Being the Blessed: Luke 6:17-26 - Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

¹⁷[Jesus] came down with [the twelve] and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon.¹⁸They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
  ²⁰Then he 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.” (NRSV)

day 171 knead by tracy ducasse on flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

As a child, there were a few things my parents did not allow me to say…besides curse words.

I could never say, “I’m starving”—because Mom or Dad would always answer, “No, you’re not! You’re just hungry.”

Soon, I noticed the “Save the Children” commercials on TV—and I learned what starvation really was…

Knowing that, I can’t help but be perplexed when Jesus says, “blessed are you who are poor…” “Blessed are you who are hungry.” “Blessed are you who wail.” To speak these words to someone who’s dying of starvation, standing at the graveside of their loved one, or experiencing a dark night of the soul would be the ultimate insult.

It would take an act of God for someone in such dire circumstances to be blessed.

It’s natural to associate God’s blessing with your own prosperity—which is not always wrong. Health, wealth, laughter, and a good reputation are just a few of the many ways you can experience God’s blessing. When you pray, “give us today our daily bread,” and God does, you are blessed.

Where you go wrong is in associating these with God’s favoring of you—and the lack thereof as God’s disfavoring. Don’t think for a second that God is pleased when little children die needlessly of starvation, or when you wail in agony over a loss or hardship, or when people unjustly hate and defame you. God is not pleased. God is going to act to make it right.

If, on the other hand, you enjoy riches, prosperity, and a good name; you give God no thanksgiving; you act as though God should be giving you these blessings and more; and you give no thought to your neighbors in need—God is not pleased. Be warned: your “luck” or whatever you want to call it is about to run out. Lost in the sea of your own ambitions, you will be swept away when Jesus comes to turn the tide against suffering and death.

But remember: Jesus doesn’t threaten you into discipleship. Jesus’ words are Gospel; they are good news. Jesus speaks God’s determination to bless the hungry, the poor, and the despised. And not just in the distant future, but in the here-and-now. Jesus is inviting you to enter this reality of blessing.

It never fails that when you do something to bless the poor, something in you changes. Perhaps you’ve experienced this firsthand when you’ve volunteered at the clothing closet; you’ve gone Christmas caroling at the nursing home; or you’ve gone far out of your way to help someone in need. All your normal ways of thinking and acting come to a screeching halt.

“When I see people in need, it makes me more thankful for what I have.” “I can’t turn away.” “I must do something.”

When you’re confronted with the tragedy of human suffering, the Christ who lives within you is activated. Suddenly, the poor and hungry are blessed—because you are serving them. Suddenly, the despised and rejected are blessed—because you love them. Someone can face a difficult tomorrow because you will be there waiting for them.

Best of all, when your love meets another’s need, there is rejoicing. You’re rejoicing, and so are they—and it’s not the kind of rejoicing that comes from buying expensive things or vacationing in exotic places. It’s not the kind of rejoicing that comes with personal success and achievement. It’s the rejoicing that results from God’s promises coming to fulfillment.

And today Jesus is inviting you to go deeper into that experience of blessing and the rejoicing that comes with it—which is precisely where this gets challenging.

If you enjoy an abundance of health, wealth, laughter, and a good reputation, have you ever really had to rely on God for anything—other than to keep these blessings coming? For the poor and destitute, God is their only hope. But you have stuff to cling to. You have a safety net. And it is extremely difficult to exchange worldly gratification for divine gratification. health, wealth, laughter, and a good reputation satisfy you right away. With God, you’re not in control. You must be patient. It’s easier to cling to God’s promises when God is all you have.

Amazingly, the people I’ve witnessed staking themselves on God’s promises are also the people you’d least expect. A client of our food bank gave his brand-new winter jacket to our clothing closet with the sales tags still attached—because his old coat still fit, and he wanted someone else to have the new one. A girl in grade school gave away some of her favorite toys when a house in her neighborhood burned to the ground. I’ve seen people serve this church with sickness all through their bodies—because they need to be here. This is what it means to be blessed. This is the joy of the Lord.

This is what Jesus wants to give to you. If you’re content with your discipleship “as-is,” this joy will elude you. Continue seeking health, wealth, laughter, and a good reputation—and you’re heading in the opposite direction of God’s kingdom. You’re the foolish man building his house upon the sand. God is for the poor. God is for the lost and lowly. God is for those who need forgiveness. Real blessing is found where selfless love and sacrifice raise the dying to new life. All who wait upon the Lord will be satisfied. God is making right all that has been made wrong. Then, we shall all rejoice like never before.