The Road To Happiness, Joy And Peace

Sermon – The Road To Happiness

Luke 6:20-26 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. 24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

Introduction: This text is a portion of the sermon on the mount, where Jesus addresses the subject of true happiness and joy. The crowd, like many today had gotten their priorities confused. So much time is spent worrying about "things" that we lose sight of what truly matters. We seek gold while dismissing God. We seek health while neglecting holiness.

Jesus sound more like a friend or a father in this text than a prophet. He reveals God’s principles for living a righteous life leading to joy and peace. The attitudes revealed are like steps of a ladder with each step leading to the next. Then Jesus closes the journey with double blessing for those who suffer and are persecuted for righteousness’s sake. Some scholars see this text as a contrast of kingdom values with worldly values; others see it as code of ethics for the believer; Yet others see Jesus comparing the superficial faith of the religious leaders to authentic Faith in God. Yet all agree that these beatitudes are not multiple choice, pick what you want and leave the rest! No, they must be received as a whole, if we are going to be true followers of Christ.

In the old Persian story, "Aladdin," Aladdin is the son of a poor tailor. After his father's death, a wicked magician, who claims to be Aladdin's long-lost uncle, persuades Aladdin to go after an old lamp hidden in a cave. Aladdin gets the lamp, but suspicious of the magician's intentions, refuses to give it to him. The magician becomes furious at this and seals Aladdin in the cave, leaving him to die there all alone. Well, to make the story shorter, Aladdin discovers that the lamp contains a magic genie with the power to grant wishes. And as Aladdin makes his wishes, he becomes immensely wealthy, marries the sultan's daughter, defeats a fiendish plot by the wicked magician, and lives happily ever after."

It is a fantasy that has captured the imagination of millions in many countries down through the centuries. Disney Studios took the story and made it into a hit animated movie found in the homes of many children today.

Why? Why the popularity of "Aladdin"? Well, I think there are a couple of reasons. First, we like to see the underdog come out on top, so we cheer for Aladdin. Secondly, I think we like to daydream about having our own magic genie and having all our wishes granted. We're never going to have a magic genie. No one is going to appear suddenly and give us everything we want. It just doesn't work that way. If we want something, we'll have to work for it. If our hopes and dreams are ever to be realized, we have to put forth an effort to bring them to pass.

Jesus seemed to recognize that all humanity were seeking fulfilment and happiness. He knows the hunger of every hearts: our hearts and the hearts of the crowd on Mount Olive. His teaching was probably opposite of what the crowd was thinking. Our natural, carnal thinking says, blessed are the rich and affluent for there is the kingdom of God. Blessed are the happy, full and contented for they are the comforted. Jesus points the crowd in a different direction and shares a different message. Do you know who the truly blessed are? The truly happy are? Has anyone really found fulfilment and joy?

In this text, Jesus shows the way.

With each blessing, there is a required attitude. There are certain requirements as we dare embrace the Kingdom of God and the joy it brings. Jesus gives steps into God’s kingdom of peace and joy. The first step to be poor in spirit.

1. Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. This step is low, everyone can reach it. It begins where the Law ends. The law revealed our poverty, and Jesus addresses it as he brings good news to the poor. Men only need to recognize their spiritual poverty, then by faith they can lay hold to the rich grace of God. We are not self-sufficient, we need the Holy Spirit’s life-giving power and sustaining grace to inherit the kingdom of God. The poor in spirit recognize their need for God, their neediness draws them to God. Those who wander in darkness fail to recognize their spiritual poverty. How blessed you are when realize your need for God.