David G. Buttrick (1927–2017)

We hear a lot from week to week from the public about what Jesus did, contends David Buttrick, but not enough about what he taught. With this book, one of the last in a long and productive life, he hoped to change this.

The book is written in two parts. The first, roughly one-quarter of the volume, deals with introductory issues. Buttrick stresses the need for engagement with the long history of interpretation.

In Part Two, Buttrick goes through the Matthean and Lukan versions of Jesus’ show more teaching section by section. Each section begins with Buttrick’s translation and examines redactional and rhetorical issues. Then, he adds what he calls “homiletic theology.” These include many exegetical insights to help readers prepare balanced, relevant sermons. Among his targets are the conventional translation of Leviticus 19:18, which leads to the oft-repeated calls for self-love, and the rendering of “Abba” (father) as “Daddy” (“we should not get cozy with God”). In discussing the section on worry, Buttrick claims that some scholars believe that the Greek word merimnao refers not merely to a mental state but to activity, but this seems to go beyond what the scholars themselves write in the passages he cites.

Throughout, Buttrick reminds the reader of Jesus’ use of the plural form of address. He stresses that the Sermon is not an outline of personal ethics but a call for congregations that engage communally with the text and seek ways to practice what he calls “radical neighbor love.” This is attractive, but I wondered. Buttrick concedes that the standard called for is something none of us can live up to. “Can any of us control hates and lusts and lies with any success? . . . Matthew is calling for an advance-guard community to live the Beatitudes ahead of time.” But how can a community do this since it comprises individuals who can only live this imperfectly?

I was glad when he finally addressed this nagging question: “Can communities fulfill the commandments? They never have. . . . But whether we fail or not, a communal focus will assist our evangelical purpose and, above all, align us with the mysterious something called the kingdom of God, an eschatological vision that Jesus himself energetically declared.”

Buttrick’s guide to preaching the Sermon on the Mount/Plain is a valuable resource for any pastor. The author takes the reader by the hand and writes in an accessible, colloquial style. One feature that stood out was that he included examples of his sermons on some passages, accompanied by a self-critical analysis. show less

A formative book, in my case. It concentrates on the 'moves' between points made in public speaking, and therefore has a dynamic approach to sermons.

Preaching Book of the Year 1988