Luke 6:17-26
Mark Twain famously said that it was not the bits of the Bible that he couldn't understand that caused him problems, but the bits that he did.
Today is one of those passages. It is difficult. Not to understand, but to live.
How does one preach on this passage to a congregation when most of us, and I include myself very much in this, are materially rich and well fed?
You will notice that the passage begins with the words, ‘Jesus came down with them’. He has been up a mountain where he has been praying, and he calls to him those who he chooses to be his 12 disciples. Now he comes down and stands on a level place, and the people flock to him. They come to listen to his teaching and to receive his healing. Power comes out of him.
And then we are told, ‘Jesus looked up at his disciples’
Having come down from the mountain to the people, he now sits down and looks up at the disciples. So here is Jesus ministering with astonishing power, in words and actions, but from a position of great weakness. He is beneath his disciples.
And it is from that position that he says, ‘Blessed are you who are poor now, .. who are hungry now, .. who weep now; blessed are you when you are hated, excluded, reviled, defamed (HERD) on the account of the Son of Man, on account of me’.
In other words if, in this world, you are at the bottom and not at the top, for the sake of the Son of Man, then – says Jesus – you will be where I am, at the bottom of the heap.
Jesus was materially poor. He was an itinerant preacher, dependent on the gifts and support of others, and on God’s remarkable provision. For instance, on one occasion he needed to pay a tax bill, and God provided a fish which had a silver coin in its mouth.
Jesus was often hungry. A man asks to follow Jesus and become one of his disciples. Jesus warns him that ‘the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’. On another occasion the religious leaders rebuke Jesus’ disciples for plucking grain as they walked through a field on a sabbath. Jesus points out that the reason they were picking and eating grain was not like us going blackberry picking, but because they were really hungry.
Jesus wept. He is described as 'a man of sorrows'. He wept for the state of a world that is lost. He sees the devastation that will fall on Jerusalem. He weeps for people who are lost – he has compassion on them. He weeps because he sees the devastation that death causes, and he weeps in agony in the garden as he awaits the torture that is coming his way.
And Jesus was HERDed. He was hated, excluded, reviled and defamed.
But, Jesus says to his disciples, if you are at the bottom of the heap for his sake, then you are blessed.
You are citizens of the Kingdom of God and you will see, you will know and experience the Kingdom of God – not just then, but now.
You will be filled: filled with the joy of the presence of God. On one occasion Jesus was asked where he would get some food. He said, ‘My food is to do the will of God’. It was not just picture language. It is possible to be so consumed by the Word of God that it almost physically fills you up.
You will laugh. You will know deep joy
And you have an astonishing destiny, something amazing to look forward to. Your reward is great in heaven.
The disciples knew that. They had begun to glimpse it.
They were so grabbed by Jesus that they gave up their homes and businesses and families. They were often hungry and despairing and rejected. They had gone with Jesus to the bottom of the pile.
And yet they saw the Kingdom of God. They saw astonishing things happening. In Luke 10, Jesus sends them out on mission, to teach and to heal in his name. They return with joy. ‘Lord’, they said, ‘even the demons submit to us’.
But what of the woes?
First I note that they are not curses.
There are two mountains mentioned in the Old Testament, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Moses is told to put a memorial to the blessings on Mount Gerizim – these are the blessings that God promised his people if they listened to him and followed his way, his law. But he is also told to put a memorial to the curses on Mount Ebal – the curses on those who reject God and his law and his ways.
But here we do not get blessings and curses. We get blessings and woes.
What Jesus is speaking about in Luke 6:24-26 are not curses, but a sort of ‘if you are rich then this will happen to you’.
Woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation. The satisfaction that you receive from getting what you want: the diamond ring, the new outfit, the latest gadget, the holiday, the house, the boat – that is it. That really is the best that life can ever offer you.
Mark Twain famously said that it was not the bits of the Bible that he couldn't understand that caused him problems, but the bits that he did.
Today is one of those passages. It is difficult. Not to understand, but to live.
How does one preach on this passage to a congregation when most of us, and I include myself very much in this, are materially rich and well fed?
You will notice that the passage begins with the words, ‘Jesus came down with them’. He has been up a mountain where he has been praying, and he calls to him those who he chooses to be his 12 disciples. Now he comes down and stands on a level place, and the people flock to him. They come to listen to his teaching and to receive his healing. Power comes out of him.
And then we are told, ‘Jesus looked up at his disciples’
Having come down from the mountain to the people, he now sits down and looks up at the disciples. So here is Jesus ministering with astonishing power, in words and actions, but from a position of great weakness. He is beneath his disciples.
And it is from that position that he says, ‘Blessed are you who are poor now, .. who are hungry now, .. who weep now; blessed are you when you are hated, excluded, reviled, defamed (HERD) on the account of the Son of Man, on account of me’.
In other words if, in this world, you are at the bottom and not at the top, for the sake of the Son of Man, then – says Jesus – you will be where I am, at the bottom of the heap.
Jesus was materially poor. He was an itinerant preacher, dependent on the gifts and support of others, and on God’s remarkable provision. For instance, on one occasion he needed to pay a tax bill, and God provided a fish which had a silver coin in its mouth.
Jesus was often hungry. A man asks to follow Jesus and become one of his disciples. Jesus warns him that ‘the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’. On another occasion the religious leaders rebuke Jesus’ disciples for plucking grain as they walked through a field on a sabbath. Jesus points out that the reason they were picking and eating grain was not like us going blackberry picking, but because they were really hungry.
Jesus wept. He is described as 'a man of sorrows'. He wept for the state of a world that is lost. He sees the devastation that will fall on Jerusalem. He weeps for people who are lost – he has compassion on them. He weeps because he sees the devastation that death causes, and he weeps in agony in the garden as he awaits the torture that is coming his way.
And Jesus was HERDed. He was hated, excluded, reviled and defamed.
But, Jesus says to his disciples, if you are at the bottom of the heap for his sake, then you are blessed.
You are citizens of the Kingdom of God and you will see, you will know and experience the Kingdom of God – not just then, but now.
You will be filled: filled with the joy of the presence of God. On one occasion Jesus was asked where he would get some food. He said, ‘My food is to do the will of God’. It was not just picture language. It is possible to be so consumed by the Word of God that it almost physically fills you up.
You will laugh. You will know deep joy
And you have an astonishing destiny, something amazing to look forward to. Your reward is great in heaven.
The disciples knew that. They had begun to glimpse it.
They were so grabbed by Jesus that they gave up their homes and businesses and families. They were often hungry and despairing and rejected. They had gone with Jesus to the bottom of the pile.
And yet they saw the Kingdom of God. They saw astonishing things happening. In Luke 10, Jesus sends them out on mission, to teach and to heal in his name. They return with joy. ‘Lord’, they said, ‘even the demons submit to us’.
But what of the woes?
First I note that they are not curses.
There are two mountains mentioned in the Old Testament, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Moses is told to put a memorial to the blessings on Mount Gerizim – these are the blessings that God promised his people if they listened to him and followed his way, his law. But he is also told to put a memorial to the curses on Mount Ebal – the curses on those who reject God and his law and his ways.
But here we do not get blessings and curses. We get blessings and woes.
What Jesus is speaking about in Luke 6:24-26 are not curses, but a sort of ‘if you are rich then this will happen to you’.
Woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation. The satisfaction that you receive from getting what you want: the diamond ring, the new outfit, the latest gadget, the holiday, the house, the boat – that is it. That really is the best that life can ever offer you.
Woe to you because you will always be wanting more, and never truly satisfied. Woe to you because it is so shallow in comparison to the joy and satisfaction that God can offer you.
Woe to you who are well fed now: who live for food or for the physical desires and cravings, for the good things that this world offers. One day it will be gone. One day it will be taken from you, and you will be empty.
Woe to you who party now, whether in the real world or the virtual world. Either you will continue to live in a fantasy world, blind to the real world, to the suffering and the pain of others; or one day - in the mercy of God - reality will hit and we will realise our brokenness, need, weakness, mortality. One day – in the mercy of God – we will really see ourselves and the world, and we will weep.
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, when they hang on your words, because it probably means that you are a false prophet. You are not speaking or living for the difficult truths.
In other words, I think what Jesus is saying to those of us who are rich, well fed, partying and respected: woe to you because you think you have it all, or that in all of this there is life, and you are missing out on so much. You are living for this world and you have gained this world. But in gaining this world you have lost your soul
The story is told of Thomas Aquinas, the C13th great teacher of the Church. On one occasion he was being shown round the vast wealth of the Vatican treasury. The Treasurer reminded him of the story when the lame man called to Peter and John, asking for money. Peter and John said, ‘We don’t have any silver or gold’. ‘Well’, said the treasurer, ‘No longer do we need to say that’. And Thomas responded, ‘I agree. But we cannot say what Peter and John then said, ‘In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, get up and walk’.'
So where does that leave me?
Someone who is pretty rich compared to many
Someone who is well fed, and able to satisfy his physical desires
Someone for whom life is quite OK. A bit of a party. The social round and the odd trip to Norwich or London.
Someone who is, at least for the moment, quite respected!
Well. We can use any of these as our entry point
1. For those who have riches we need to learn to give.
Woe to you who are well fed now: who live for food or for the physical desires and cravings, for the good things that this world offers. One day it will be gone. One day it will be taken from you, and you will be empty.
Woe to you who party now, whether in the real world or the virtual world. Either you will continue to live in a fantasy world, blind to the real world, to the suffering and the pain of others; or one day - in the mercy of God - reality will hit and we will realise our brokenness, need, weakness, mortality. One day – in the mercy of God – we will really see ourselves and the world, and we will weep.
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, when they hang on your words, because it probably means that you are a false prophet. You are not speaking or living for the difficult truths.
In other words, I think what Jesus is saying to those of us who are rich, well fed, partying and respected: woe to you because you think you have it all, or that in all of this there is life, and you are missing out on so much. You are living for this world and you have gained this world. But in gaining this world you have lost your soul
The story is told of Thomas Aquinas, the C13th great teacher of the Church. On one occasion he was being shown round the vast wealth of the Vatican treasury. The Treasurer reminded him of the story when the lame man called to Peter and John, asking for money. Peter and John said, ‘We don’t have any silver or gold’. ‘Well’, said the treasurer, ‘No longer do we need to say that’. And Thomas responded, ‘I agree. But we cannot say what Peter and John then said, ‘In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, get up and walk’.'
So where does that leave me?
Someone who is pretty rich compared to many
Someone who is well fed, and able to satisfy his physical desires
Someone for whom life is quite OK. A bit of a party. The social round and the odd trip to Norwich or London.
Someone who is, at least for the moment, quite respected!
Well. We can use any of these as our entry point
1. For those who have riches we need to learn to give.
To give for the sake of the one who was at the bottom of the pile, to give for the sake of Jesus Christ. To give for the gospel. And to give radically.
Last week I was looking at this churches financial statement for 2024. Expenditure £24k and income £14k. A deficit of £10k. That, according to Mr Micawber, is not a recipe for happiness! We thank God for faithful stewardship which means that that can be met out of reserves.
But frankly, if every person who declares that Jesus Christ is Lord and who takes God seriously, tithed then the ministry, the Church or diocese would not be facing a crisis. Each church here would be able to afford its own full time minister, if that is what it wished.
For some, the call to give is completely radical. I think of the rich young ruler who Jesus told to sell everything he had and give to the poor, and then come and join his group of disciples. And some hear that call to give up everything and become part of a community that is centred on Jesus.
But that is not for all. Most of us need to learn to ask God to give us the gift of generosity, to hold to our wealth with a light touch, to be willing to let at least some of it go.
2. For those who satisfy our desires, we need to learn to fast.
Last week I was looking at this churches financial statement for 2024. Expenditure £24k and income £14k. A deficit of £10k. That, according to Mr Micawber, is not a recipe for happiness! We thank God for faithful stewardship which means that that can be met out of reserves.
But frankly, if every person who declares that Jesus Christ is Lord and who takes God seriously, tithed then the ministry, the Church or diocese would not be facing a crisis. Each church here would be able to afford its own full time minister, if that is what it wished.
For some, the call to give is completely radical. I think of the rich young ruler who Jesus told to sell everything he had and give to the poor, and then come and join his group of disciples. And some hear that call to give up everything and become part of a community that is centred on Jesus.
But that is not for all. Most of us need to learn to ask God to give us the gift of generosity, to hold to our wealth with a light touch, to be willing to let at least some of it go.
2. For those who satisfy our desires, we need to learn to fast.
Lent is coming soon. It is a great time to learn one of the great spiritual disciplines: for a season to abstain. It is not just about giving up a meal, but about giving up – at least for a short while - that which has a hold on us, that without which we do not think we can live: alcohol, shopping, social media, news.
In the Magnificat, Mary proclaims, “He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent empty away”.
It is a brave prayer, but I wonder if we have ever asked God to empty us of the good things of this world that we enjoy, in order that he might fill us with his good things’.
Having said that, I am also conscious that many of you have experienced that sort of emptying – when you have had to give up a life which brought you very high status, or your health is being taken from you, or when the person who gave you everything was taken from you.
In the Magnificat, Mary proclaims, “He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent empty away”.
It is a brave prayer, but I wonder if we have ever asked God to empty us of the good things of this world that we enjoy, in order that he might fill us with his good things’.
Having said that, I am also conscious that many of you have experienced that sort of emptying – when you have had to give up a life which brought you very high status, or your health is being taken from you, or when the person who gave you everything was taken from you.
I spoke with someone who said that they were learning to live with the grief, but there was no joy, and it seemed no prospect of joy.
For you, you need to hear the first part of these verses: blessed are the hungry, blessed are the empty, blessed are those who weep – because if you can give the emptiness to Jesus, to the one who was at the bottom of the heap – there will come a time when you are filled and when you will laugh.
3. For those for whom life is the party, pray for what the godly men and women of the past called ‘the gift of tears’.
3. For those for whom life is the party, pray for what the godly men and women of the past called ‘the gift of tears’.
Pray, if you can, that God will open our eyes so that we see the pain of the world, the pain of our neighbours; that we will see our own powerlessness and lack of love and that we will weep.
If we want to know the blessedness that Jesus is speaking of here; if we want to see the power of God, then we need to learn to move down the mountain, from the top to the bottom. We stop living for this world and live for that world; not just for there and then, but for here and now.
Yes we will suffer from HERD
We will weep
We will be hungry
We will identify with the poor and increasingly be poor
But we will also know fulfilment, spiritual power, hope and deep joy.
If we want to know the blessedness that Jesus is speaking of here; if we want to see the power of God, then we need to learn to move down the mountain, from the top to the bottom. We stop living for this world and live for that world; not just for there and then, but for here and now.
Yes we will suffer from HERD
We will weep
We will be hungry
We will identify with the poor and increasingly be poor
But we will also know fulfilment, spiritual power, hope and deep joy.
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