Whose Praise We Seek: A Meditation on Luke 6, for the 6th Sunday in Epiphany

And he came down with them, and stood in the plain,

and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people

 out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon,

which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

And the whole multitude sought to touch him:

for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

 

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said,

Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.

Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

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.

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.

But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.

Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger.

Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!

for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

 

As so often is the case in Jesus’ teaching, there is both caution and hope in what He offers his disciples.  Here on the plain, Jesus began his preaching in a similar fashion as that recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel (whether on the plain or on the mount, it’s likely Jesus gave this teaching in various places) and emphasized the hope He gave to all those who were poor, hungry, sorrowful, and hated by the world for His name’s sake.  The corresponding caution was given to those who found their current comfort in wealth, gluttony, frivolity, and being well regarded by those who rejected Jesus.  For His disciples, no matter how troubled or rejected they found themselves in this world, He told them to rejoice, for their joys in heaven would outshine all their sorrows.  Yet for those comfortable in their rejection of God and His Word, no matter how much wealth and prestige they accumulated in this fallen world, none of it would compare with the hellish destitution which awaited them.

 

It’s important to note, I think, that Jesus used those two polarized examples to teach the centrality of faith and grace, and not the accidents of wealth or joy or celebrity.  Simply being poor, hungry, sad, or rejected is no more virtuous and worthy of eternal life, than being rich, fat, happy, and prestigious is worthy of eternal perdition.  Jesus isn’t a Marxist, and He’s not trying to foment class warfare between the haves and the have-nots.  Instead, He presents and makes much clearer the ancient principle found in the 16^th chapter of Solomon’s Proverbs, that better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. There will always be wealthy people with integrity, just as there will always be poor people without it.  The key matter is not the presence of wealth or celebrity, but the heart before God.  A person with faith in God and His Word, now fully revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ, is one who is blessed for eternity by the grace which covers all sins and works reconciliation with the Father for the sake of the Son, no matter what life in this fallen world would throw at them.  And conversely, a person without faith in God and His Word remains under the curse of his own sins, condemned forever by the Law which he is powerless to perfectly keep, no matter how comfortable his life may be in this fallen world.

 

In our own times and places, this should give us much to think about, as well.  Rather than looking upon either our own relative poverty or wealth, our own ignominy or renown, we must examine our hearts before God to ensure that our circumstances—regardless of what they may be—do not take our hearts away from faith in Jesus.  Life in this world is already short, as even a span of 80 years is only a blink of an eye compared with eternity, and the fortunes of each person will likely rise and fall many times across an individual lifetime.  Some may make and lose fortunes, while others may see different peaks and valleys of joys and sorrows.  As Solomon again reminds his readers in Ecclesiastes, there’s a season for everything under heaven, for good times and for troubling times.  Yet regardless of the temporary circumstances of life in this world, what endures forever is God and His Word, together with everyone who is gathered together with Him by grace through faith.  Whenever we are tempted to think that God has abandoned us because we’re experiencing pain, or that He’s approved of us because we’re experiencing pleasure, we are reminded by the Cross of Jesus Christ that He is always crucified and risen for us, that we might always have eternal life in His Name.

 

What a remarkable truth Jesus revealed in this, that God is for us no matter our situation in this world!  Rich or poor, fat or thin, sorrowing or joyful, applauded or derided, Jesus Christ died and rose again for us all, that everyone who turns and believes in Him might live forever, forgiven and free.  Jesus is not the Savior of only the poor or only the rich, but of every heart that would repent of evil and trust in Him, abiding in His Word of grace as a child of God and inheritor of His Kingdom unto ages of ages.  Jesus is not revealed as the archetype of any political or social class, and neither does He come to sow division or discord, but to unite all people in His grace by faith in Him.  Where our hearts cling to worldly treasures, comforts, or accolades, He calls us to give up such impotent idols, and receive from Him the treasures, comforts, and accolades of Heaven which He gives by grace through faith in His Eternal Word.  And for those who despair in their worldly troubles, He calls them to faith and repentance as well, that they may receive from Him all the glories of His Father’s Eternal Kingdom, all by grace through faith in Him.

 

Hear the Word of the Lord as it comes to you this day, that it may enlighten the dark areas of your heart which still cling to temporal things over the Word of Jesus.  And turning from those glittering baubles, hear the Gospel of our Lord which promises forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation which can come only by grace through faith in Him alone.  Soli Deo Gloria!  Amen.