Luke 6-C “Not Merely Happy, but Blessed”

S = Luke 6:20-23 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
 Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
 Blessed are you who weep now,          for you shall laugh.
 Blessed are you when people hate           you and
                            when they     exclude     you and
                                                 revile         you and
                                                 spurn        your name as evil,
           on account of the Son of Man!
                                               Rejoice in that day, and
                                       leap for joy, for behold,
                                               your reward is great in heaven;
                            for so their fathers did to the prophets.’”

O = Jesus was not saying that people who are in need and economically downtrodden are happy, but that they are “blessed.” He was also saying that there will come a “great reversal” at some point. What point is that? And what does this blessing mean? It is a state of being, in the unobstructed view of God, invested in the grace of God. Those listening that day may have thought they were cursed by God because of their difficult circumstances and their lack of social standing. Jesus challenged them, by faith, to see themselves as God saw them…as blessed citizens of the Kingdom of God! Jesus’ audience needed to open their eyes to see the spiritual reality of their existence, not just the economic and social realities they faced. It helps me to remember that God’s cycle of retribution and reward is not fully contained in this life.

A = Why do I get upset when I suffer injustice? Why do I think I need to take matters of my defense into my own hands? I need to trust more in Jesus’ assessment and promise. I still find more than an economic beatitude here—if I am humbled now then God can exalt me in the future. If I am now arrogant and self-assured then I will be painfully humbled in the future. May I not look down on others this week, but rather look up to Jesus!

P = O Lord Jesus, I choose to wait, to look to you, to humble myself before your infinite wisdom that I might be nothing more and nothing less, nothing sooner, nothing later, than you intend me to be. Like a weaned child I will quiet myself in trust. Amen.