"Blessed Are The Poor, The Hungry, Those Who Are Weeping" February 11, 2007 Epiphany 6

(First read the text for this sermon: Luke 6:17-26)


I am so glad to be up here, for the first time in four months! It’s been a long time of sickness and recovery, and it gives us all a charge for me to be healthy enough to be back into worship leadership.

And so, to go along with this storybook ending to my period of illness, wouldn’t it have been nice to have a warm and fuzzy gospel passage, so that we could all be smiling and sighing? The problem is, we’re reading the gospel of Luke this year. And there’s not much that’s warm and fuzzy in Luke (once we get past the Christmas stories).

Now, remember where we are in the Church Year. During Advent, we enter into our longing for the messiah, our need for the messiah to come to save us. During the Christmas season we celebrate the birth of that savior! Then comes Epiphany – the season we’re in now.

An epiphany is an instance of something coming clear. And so, the purpose of the season of Epiphany is to be clear about what it means that God has come into our human flesh, in the person of Jesus the Christ, whose birth we just celebrated only six weeks ago.

In Luke’s story, the coming of God into human flesh does not make people feel all warm inside. Instead, it causes an uproar! Look at how it’s happening. We’re in the sixth chapter of Luke this morning. At this point in the story, Jesus’ actions have provoked stupefied amazement in those who have been watching and listening! (See 5:9, 5:26). Think of Simon Peter’s reaction, in the story we read last Sunday morning. Do you remember how he reacted with fear and awe when he witnessed the miraculous catch of fish? He said to Jesus, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (See 5:1-11)

By this point in Luke’s story it’s even become dangerous for Jesus. By now the leaders of God’s people, the scribes and Pharisees are filled with fury at Jesus, because of his flaunting of the sabbath law tradition. (See 6:1-11) And now, it’s our turn to react! In this morning’s reading, it is as if Jesus has decided to set his sights on you and me, in our material comfort.
Listen to this, you disciples of Jesus:

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.”

This is not what we read in the gospel of Matthew’s version of the story! Matthew’s wording is more familiar to us, I’ll bet, because it’s easier for us to take. In Matthew, Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” In Matthew, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Those words are warm and fuzzy – because we all know how poor we are in spirit! Each one of us hungers and thirsts for good to triumph over evil!

But, this year, we’re reading Luke, and not Matthew. And it’s very stark in Luke.

"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.”

To be blessed means to receive God’s favor. And so, here, God takes the side of the poor, and the hungry, and those who weep. That’s true, in fact, throughout the Bible. God takes the side of those who suffer, over against those who are comfortable!

We read in this morning’s passage, "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.” That is Jesus’ situation, at this point in the story of Luke, because Jesus has shown God’s favor to those who are poor and hungry and weeping, those who are powerless; and he has shown God’s utter disdain for human beings’ religious practice when it’s empty religious practice.

It seems to me this gives some commentary on the controversy over the Wren Chapel cross. If the gospel of Luke is accurate, then all the emotion being expended both in defense of the cross or in support of its removal is entirely beside the point of what God desires.

I wonder if God cares about the religious symbols we have created for ourselves? If the Wren Chapel cross were to be restored to 24/7 display, would that in itself please God? Or would that only be empty religious practice? Instead, isn’t it our actions that please or displease God?

The cross is a symbol, of course, and it symbolizes many things to people, according to their religious backgrounds. To Jews and Muslims, the cross symbolizes death. To Christians, I would hope, the cross symbolizes Jesus’ humble servanthood rather than triumphalism, because Jesus died on the cross. And so, here’s what would please God: if those who organized and attended the candle light vigil in support of the cross would now devote their energy to ending the tragedy of homelessness in our community. “Blessed are you who are poor,” says Jesus in the gospel of Luke. “Blessed are you who are hungry.” It would please God if those assassinating the character of President Gene Nichol would turn their anger instead towards the fact that there are members of our community who die every day because they have had no health insurance and thus have received no preventitive medical care. “Blessed are you who are poor,” says Jesus in the gospel of Luke. It would please God if the energy being expended in defense of the cross was used instead to set up a community-wide visitation program so that no member of our community would be isolated and lonely. “Blessed are you who weep,” says Jesus in the gospel of Luke.

Look at what comes next, in this morning’s reading from Luke.

"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.

Do you know who is rich, as the Bible defines that term? A person is rich if he has enough money to buy food and shelter and clothing for today, and has some money left over for tomorrow. Which means, as the Bible defines the term, that all of us here are rich! Woe to you – and me – who are rich, and with full bellies, and who laugh over the TV sitcoms – while there is so much poverty and hunger and weeping in the world.

Are you thoroughly depressed by now?

Is there any good news in this passage from Luke? (After all, when I finished reading it, I did say, “The Gospel of the Lord”; and you did respond, “Praise to you, Lord Christ. I heard you!”)

The good news in this passage is risky and shockingly radical in our culture. When you live according to this good news, I doubt that you are hated and excluded and reviled and defamed on account of the Son of Man – but I’ll bet some of your neighbors think you’re nuts, because you’re not as comfortable as you could be; you’re not spending as much money on yourself as you could be.

According to Jesus in the gospel of Luke, too much money and too many material possessions and overabundant material comfort hinders the love of God. The good news of this morning’s passage is that we don’t have to be burdened by money and material possessions and material comfort, because there is really very little that we need. There is tremendous freedom and joy when you don’t worry about maintaining a portfolio! That is the shocking good news in this passage!

What is the consolation of being rich today? Does money buy happiness? Does a full belly today satisfy our real hunger? Does our laughter today cover up what’s terrifying inside? Woe to us, if we think any of that is true!

The good news that Jesus brings is that we can turn away from all such illusion! Jesus calls us into startling joy and freedom when we defend and minister to those who are blessed by God: those who are poor, those who are hungry, those who are weeping.

In the name of God, who is Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.


Pastor Andy Ballentine
St. Stephen Lutheran Church
Williamsburg, Virginia