Why different beatitudes?

[RCWarrior821]

Why are there different Beatitudes in Luke’s Gospel when compared to Matthew’s Gospel?

Mat: Blessed are the poor in spirit theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Lk: Blessed you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Are these two beatitudes speaking of two completely different things?

 

[Della]

No doubt some commentaries will say there is a difference, but there isn’t really.

Being blessed for being poor isn’t about mere money and how much anyone has but about detachment from money and the allurements of the world. Jesus is telling us to seek first the kingdom of God in which our true wealth lies.

 

[Padilla7921]

Why are there different Beatitudes in Luke’s Gospel when compared to Matthew’s Gospel?

Mat: Blessed are the poor in spirit theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Lk: Blessed you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Are these two beatitudes speaking of two completely different things?

There is no fundamental difference between the two. It is important to understand that the writers of the Bible were human, and like any writer, had their own style, their own vocabulary, grammar, etc.

However, “poor in spirit” and “poor” could be both similar and different when taken into different contexts.

 

[SyCarl]

There is no fundamental difference between the two. It is important to understand that the writers of the Bible were human, and like any writer, had their own style, their own vocabulary, grammar, etc.

However, “poor in spirit” and “poor” could be both similar and different when taken into different contexts.

It is also quite possible that each gospel records a separate event as Jesus may well have said similar things to different crowds.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Note that Jesus went up on the mountain to teach the Apostles *

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.

Matthew 5:1
Later He came down with them and addressed the crowds

And he came down with them and 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, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;

Luke 6:17 giving them a summary of what He had been teaching the Apostles.

Matthew was one of the Apostles; so got the version given on the mountain. Luke is reporting the statements of various eyewitnesses, who were presumably with the crowd on the plain.

 

[roanoker]

I’m sure Jesus gave the same sermon on different occasions, and changed it slightly to suit the situation and the listeners, just like any good preacher does. And he was a pretty good preacher!

 

[juliamajor]

Different places too!. In fundamentals they are not that different. reason for Matthew’s sermon on the Mount- Matthew’s Gospel was written for a primarily Jewish crowd. Where did God give Moses the Law. ? Mt. Sinai (or Horeb). Jesus beatitudes or laws of the New Covenant are also given on a mount. Jesus is the New Moses and also has the power of YHWH to give Laws. Luke was writing to primarily Gentile audiance- who would not be as aware of the connection- so luke’s sermon was on the plain - where all are on an equal footing.