HoHum:
Inside out and upside down. What on earth was Jesus talking about here? Blessed are the poor? Happy are the hungry? Fortunate are the tearful? I never heard anybody say, “Isn’t this great, I’m starving!” I have never seen a person sobbing their heart out with a smile of joy on their face. Have we? It makes me uneasy the way Jesus speaks about rich, easy going folk who enjoy a good time and are well respected in the eyes of almost everybody. On a worldwide scale the U.S. is a rich place. This nation is way, way, way up there in terms of Gross National product, income, life expectancy, health care, educational opportunity, and military might. In terms of what this world calls rich, if we live in the United States, we are the number one spot.
WBTU:
These Scriptures probably sound somewhat familiar. In Matthew’s gospel Jesus there gives what we call the Beatitudes. Blessed are the... However, Matthew’s are different because they are more spiritual in nature. Luke records a different set of beatitudes. Now, this was given through the preaching of Jesus, actual words from his lips. Luke is not changing the words of Jesus. Two different sermons, one on the Mount in Matthew and another on the Plain level place- Luke 6:17. Similarities are because delivered by the same person Jesus
“Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.” Colossians 4:14, NIV. The more proper term here is physician. In the NT, we find that there were doctors, physicians who were sought out for medical treatment. “Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Luke 5:31, NIV. “She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.” Mark 5:26, NIV- more positive reference to medical doctors in Luke 8:43.
Luke left a profitable business, profession, career to follow Christ by following Paul. See how he draws out references to the poor and selling all for Christ. Something to think about.
Over the next several months going to talk about money, wealth vs. poverty and stewardship from Luke. Stories and teachings that are somewhat unique to Luke’s gospel.
Luke’s emphasis in his gospel is on the here and now. This emphasis is found in numerous passages in Luke. For example, “Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23, NIV.
Luke, through the actual words of Jesus, underlines the contrast between, on the one hand, people who are in desperate circumstances (the poor, the hungry, those who mourn and those who are persecuted) and, on the other hand, people who are self satisfied and complacent. In numerous passages in Luke the Holy Spirit attacks complacency and stresses the particular concern of Jesus for the poor, for those in need and for those on the margins of society.
Those who live the life of the kingdom are not just blessed in the hereafter but right now.
Often there are people who say the beatitudes like this, “Happy are the...” Blessed means more than that but happiness is definitely there. The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote 10 books on ethics and he is concerned with the nature of happiness. Basic premise is that the true end of men and women is to be happy. Jesus does not disagree with this. But of what does true happiness consist? This is where the worldly answers and the answers of the Bible disagree. The world says these things are happiness: “Wealth, I feel good, all my needs are met, and popularity” Jesus is talking to people that do not have these things. Jesus and the gospel goes deeper than these things.
Thesis: Let’s talk about the poor, the mourning, the hungry and the persecuted
For instances:
The poor
Vs. 20- “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,” Luke 4:18, NIV.
Often the poor sense their need of God more than others. They are utterly dependent upon God. They have no sense of security, except in God alone. If people have their own security apart from God, tendency to have no need for the “good news” Jesus preaches to the poor. Not that the rich do not find their security in God but it is more difficult and more unlikely. The rich have a false sense of comfort. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34, NIV. The heart naturally follows the treasure, so treasure in heaven means a heart fixed on heaven, while treasure on earth equally means a heart fixed on earth.
Vs. 24- Woe to the rich not because they are wealthy but because they have chosen present gratification over future blessing.
The hungry
Vs. 21- Snickers really satisfies is not true. To be hungry really satisfies.
How many of us earnestly pray: “Give us today our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11, NIV. Many do not think about where their next meal is going to come from. If nothing at the house, we go out to eat without thinking.
Many in this land eat well. Important for us to remember to give thanks for our food. Many do not have enough to eat.
But why are the hungry blessed? Ever been really hungry and got something to eat. How much did we appreciate it? Might not have been that good but everything tastes better when we are hungry. More thankful for it.
Some people who have gone hungry have made it their ambition to never be hungry again. Not the best way to live life. “Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.” Philippians 3:19, NIV.
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35, NIV.
““Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Isaiah 55:1-3, NIV.
Vs. 25- Not have soul satisfaction now or in the hereafter.
The mourning
Vs. 21- “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.” Ecclesiastes 7:2-4, NIV.
From my experience the best times to reach people with the gospel are in their childhood and youth; 2nd best time is serious illness and/or death of a loved one
We know that each one of us will die, but in our culture we ignore that mind numbing, soul shattering fact. The good news is that death and losses faced with faith can give our lives meaning. We have a choice. We can ignore the thought of our lives ending or we can allow the fact of our impending death to put more meaning into the time we have now.
Not that Jesus is against laughter, laughter is good. Vs. 21- they will laugh one day. More like constant pleasure, party time is in mind here. “I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?”” Ecclesiastes 2:1, 2
Vs. 25- mourn and weep one day. “Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 7:6, NIV. Just a few verses after vs. 2-4. Good chance this means that we should not dismiss these disturbing thoughts through pleasure and laughter. The Christian edge in death is our hope beyond the grave. No good grief apart from this: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13, NIV.
The popular
Vs. 22- “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” Acts 5:41, NIV.
Somewhere inside of us there’s a people pleasing gene- a natural desire to be liked, accepted, and approved. But people pleasing is an impossible quest, a dead end street, a long ride to nowhere. We cannot please all of the people all of the time. Someone will always be upset and someone will not like us. Our goal should be to please God.
Vs. 26- Does this mean that we should strive to be hated by everyone? No, but it means that popularity should not be our main goal.
John Alexander- “Consider this paraphrase: You think it’s good to be rich? Well, you’re wrong. Riches are a mess. It’s you poor who are fortunate. You think it’s good to be well fed now? You’re wrong. You’d be better off hungry. You think you should pursue laughter? That’s a mistake. Those who weep are ahead. You want to be respected and admired by everyone in sight? Well you’ve got it upside down. Respect is a problem. You’re fortunate if people despise you and won’t even let you into their churches and clubs. What Jesus is telling us is that we have it all backwards. The direction we’re headed does not lead home. What we need to do is to turn completely around and go the opposite way.”
