Jesus for Losers: Luke 6:20-31 - All Saints Sunday

²⁰Then [Jesus] looked up at his disciples and said:
 “Blessed are you who are poor,
  for yours is the kingdom of God.
 ²¹“Blessed are you who are hungry now,
  for you will be filled.
 “Blessed are you who weep now,
  for you will laugh.
  ²²“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
 ²⁴“But woe to you who are rich,
  for you have received your consolation.
 ²⁵“Woe to you who are full now,
  for you will be hungry.
 “Woe to you who are laughing now,
  for you will mourn and weep.
  ²⁶“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
  ²⁷“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (NRSV)

The Mount of Beatitudes by Konrad Summers.  Creative commons image on flickr.

Earlier this week, I heard the song “Cat’s in the Cradle,” a seventies folk-rock classic by artist Harry Chapin.  It tells the story of a father and son—who go through life as strangers to each other.

“My son was born just the other day; he came to the world in the usual way.  But there were planes to catch and bills to pay.  He learned to walk while I was away.”

He gives his son a ball for his birthday, but he doesn’t have time to play with him.  His son waits eagerly for his dad to come home and spend time with him, but always in vain…

Sadly, the son grows up to put off his dad—just like his dad put him off…

I had a strange thought—what would the dad’s funeral be like?  I imagine people remembering how successful he was.  He worked hard to provide for his family…  He gave them everything they ever needed—except a dad.

Let’s be clear here—it’s not morally wrong to work hard to provide a good life for yourselves and your children.  I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t want to wear the finest clothes, live in the nicest homes; take the first-class vacations; and send the kids to college without student loans.  But at what point do you go too far?

Fact is—wealth and success are never permanent or guaranteed.  For as much as you strive to be a winner, sooner or later, you will fall.  You will fail.  You’ll hurt people—and they’ll hurt you.  The people you love will die—and so will you.

We all know this—and it’s a scary thought…

The changes and problems in this world only add to that anxiety. 

Not to mention—the results of Tuesday’s election may mean, for you, the difference between facing the future with hope or with horror…

But hear what Jesus says about everything we fear:

“Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled…”

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”

“Blessed are you when people hate, revile, and defame you because of me; for your reward is great in heaven…”

You can be certain that Jesus spoke these to people who were poor and hungry and who begged for alms on the streets.  They were the people that society wished didn’t exist.  To put it bluntly, they were the losers…

Our world is hardly different.  It’s tragic enough that people are poor and hungry—but it’s downright evil that our society labels these people losers, as if there’s something inherently wrong with them.  We see the poor like parasites, who usurp what we have worked so hard to achieve—and whose very presence contaminates our quality of life.

No wonder, then, why we fear poverty, failure, and loss so much.  In this world, people do end up hungry, destitute, and forgotten.  It can happen to anyone—even me, even you…

In the end, we’re all losers—because you can gain the whole world but still lose your soul.

But Jesus is for the losers. 

Life in Christ isn’t about winning or losing…  It’s about God taking losers and making saints!  Saints aren’t perfect people; they’re forgiven people!  They are the people who cling to Jesus, believing that your poverty and pain are of his utmost concern.  A saint is not afraid for the presidential election or whatever troubles may come.  A saint can grieve the deaths of their loved ones and face death in peace, believing that Jesus will see you through.

Saints are those whom the Holy Spirit gives faith to see beyond the troubles and uncertainties of today to God’s Kingdom coming. 

A saint is someone who sees the good to be done rather than the good to be won. 

When you trust in Jesus, you’re free from the fear of loss and losing.  You’re free from the constant fight to get—and keep—what’s yours.  You are free to be who God wants you to be, because all God’s saints belong in one communion.  Every day, God works through that communion of saints to build you up in faith, to comfort and sustain you in times of trouble, and to ensure that you’re never alone to suffer hunger and loss.  Jesus is on your side—and he will always win in the end. 

We are a communion of saints reaching out in love to those whom the world calls losers and embracing them as brothers and sisters.  We are a communion of saints who move forward with courage and confidence into God’s future, together.