Please pray with me: O Merciful God, we are in the heart of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain and it feels uncomfortable. We don’t want more slaps or to give away our stuff to beggars just willy nilly. Help us to understand, O God, how we might live out the Gospel. In Christ’s name, I pray, Amen.
I have been an avid consumer of pop culture my entire life. I was raised on a daily diet of sitcoms, comic books, and Star Wars novels. But for me, I don’t just digest all this goodness without also… wanting to talk about it with my friends and forcing them to watch and read all the same things. I have at least four friends who follow my lead. And it’s also why, for the last eight years, I’ve presented academic papers for the Mid-Atlantic Pop and American Culture Conference. Consuming pop culture is enjoyable, but dissecting pop culture brings me so much life.
I love good TV shows and when they spin off and then spin off again, the less serious and more playful they are. For example, the Good Wife was a serious drama about a scandal with an adulterous state’s attorney and the wife and children who figure out life after the scandal, separation, and divorce. The wife goes back to work in a law office and finds fresh meaning there. It lasted for seven seasons. The spin-off series was called The Good Fight. It stuck around for six seasons. It focused on the wife’s boss from the Good Wife, and how she was supposed to retire but was scammed out of all of her funds and had to go work at a different law firm. It was less serious but had good social commentary. And most recently, there’s a spin-off of these two shows called Elsbeth, which has been picked up for a third season. It’s about a quirky lawyer, who carries too many bags and asks too many questions. She’s observant and with ease solves murder cases each week.
But here’s the problem with the storytelling in Elsbeth.
In the opening act, the viewer knows the murderer.
We see the act and usually understand the motive. The rest of the show is Elsbeth discovering who she thinks the person we already saw, is the murderer. And this kind of storytelling can be boring. There’s no guessing. There’s just Elsbeth and her quirks and observations.
And sometimes, sermons can feel like. The most important point of the sermon is always Scripture, and since it’s read first, what else am I supposed to say? I guess you get my quirks and observations. Today, too, strangely enough, is a sermon on a sermon. A hat on a hat, one might say.
Last week, we heard Jesus begin the Sermon on the Plain. It’s similar to the Gospel of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount but just on a level surface. When Jesus gave the blessing and woes, they were all concrete examples. They concerned the poor, the hungry, the mourning, and hated. It could be summed up as blessed are those whom society has forgotten or disregarded, God still calls them blessed.
Today, we continue with this teaching. Our passage can be broken up in three sections, each one ends with a summary of what was said.
1. Do to others as you would have them do to you, aka the Golden Rule
2. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
3. For the measure you give, will be the measure you get back.
I love how Jesus begins: “But I say to you that listen.” “But I say to you that listen.” Because Jesus knows we are not always listening or paying attention or sometimes don’t even have the concentration at the moment to listen so it doesn’t sink in for us. So he’s preparing us for what he’s about to say.
He teaches us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us, to accept strikes on both cheeks, to give away our coats and shirts, and to give to everyone who begs.
This is a long list of ethical demands, and it’s not just that they are ethical, but they’re difficult. Why would l love someone who is my enemy, who tries to do physical harm against me, who spreads lies about me, and who would love to see me dead? It sounds more like Jesus wants us to be passive in how we accept treatment from others.
This passage seems to give all the power to our enemies, to those who hate us, or slap us, or want to take our stuff. But what if Jesus isn’t saying that? What if the point of love, blessing, praying, turning cheeks, and giving away your shirt is meant to disarm? The hatred they feel is only fueled by more hatred, and once you give them nothing to hate, that flame eventually goes out.
Jeff read the first family reunion section of Joseph’s story in the book of Genesis. Joseph’s brothers became his enemies when they saw how well-treated, honored, and blessed Joseph was by his family and God. So they sold him off to be enslaved in Egypt. What they didn’t know is that he rose in rank and became one of the top people in the Egyptian government. When the brothers and father ask if Joseph can help them out since there’s been a famine, he offers them grace, not revenge. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.
In a different context, you can see this happen, sometimes at an accelerated speed. For example, when there’s a student who loves to have all the attention, a class clown, if you will, and they suck up all the energy in the room it becomes difficult to teach. Teachers will share if you start ignoring this behavior and start making strategic pivots, eventually, the class clown will act more appropriately. Just don’t feed the fire.
Our calling is to treat people how we want to be treated. And the more we act like this, the easier it becomes to love others and to not have enemies in the first place.
In the next section, this line of thought continues. If you just love those who are easy to love, come on, even sinners do that. But we are to love our enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. For God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
In our God-given power, we are to extend mercy to others, just as God extended mercy to us, and continues to do so. In the Greco-Roman world, mercy was not considered a virtue, often it was seen as a weakness. However, in our Scriptures, mercy is a central attribute of God and a key ethical demand. The concept of mercy in the Bible is deeply rooted in the covenant relationship between God and the people of God, where mercy is a response to human need and repentance. And in return, we are to give mercy to others.
And our last section is specifically about reciprocity, what you give and what you get back.
Don’t judge and you won’t be judged.
Don’t condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, give, and the measure you give will be the measure you get back.
All of these sections in our passage are about reciprocity though. It’s about creating a different way of relating with one another and with God. In this culture of grace, we are connected by love, blessings, and prayers. We give our best because that’s what we expect from others. We don’t judge, or condemn, but have forgiveness on our lips, and have hands open for giving.
Now we certainly do not live in this kind of world. We may not judge, but we hear judgments flung at us through gossip. We may give to a beggar one week, but it’s already the next week and it’s the same old story. Or we try to love those who are difficult to love, and sometimes they just push us away even further.
And Jesus understood all of this, but this is not about how the world is, but how God dreams of the world for us.
A constant challenge in understanding Jesus’ teaching is to avoid twisting it into a list of “thou shalls” and “thou shall nots.” As Luke presents him here, Jesus is more like a playful artist painting pictures of love, practical pieces we can embody every day. For God is “kind to the ungrateful,” gracious to the ungracious — and we are made in God’s image. So, with the Spirit’s help, grace is bubbling up all around us all the time; if we stay alert, we’ll notice it everywhere.
Remember, Joseph didn’t condemn but rather comfort his brothers. Jesus doesn’t condemn but rather prays for his persecutors. And our everyday lives, too, full as they are of struggles and loans and chaos, may also be full of love, full of mercy, full of grace.
May you find a way to be a little more merciful this week, just as God has been towards us. Amen.
Luke 6:27-38
“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
"Disarming Love"
"Reorienting Our Lives"
Luke 6:17-26
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Then he looked up at 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 will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
“Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Please pray with me: We feel blessed, O God. Blessed to be here. Blessed to be in your presence. Blessed to be loved by you. Open the ears and eyes of our hearts this morning as we hear your Blessings and Woes. In Christ’s name, I pray, Amen.
Did you know that according to global standards, if you have an annual income of $15,000, you are richer than 84% of the world? If you make more than $50,000, it’s 99%. These stats are from 2012, and while I was trying to find a more updated version, these will have to do.
Our perspective on wealth and poverty is skewed by living in the world’s richest country. We can’t help but compare ourselves to those who have more. It’s part of the DNA of the American Dream. We must always want, desire, or need more. More stuff, newer cars, latest fashion, newest tech gadgets. Believe me, I am just as guilty.
Once, though, for a year, I didn’t buy anything except for necessities: food, water, soap, toilet paper etc., and in-person entertainment (movies, concerts, roller skating. Those were all okay). But no new clothes, gadgets, or books even. My life became totally rearranged. I wasn’t interested in going to the mall with my friends since I couldn’t buy anything. I walked more, went to parks, learned new songs on the guitar, and took a class on how to use the camera I bought a few years ago but never touched. It reset my relationship with stuff and helped me to appreciate what I had. That year, I felt more blessed and content.
Today, Jesus teaches about blessings and woes. Or these could be called the Beatitudes and Judgments.
If you have a bit of Bible knowledge, you might have thought that this passage sounded familiar, but perhaps something was a little off about it. That’s because there’s a similar and more popular version found in Matthew’s Gospel.
You see… these two Gospel writers are putting a particular perspective on Jesus and it depends on their audience. Let me just give you a quick example. Matthew portrays Jesus as a New Moses. In Matthew 5, like Moses, who gives the law from atop Mount Sinai, Jesus too walks up a mountain to teach a new law. Matthew’s audience is most likely not the poorest of the poor. So in Jesus’ Beatitudes, he says, “Blessed are the poor… in spirit… and Blessed are those who hunger and thirst… for righteousness.” The woes too are absent in Matthew’s Gospel.
So why do the blessings differ in Matthew and Luke? Scholars write that this was probably part of Jesus’ stump speech. He would give this teaching whenever he entered a new city. And it would make sense then that Jesus would change his stump speech depending on those who are listening, who are in the crowd. It’s important to keep that in mind when you’re reading anything in the Bible: who’s the audience? Who is Jesus speaking to? Who is Paul writing to?
This passage from Luke can be split up into three sections: healings, blessings, and woes.
In the first section, it says that Jesus comes down and stands on a level plane with a great crowd of people. While Matthew depicts Jesus as a Moses figure on the mountain, Jesus takes on the role of a prophet in Luke.
Prophets are found among the people. They are forth-telling, describing the current moment and its possible outcome. The Prophet Jeremiah warned the king of Judah and the people if they did not follow God’s commandments that other nations would come in to destroy them. This eventually happens. The Babylonians overtook Jerusalem, exiling thousands. And like a good captain going down with the ship, the Prophet Jeremiah stayed back in Judah with those left behind. Prophets stand with and beside those who hear their message. They practice what they preach.
Not only does Jesus proclaim God’s vision of just love for the universe, but also brings God’s Realm by healing and releasing unclean spirits. It says, “And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.” What a powerful and loving Savior we have!
Then Jesus begins the Beatitudes.
Blessed are you who are poor, hungry, weeping, and hated.
To place such people in the category of blessed contradicts its very meaning.
In ancient Greek times, makarios, the Greek word for blessed, referred to the gods. They had achieved a state of happiness and contentment in life that was beyond all cares, labors, and even death. The blessed ones were beings who lived in some other world away from the cares, problems, and worries of ordinary people. To be blessed, you had to be a god.
And there was another meaning for makarios. It referred to the "dead". The blessed ones were humans, who, through death, had reached the other world of the gods. They were now beyond the cares, problems, and worries of earthly life. To be blessed, you had to be dead.
In other words, the living were not blessed, that was reserved for the gods or the dead, neither of whom were alive.
When Jesus blesses those who are at the bottom of society, I’m sure in the crowd, many were scratching their heads. The blessed are away from this Earth. We are the ones who struggle. And now Jesus blesses the ones who struggle the most?
How might we interpret these Beatitudes?
Are we supposed to aspire to this status of blessedness?
Is Jesus calling us to be poor, hungry, weeping, and hated?
I assume not. Why would Jesus want us to struggle with finances and food? Rather, the Beatitudes invite us to view others with empathy, love, and compassion. We have already been so blessed, but there are so many people who have fallen through the cracks and need a listening ear, friendship, and help.
When I attended Eastern University in Wayne, PA. I was one of the leaders of the Youth Against Compliancy and Homelessness Today or the YACHT Club. Every Thursday evening and Saturday morning, we’d load up the vans with students and sandwiches and make our way down to the area in front of the Parkway Central Library. We handed out sandwiches, of course, but the point was to cultivate relationships with those living on the streets. We’d stay there for three hours talking, playing card games, or singing songs together. It shaped how I related to people which led me to work in soup kitchens and homeless shelters for nearly a decade.
It reminds me of that quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” The Beatitudes are not so much an aspiration as they are a reorientation.
Following the blessings, Jesus gives the woes, which are in opposition to the blessings.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Does this mean there’s no hope for the rich or admired? On one hand, Jesus is crystal clear that riches and worldly prestige create major obstacles to participating in God’s Realm. On the other hand, the “woes” function as exhortations, challenging the rich and prestigious to change their ways, reorder their priorities, and join the movement.
After all, regardless of how camel-through-the-eye-of-a-needle difficult it may be for a rich person to enter God’s Realm, Jesus later puts it this way: “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God” (Luke 18:27). In other words, while the “woes” are indeed tough and uncompromising, it’s never too late to get on board!
With these beatitudes and woes, Jesus holds up a mirror to our lives. It’s a moment of truth-telling. Who do we say is blessed? And who does Jesus say? How do we treat the poor, hungry, weeping, and hated? Christ invites you to reorient your life. To trust him in whom he calls blessed.
Let me end with a quick anecdote:
An old Rabbi said, “In olden days, there were people who saw the face of God.”
“Why don't they anymore?” the young student asked.
“Because, nowadays, no one stoops so low,” he replied.
Jesus stands on an even plane with us inviting us to reorient how we see and understand the world. To be humble and caring. May we have the courage to listen and follow his ways. Amen.