Today we read what may have seemed to be a very familiar passage to you, however with a different twist. The reading from the Gospel is Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, and it sounds very familiar to the Matthews Gospel account of the Sermon on the Mount. However, there are some differences in the way the message is being delivered.
Luke’s account is actually filled with many points of hope, listen to these words:
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. (Luke 6:21a NIV)
The hope in many of the passages from the Sermon on the Plains rests in the fact that we can look beyond our current condition and that it eventually will get better.
At the same time, the Sermon on the Plain has some rather sobering words for those who have done very well in life, who seemed to have everything go their way. Listen to these words from Luke 6:25.
Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. (Luke 6:25a NIV)
Why is there such a contrast in the messages being given? Is Jesus talking of matters in the worldly/material sense, or the spiritual sense or both?
In our Old Testament Scripture reading, Jeremiah tells us this: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord...Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5,7 NKJV) The first verse should sound very familiar to verse 26 of Luke chapter 6; Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.(Luke 6:26 NKJV)
The reason of course is that Jesus is reminding the people of what they had been taught through the prophets of old. The lessons, which were taught at the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain, were not new to the Jewish people.
However, the sermon does not stop on this negative note, I chose to add verses 27&28. It is in these verses we find our hope and strength, as well as our direction as followers of God.
Verse 27 comes right out of the Commandments of God, as in Love your neighbor as your self. So in essence, Jesus is talking of both spiritual and worldly issues.
So what is meant in the verses that I mentioned? How are we to be in our lives? Can a person be financially sound and spiritually sound at the same time? Can a person have enough food to eat and yet be starving? In addition, how do you know with who or whom to seek good council?
Well the meanings behind the verses are two fold. On the physical level the verses of blessing give up to those who are hungering for a better and fuller life. It also expresses to those who think they have finally made “it” that if this is all they were striving for then they have received their reward, and laments at what could have been much more.
A person can be financially well off and spiritually sound at the same time. However, Jesus also made it clear; that it is harder for a wealthy person to do so because of the connection to the physical wealth is so much stronger. This is why Jesus said; Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20 NKJV) For a poor person is much more appreciative of the little blessings he/she receives from God.
Remember, at no time does Jesus say you must be financially destitute to serve God. Nor should a person live outside their means to support themselves. However the quest for the spiritual riches that await us are far more precious than any amount of success we ever hope to achieve in this world.
In answer to the next question, Can a person have enough food to eat and yet be starving? Yes, one can have enough physically yet be starving for food spiritually. The reverse is also true, a person can be spiritually fed, but not have enough food physically. Who is more likely to have both needs met? The second one more than likely, for the second one knows and lives the words of God spoken through Jeremiah and through Jesus. Blessed is the man who trusts the Lord.
You see the first one, is less likely to be concerned with their spiritual needs, the answer is very similar to that of the wealthy person. When one has plenty of food, one is less likely to be dependent on the Lord especially if this person has never known the Lord, or understands that all things are under His power and authority.
However, even though they may not feel a “need” or “dependency” for the Lord, their souls are still hungering for something to fill that spiritual void. Therefore, these individuals fill their spiritual needs with worldly and physical diversions. Unfortunately, their “need” to fill this vacuum grows, because what is needed to fill it is not there, and that is a relationship with God.
This leads into that final question, “How do we know with who or whom to seek good council?” From whom should we seek advice? Today we live in an age of self-help. This self-help can come in the form of magazines and books, talk shows and religious cults. People are always looking for answers as to how to live in a rapidly changing environment. People are always looking for the “newest” piece of advice. Often times they seek this advice from sources that are not that altruistic/ or are selfless in nature.
The scriptures tell us to …seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. (Psalms 105:3b-4 NIV). However, the world can sometimes discourage such anthems it ridicule those who are doing what the scriptures tell us.
The eighth grade confirmation class has spent the last month learning about the value of prayer and the value of seeking God for wisdom through prayer and the Word. The class learned that one of the hardest things for us humans to do is listen. We are good at talking at God, however, it is often the listening that is the area we fail to grasp. Often times this is due to impatience, or the fact we are more interested in the needs we want met in our way, not in the way God wants for us.
In seeking good council, Jesus warned us about listening to those who speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets (Luke 6:26 NIV). This doesn’t mean we should never listen to any person. It just means be careful of those who always seem to be “yes men”, or pay you many complements just to get on your good side. For those of you old enough to remember “Leave it to Beaver” one might think of Eddie Haskell as a model for this person. You know their up to no good and scheming but your just not sure how.
Often times, it seems a lot easier just to depend upon the advice of men. It seems to be offered up faster, more often then not it plays into our own personal ego, and lastly it doesn’t require as much work on our part.
God’s advice requires us to spend time in prayer, actively listen for what he has to say, and be willing to do what it is he wants us to do. Finally, one must be willing to stand up and recognize that Jesus is in control of your life, that what He wants for us in inevitably in our best interest, even when it does not appear to be so at first glance.
Unfortunately, in this “progressive and modern society” the ideals of asking God to guide you in your decision-making, whether in business or in life meets with much resistance and ridicule from the outside world. People may look down on those who are faithful, as backward or narrow and small minded.
However, Jesus reminds us that we are to celebrate …when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.(Luke 6:22b NIV) We are to consider ourselves blessed because we know that God is there with us in every step of our lives.
In fact, He will guide our lives if we let him to places we never even dreamed we would go. This is the hope and message to be found in the Beatitudes of both sermons, the Mount and the Plain.
This hope, which we find here, is given freely to us by God. The only thing that is required of us is to put our whole trust in him. When things seem to be at their worst, we have the promise that one day all of our cares and all of our sufferings will be eased.
In fact, Paul wrote in Romans 5:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:1-5 NIV)
You see the words spoken by Jesus and Jeremiah were not some “nice proverbs” like you would find in a fortune cookie. These were promises made and ordained by God to be a part of our lives. They are words given to us to inspire us to go on even when things seem bleak. However, they are also words to remind us that when things appear to be going great, we should be mindful of how fast life can change. Take time to be thankful for the blessings we receive each and every day from the Lord.
My one food for thought is this, take time to thank God for the blessings you receive. Remember that they can all be gone in an instant. We are a nation that is so blessed. My prayer for us is we do not take our blessings from God for granted and that we give thanks to him for all the ways He influences our lives and sustains us. God loves each of us so very much. Let us all be eternally grateful for the blessings and promises, which we have received from God. Amen.
