Upside Down Blessing

Luke 6:17-26

Today's passage is a section of the Sermon on the Plain. This event occurs in both Matthew and Luke and there are differences between two. In Matthew, the sermon takes place on a mount unlike Luke’s telling in which it takes place on a plain. There are differences in wording and the time at which the sermon is delivered although both are delivered once the disciples have been called and before Jerusalem.  It is important to note to whom Luke was writing his account. Luke’s Gospel is dedicated in this way;

1 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first,[a] to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed[1].

Theophilus is clearly not a poor man. The title excellency seems to suggest someone with power, probably from he gentile community. It is helpful for us to read his passage through the eyes of a person with high standing being instructed in the way of Christ. This passage must have been challenging for such a person to read. Blessed are the poor, blessed are the hungry, blessed are those who weep, blessed are the excluded and hated. How could this be so? The very people who were thought to be cursed, or being punished by God, were actually the blessed! It does not stop there. Woe to the rich, woe to the full, woe to the laughing, and woe to those with great reputations. This is enough to give pause to anyone, let alone someone in high standing. It is not enough to know this message, it is a call to action. This is an example of the new community Jesus has come to proclaim. Some of the most beautiful scripture can be found in the psalms and most of these were written about experiences akin to those who are blessed in the beatitudes, through suffering came great faithfulness and honesty. Those who are unwanted and suffering are those who are a blessing to their community, they shine a light on areas that need love and attention. This is not a call power, it is a call to love. It is not hard to imagine poor Theophilus putting down the scroll and taking a minute to gather himself from the shock!

In Luke’s Gospel mountains are a place of prayer for Jesus. The theme of mountains being a place of prayer is quite common in scripture (exodus 19, 24). Jesus has just come from his place of prayer back down the mountain where he meets the people. This is a nod to Moses meeting God up a mountain and returning to lead his community. As we have previously noted Jesus’ sermon is not so much moral teaching as it is a call to action. Christ came to his people to proclaim the type of community we are called to be. I hope these versus give us pause and shock us a little. We still have a tendency in our modern age to seek out the powerful, the wealthy,  or those of good standing to define worth and success. Is this not what society teaches us? Adverts are full of beautiful people, products and even some churches  promote themselves with pictures of perfect looking families and people dressed in the latest trend. We are sold diets and health products on account of their "purity". This can be a very effective way to promote a product or new community but is it what Jesus proclaimed on the plain? We are called into community with those on the very margins of our society. Our churches are not a place to come to only when we feel at our best, dressed our neatest, or feel morally superior. We come together each Sunday to worship a God who actively sought communion with those people most would rather avoid. Throughout history there have been people on the fringes of their society who have spoken the message of Christ with incredible clarity. In our own tradition, great spiritual leaders such as Desmond Tutu have found their voice not from a place of privilege but from listening to the Spirit and working as outcasts from the margins.

This does not mean that the privileged are not welcome. Remember that Christ also blessed the Centurion, a man with status and privilege in Roman society. But we must understand that privilege is not a sign of Gods blessing, or that God is more fully with successful people. What matters is that we actively seek to live out the sermon Christ delivered on the plain.

How are we to live out such a counter-intuitive message in a world which is changing at a rapid rate? This is a question each Christian community must explore together. In the modern world the ways of reaching out is very different to even 10 years ago. This is also the same with evangelism, the crusades of old simply do not connect nowadays. This should not make us discouraged but instead should lead us deeply into prayer and action. A question that naturally arises from this reading is "who are those in our society that are on he margins?" Another question to for us all is how do we communicate the Gospel (and be church) in a way that connects with a rapidly changing world?

Rev Claye