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Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.
And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
"Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man's sake.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
"But woe to you who are rich,
For you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full,
For you shall hunger,
Woe to you who laugh now,
For you shall mourn and weep.
Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets."
- Luke 6:12-26
Yesterday, we read that, on the second Sabbath after the first, He went through the grainfields. And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands. And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?" But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?" And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught. And a man was there whose right hand was withered. So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him. But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here." And he arose and stood. Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?" And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor. My study bible points out here that "Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father. Rather, as the Son of Man, He prays as Advocate for humanity" (citing Ambrose of Milan; see also 1 John 2:1). Jesus also spent all night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles "to teach us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task (Theophylact of Bulgaria). These chosen men are called alternatively both disciples ("learners") and apostles (those who are "sent out" on a mission). Some of the names in the lists of apostles vary from Gospel to Gospel -- this is because many people had more than one name. (Bartholomew is also known as Nathanael, and Judas the son of James is also known as Thaddeus.)
And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. This passage tells us of the great crowds Jesus draws, not only from Judea and Jerusalem, but even from Tyre and Sidon, to the north of Galilee. Jesus spoke what is known as the "Sermon on the Plain" (a level place). The Sermon is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount, but not as extensive. My study bible suggests that "Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years" -- it is reasonable to assume His preaching reached into all the areas of His ministry, and over time the disciples heard His teachings repeated for all audiences. Note also the power that "comes out of Him" for all kinds of healings.
Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets." Jesus gives a set of Beatitudes to begin this Sermon, similarly to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). It's important to note the spiritual content here, the promise of the Kingdom in all of these "blessings." In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus speaks of the poor "in spirit," and those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness." This isn't a promise of material gain, fame, popularity, and all the rest of the things we might associate with dreams from a television contest. This is about spiritual fulfillment, the work of the Kingdom that is within us. That is the context of the great blessings that are promised by Christ. It is the Kingdom that colors and changes our lives, even in this world, giving us more than what material life can offer.
"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger, woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets." My study bible says that "Luke reports four 'woes' not found in Matthew's account. Woe is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12). Those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the 'utmost misery'; however, they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others (Cyril of Alexandria)." Jesus is saying that the faith such people have in their material things (including the "praise of men") isn't something that will last but will destruct or be found to be worthless. There will remain the "gap" or emptiness left where the Kingdom hasn't been sought.
I think it's important that we understand that Jesus' promises are not materially-based. The promises of the Kingdom are those things that fill our lives, in some sense, from the inside out. These promises are also filled "from the outside" but in community, when we are able to share a kind of love with others in our faith. These are assets to life which are not equally substituted for by those who may falsely praise us, or by wealth alone. As human beings, we have needs that go beyond simply material consolation. Experiments even on animals who are not held, for example, as babies, give us an idea of the terrible destruction to the inner life (and thus to the whole life) when there is no perception of love. All of us - as creatures created by God - have a need for this inner connection of love. If we have nothing else in our lives, no one we can really trust, no place where a profound love attaches somehow -- we still have this love and guidance. We still have prayer. We have intercessors we can turn to. And this is a profound place of the soul that is fed there. There may be enormous psychological problems that accompany great wealth without a firm foundation in love, without the true security of the inner life that is possible through faith. Jesus speaks to us today of these blessings and these woes, and we can see them perfectly well in the world around ourselves. A faithful life doesn't necessarily prevent woes and difficulties in life, and Jesus doesn't promise us that we will necessarily live with the good opinion of everyone. On the contrary, Jesus tells us we are blessed when others hate us and exclude us, even revile us, or cast out our names as evil, for the sake of the life of faith that we live. Faith doesn't mean we automatically become perfect human beings, but it does give us a Companion, one we can call upon for guidance and help. It gives us something, a Kingdom, that money can't buy. It gives us the kind of consolation that is borne of love, even a love one hasn't found in the world. Not everyone is lucky enough to have perfect parents or family or environment, but with God, even our weakness can be the ground for the perfection of God's strength: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). The God of love we worship welcomes us all to His Kingdom, His healing, His love, and His kind of security. There are a lot of things we may be "poor" in (even if we have nominal wealth!). This Kingdom is one in which even our imperfections and the things we lack become the ground for His work, in us -- and thereby in the world. This is what the Kingdom adds to our lives that nothing else can. And that is the true justice of this Kingdom; its law is grace. Are you ready?
