up in the mountains and hills. In this sense, Luke’s version does not contradict Matthew’s because Luke simply could be referring to the lower areas where the people were.
Luke notes the expansive locations from where the crowds came. The people had responded positively to Jesus and were seeking him out. Their motives were to hear him teach and to be healed, his two key ministries. Judea was the area especially inhabited by the Jews. Tyre and Sidon were along the Mediterranean coast. These areas covered the south and west of Galilee, where Jesus was at this time.
One of the big issues people faced was being troubled with unclean spirits. It is odd that Luke, a doctor, uses a word for healing (etherapeuonto) in regard to unclean spirits instead of referencing these as “demons.” Many in the ancient world attributed various diseases to the spirit world. It may not be a significant factor whether these problems were “spirits” or “demons.” The point, rather, is that Jesus had the power to cure everything. Nothing was impossible for him. People saw this power and sought even to touch him and be healed. This time was the high point of Jesus’ ministry. People were fascinated, listening, eager to hear his words and experience his healing. Were they ready for the call to kingdom living that Jesus will lay out in his sermon? It is one thing to be fascinated by Jesus; it is another to take up one’s cross and willingly follow his path to crucifixion.
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