Single lesson
Jesus' Sermon on the Plain
Luke 6:20–45
Jesus speaks directly to his disciples and teaches a very different way to live. In this lesson, children will trace how he speaks about blessing, loving enemies, showing mercy and bearing good fruit.
Before you teach
In Luke 6:20–45, Jesus addresses his disciples and gives a series of teachings. He begins with blessings and woes, then calls his hearers to love enemies, act with mercy, avoid harsh judgement and pay attention to the kind of fruit that comes from the heart.
Students will be able to identify one main teaching from Luke 6:20–45 and explain one practical way it could shape their words or actions.
Welcome: A surprising kind of blessing
5 minAsk the children to think of things people usually call a blessing, such as being full, popular or comfortable. Then explain that Jesus begins with blessings for the poor, hungry and weeping, and woes for those who are rich, full and praised. His words make listeners stop and think carefully about what really matters.
Luke 6:20, Luke 6:21, Luke 6:22, Luke 6:23, Luke 6:24, Luke 6:25, Luke 6:26
Read and explain: Love people who are hard to love
8 minRead verses 27–36 aloud slowly. Point out the clear commands: love your enemies, do good, bless, pray, give and be merciful. Explain that Jesus does not only speak about loving people who already love us. He says even sinners love, do good and lend where they expect something back, so his disciples are to treat others the way they want to be treated and to show mercy like the Most High.
Luke 6:27, Luke 6:28, Luke 6:29, Luke 6:30, Luke 6:31, Luke 6:32, Luke 6:33, Luke 6:34, Luke 6:35, Luke 6:36
Discuss: Mercy instead of harsh judgement
6 minHelp the group notice the next part of the teaching. Jesus warns against judging and condemning, and he speaks about giving generously. Then he tells a parable about the blind leading the blind. He also says that a disciple who is fully trained will be like his teacher, which fits his call to learn his merciful way. The beam and speck picture shows the need to examine ourselves honestly.
Luke 6:37, Luke 6:38, Luke 6:39, Luke 6:40, Luke 6:41, Luke 6:42
Make and respond: Reminder card for one key teaching
7 minInvite each child to choose one short teaching from the passage, such as ‘do exactly so to them’, ‘be merciful’ or ‘love your enemies’. They create a small reminder card with the verse words or a simple drawing showing an ordinary, safe everyday response at home or school, such as kind words, sharing or praying for someone difficult. Make clear that the drawing is their response to Jesus’ teaching.
Luke 6:31, Luke 6:35, Luke 6:36, Luke 6:45
Closing: What kind of fruit grows from the heart?
4 minFinish with the tree picture. Jesus says trees are known by their fruit, and words come from the abundance of the heart. Review that his teaching is not only about outward behaviour. He points to the heart, because what is inside shows up in words and actions.
Luke 6:43, Luke 6:44, Luke 6:45
Questions to explore
Why do Jesus’ blessings and woes sound surprising at the start of this passage?
Compare who is called blessed in Luke 6:20–23 with the warnings in Luke 6:24–26 and notice that Jesus values things differently from ordinary human praise or comfort.
Luke 6:20, Luke 6:21, Luke 6:22, Luke 6:23, Luke 6:24, Luke 6:25, Luke 6:26
What does Jesus tell his hearers to do when someone is against them?
Look for the action words in Luke 6:27–28 and Luke 6:35, such as love, do good, bless, pray and lend expecting nothing back.
Luke 6:27, Luke 6:28, Luke 6:35
How does the tree and fruit picture help explain the heart?
Read Luke 6:43–45 and connect the fruit of a tree with the words and actions that come from what is stored in a person’s heart.
Luke 6:43, Luke 6:44, Luke 6:45
Make, think or respond
Key Verse Reminder Card
What you’ll need
- Scrap paper or card
- Pencils or pens
- Crayons or coloured pencils
- Bible text for reference
Try it together
- Read Luke 6:31, Luke 6:35, Luke 6:36 and Luke 6:45, then let each child choose one verse or short phrase.
- Ask each child to name one ordinary, safe example of what that teaching could look like this week, such as kind words, sharing or praying for someone difficult.
- Fold or cut paper into a small card and write the chosen words neatly on the front.
- Add a simple drawing or symbol that matches the teaching, such as helping hands, a heart or a tree with fruit.
- Take turns showing the card and explaining how it connects to Jesus’ teaching.
The card helps children remember that Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6:20–45 is meant to shape everyday actions, words and attitudes.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, offer two or three verse choices only and let them respond with a drawing instead of writing a full sentence.
- For older or more confident children, ask them to compare two parts of the passage, such as Luke 6:31 and Luke 6:45, and explain how heart and action belong together.
An optional closing prayer
You might pray: ‘Lord Jesus, please help us listen to your words, show mercy, love others well and grow good fruit in our words and actions. Amen.’
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Luke 6
20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for God’s Kingdom is yours.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation.
25 Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.
27 “But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also.
30 Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.
31 “As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much.
35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
36 “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.
37 Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.
38 “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”
39 He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?
40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41 Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?
42 Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye.
43 “For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit.
44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.