Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God

 

 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 it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus 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.  My study Bible comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  But instead, according to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus, as the Son of Man, Jesus prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).  He spent all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles.  According to St. Theophylact, this teaches 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.  

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 comments that the titles disciples and apostles are often used interchangeably for the twelve.  In the Greek of the New Testament, the word translated as disciple literally means "learner," and the word from which we derive apostle means "one sent out" (as on a mission).  The names of the Twelve aren't identical in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here, as in St. Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4), the names are given in pairs, perhaps suggesting who might have traveled together on their first missionary journey -- as Mark reports they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

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.  Let us note the great amount of followers Jesus' ministry has now amassed to itself.  They come not just from Galilee, where His ministry began, but also from all Judea and Jerusalem, and even from the Gentile region of Tyre of Sidon.  Jesus stands on a level place, ready to deliver what is known as the Sermon on the Plain.  

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said . . .   Here Jesus begins what is known as the Sermon on the Plain.  It is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), although it is not as extensive.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years. Note that He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, directing this Sermon toward them.  This is His gospel which those who are chosen as apostles will be sent out to deliver to the world.

 

"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  My study Bible explains that blessed in this context indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, it says, "poor" means both the materially poor, and the faithful among God's people.  So, the poor in spirit are those with the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and retain a sense of dependence upon God. 

 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blesses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  These, my study Bible says, are the people who see the presence of God and God's kingdom as the most important thing in life.  This means they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food. 

 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   Those who weep are those who sorrow over the sufferings of the world, and also their own sins which contribute.  All of these shall laugh in the joy of God (John 15:11), both in this age and in the one to come.  My study Bible says that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  It's to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10). 

 

"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."   Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs, my study Bible says.  It notes that Christians accept persecution joyfully, knowing that the rewards of the Kingdom far outweigh any sufferings on earth.  See Acts 5:40-41.

 

 "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."  Here Luke, in contrast to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, reports four "woes" not found in that account.  Woe, my study Bible comments, 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, according to St. Cyril of Alexandria, are liable to the "utmost misery"; however, they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy toward others.  

This portion of Christ's Sermon on the Plain, taken in its entirety, gives us a certain perspective on what can be called repentance within the Christian tradition.  Jesus gives us a perspective on our lives which challenges a conventional worldly perspective, asking us to have deeper insights, and particular ways of looking at life beyond the surfaces of what we know and see.  In this sense, in repentance as "change of mind" (as the Greek word for repentance used in the Gospels literally means), we are asked to take on the mind of Christianity.  The promises Christ makes are the promises of the Kingdom, the way of being in the world but not of it that Christ preaches to us.  The poor may be those who are materially poor, but it is far better understood in the mind of the Church that those who are "poor" in this sense are those with the perspective of the poor, primarily understanding their dependence upon God, and also practicing gratitude for the good things of life we have.  Regardless of what we have and don't have in life, the things that we have come to realize or the things we think we lack, or are disappointed at in life, ours is indeed the kingdom of God.  For the kingdom of God is for those who truly want it.  We may be hungry for all kinds of things, but God is present to fill us with the things of God and the Kingdom, and to help to guide us in our lives for what we need and the life Christ has for us.  We weep over the sadness and injustice in the world, but there is joy in Christ, and joy in the things we are capable of doing and the love God can teach us, with which we can be filled.  If we suffer for the sake of our faith in Christ, consider how many may live without a fulfilling sense of mission or purpose, or who suffer needlessly and senselessly for what gives no lasting reward.  Christ's "woes" are a way of teaching us what it is we can work for, even slave for, but which can disappear into meaninglessness, or be unfulfilling in a deeper sense.  Life in the Kingdom even as we live in this world, is about pursuing the beauty of God's life for us, the identity Christ gives us, the image of life and values we are capable of grasping that teach wisdom and a fitting purpose, no matter where we find ourselves in life on worldly terms.  If we can but grasp it, this is the gospel message given for our lives and for love of humankind.

 

 

 

 

 

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets

 

 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 it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that 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 it 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: . . .   Jesus, as the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father, my study Bible says.  It cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that as the Son of Man, Jesus prays as the Advocate for humanity  (see 1 John 2:1).  Jesus spent all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles.   Citing Theophylact, my study Bible says that this teaches 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.  Disciples and apostles are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve.  The Greek word translated as disciple means literally "learner."  Apostle means "one sent out." 

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.    The names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here these names are given in pairs, suggesting possibly who traveled together on the first missionary journey.  Mark reports that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

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.  The sermon that follows these verses is called the Sermon on the Plain, we're told that Jesus stood on a level place.  .  It's similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount (found at Matthew 5 - 7), but not as extensive.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over the period of three years in His public ministry.  It adds that, in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  But God Incarnate speaks to His disciples and a great multitude face to face.  The power that went out of Him affirms His holiness. 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."   Blessed in the context of this sermon (and the Sermon on the Mount) indicates a heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than our conventional sense of earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, my study Bible explains, "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.   In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus addresses this to the "poor in spirit," meaning all those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and a total dependence upon God. 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  My study Bible says that these see  God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  They have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's desire for food (see Matthew 6:33). 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   Those who weep do so over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  Laughter comes from the comfort of the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible notes that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This type of sorrow is distinguished from ungodly sorrow; which would be a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

"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."    My study Bible comments that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Luke 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Those who are treated in the ways described here do so as was done to the prophets, and Christ as well.  Those who suffer persecution in this sense walk the same road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  See Acts 5:40-41.

"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 gives us four "woes" that are not found in the Sermon on the Mount.  My study Bible says that woe is an indication not simply of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  It remarks that those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery," according to St. Cyril of Alexandria.  But they find hope when they sacrifice earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.  

We might be puzzled by the "woes" that are included here in the Sermon on the Plain.  In a modern context, it's not often that we think of Jesus as one who assigns "woes" to people.  This is especially true because the things named as part of these woes are overwhelmingly seen as things that are highly desirable and good, notable signs of success which perhaps all would like to pursue.  Wealth, fullness, laughter, and particularly perhaps those who are spoken of in a positive light, with renown or great publicity all seem to define success.  These are the people we tend to define as stars, upheld to others for their admiration, and constantly courting public opinion.  But clearly Jesus frowns on these as goals worth dedicating our whole lives to as if they are the fullness of life and its sole purpose.  In fact, if that's all we do, forgetful of Christ's words and the important things we should be pursuing, then our laughter is hollow and temporary, our consolation only of this world and not for life beyond, we'll be starving for things of more real substance, and mourning what we could have pursued, and missed doing.  For again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we go back to what righteousness is, right-relatedness.  If all we do is pursue these goals, if these are our highest good, then where are we in terms of our capacity to love others and do good for community?  Where is God in such a set of goals?  As "every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17), then how we pursue those gifts, how we use them or think of them, is certainly the purview of the Author of the gift.  If all things come from above, then what is our role in placing gratitude to God first before all else, and seeking God's way to live in the world?  Jesus adds, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  In the developed world, our capacity for the pursuit of all the things Jesus names becomes magnified and enhanced through every facet of what we call progress, every new development of technology and consumer goods.  But perhaps nothing is as magnified over and above the past as our capacity for the seeking of publicity, the hope that "all men speak well" of us, flatter us.  Giant social media networks like Facebook are driven by this desire, and those who have designed and engineered that know this very well, a system that goes by Likes, and Subscribes, and online Friends.  This great desire for a favorable image or outcome from the opinions of others drives its power to deceive through the failure to accept that it's God's opinion that matters most, takes priority in our choices and decisions.  We are so fixed in the idea of image as merely that which is reflected in the sight of others, rather than in the eye of God, that we run a risk of emptiness that never gets filled.  Indeed, studies have shown a depression correlated with social media use, the envy of what one sees crafted through photos and other posting coming to seem like the grass that is always greener somewhere else.  But needing to please God has to take on a different sort of priority, regardless of the rewards one might seek in a social context.  John's Gospel gives us a picture of the members of the ruling Council:  "many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).   The heretofore unprecedented levels of interactions available to us through modern technology make each of us hyper-aware of that "audience" available through the screen.  It leads us to focus a certain way, to think of ourselves within a particular sort of community that hasn't existed previous to recent times.  But God still calls to us, and perhaps that applause or approval we seek today is more fleeting than ever.  And yet there are also gatekeepers; we stand in constant awareness of the possibility that we will be censured, cancelled, shunned, and literally censored as well depending on how we serve that desired image and what it demands from us today.  Let us be attentive to the woes that Christ names, for it is an empty and merciless life defined only by  this kind of mutual praise, without the substance and grace that comes from the only God. 

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament

 

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:  

    'We played the flute for you,

    And you did not dance;

    We mourned to you,

    And you did not lament.'

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

 

- Matthew 11:16-24

 

In Friday's reading, the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus, asking if He is the Coming One, or if they should look for another, for John was imprisoned at this time.  On Saturday we read that when they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 

 

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:   'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.'   For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."  Jesus compares His and John the Baptist's critics to children playing a popular game among Jewish children of the time.  The children would divide into two groups.  One would pretend to play musical instruments (for dancing) or to sing (for mourning), and the others were expected to respond.  In this case, He compares them to children complaining that the second group responded in a manner opposite of what would have been expected.  My study Bible comments that Christ draws a parallel to the Jewish leaders who responded wickedly both to John the Baptist as being too ascetic and to Christ as being too liberal in mercy and joy.  But, as Jesus says, wisdom is justified by all her children.  That is, both the ascetic John, and the merciful Christ.

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  My study Bible comments that it is a far greater sin to have seen Christ's works and rejected Him than never to have known Him at all.  

In today's reading, Jesus speaks of the proper response to the grace of God.  Both He and John the Baptist have ministries in which they serve God as they are called.  John was himself deeply ascetic, living in a kind of chosen poverty in order to devote all of his life to God's call.  Christ's ministry appears to be quite different.  As He Himself says, He is criticized for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners -- those with wealth, even gained by what are considered to be sinful means (see this reading, in which Matthew the tax collector, our Evangelist, is called by Christ the Physician).  Their ministries bear very little resemblance  to one another, and yet both serve as they are called to do.  For this is the message of God's grace.  In John's chapter 3, Jesus explains to Nicodemus, an important member of the Council who also becomes Christ's follower:  "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).  In other words, God's grace -- the ways in which the Spirit of God works -- is not predictable nor accountable to worldly human standards.  Jesus and John bear very little resemblance to one another in terms of the appearance and type of their ministries, but in fact both work together for God's kingdom, and each is necessary in the unfolding of this story.  Nicodemus himself is an unlikely candidate for us to expect as a devoted follower of Christ, as He is a prominent member of the Council and a Pharisee, and yet he becomes a disciple as well; like Joseph of Arimathea, another wealthy man from Jerusalem, he will show heroism in service to Christ.  What all of these figures have in common, and indeed all the figures we read about who serve Christ and the kingdom, is just that:  a faith that exchanges one life for another, worldly expectations for the service of God, however they are called to do so in life.  For this is the life of faith, and of taking up one's own cross.  Of course, the wonderful message hidden in Christ's words that "wisdom is justified by all her children" is that in the great and awesome creativity of Christ, each unique life and personality gives us a sense of the magnificent beauty and variety of God's kingdom.  As unique and different as each person we read about who serves God, each is called to play their own part in the Body of Christ.  This is the unsurpassed creativity of God, and why we just keep our hearts open to discernment.  The astonishing beauty of God can also be misunderstood and rejected when we allow our own expectations to cloud what grace is revealing to us.  We think of repentance as mourning for sins of the past; but truly another form of repentance is opening one's eyes to God's unexpected grace, and opening to receive as it is given and revealed.  In order to do that, we discard the limitations God challenges within ourselves, and embrace God's way for us.  This is also the way of the Cross, of taking up our own crosses and following Him.  Jesus' great signs do not move the cities He names to that kind of repentance, or "change of mind."  This in itself, as He reveals, becomes a kind of judgment.  They are witness to His miracles, but cannot accept His gospel -- and both are gifts from God.  This is the danger of wanting a god in our own image, one who will simply conform to our demands.  But wisdom is justified by all her children.

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God

Virgin Mary praying to Christ, detail from Deesis mosaic, Aghia Sophia cathedral, Constintinople, Byzantine Empire (present day Istanbul, Turkey), 13th century

 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 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 it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus 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: . . .  My study cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from God the Father.  Rather, as the Son of Man, He prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).  It notes that, according to Theophylact, Jesus 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.  Note that these men were already disciples of Christ, but now these twelve will also be named apostles.  Disciple is from a Greek word that means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out."

 

 . . . 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 comments that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.   Both here and in Matthew 10:1-4, the names are given in pairs.  Mark's Gospel reports that the apostles were sent out two by two on their first missionary journey (Mark 6:7), so perhaps the grouping represents who traveled together.

 

 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.  The text tells us that Jesus stood on a level place to deliver the sermon He's about to give.  What follows is called the Sermon on the Plain, and is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 - 7, although it is not as extensive.  Let us note the large crowd, both of His disciples and also a great multitude of people from all regions of Israel, and even the Gentile territories of Tyre and Sidon -- and that power went out from Him.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teaching over a period of three years (John reports three Passover feasts attended by Jesus between His Baptism and Passion).

 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."   As in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins by declaring Beatitudes (supreme blessedness).   To be blessed in this context, my study Bible says, indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, Jesus' first Beatitude declares, "Blessed are the poor in spirit. . ."  In Hebrew, my study Bible explains, poor means both the materially poor and also the faithful among God's people.  To be poor in spirit is to have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and total dependence upon God.

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again, turning to the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  My study Bible says that these see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  They have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food.

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."  Those who weep are akin to those who mourn in Matthew 5:4.  They sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All of these will laugh in the sense that they will be joyful through the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible comments that holy sorrow is part of the path of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action  (to weep is frequently understood in this context as well), and is in effect the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This weeping or sorrow is distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).

"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 leap for joy!  For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."  Those who suffer persecution for Christ's sake walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs, my study Bible notes.  See Acts 5:40-41.

"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 notes that Luke reports for "woes" which are not found in Matthew's Sermon on the Mount.  Woe, it says, is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  According to St. Cyril of Alexandria, those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery"; but find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.

There is one point in today's commentary from my study Bible that leaps out at me, and that is this final citing from the writing of St. Cyril of Alexandria.  He comments that those who prize the vices listed in Christ's Woes are liable to the "utmost misery"; but find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.  This seems to me to be exceedingly illuminating.  That is because St. Cyril cites a way in which what we do in this world, how we use our worldly goods (in which I would include time, our health, our initiative, etc.) as a way of transfiguring our lives.  Even those consigned by Christ to this "woe" are capable of expressing mercy through whatever resources they have.  This is clearly what it means to repent, to "change one's mind" in the literal meaning of the word for repent in Greek (metanoia/μετανοια).  Now let us note that this comment from St. Cyril effectively correlates repentence with the practice of mercy.  Mercy is a way of turning around our lives from one way to the other.  That is, turning away from a false path, and turning toward Christ.  It's important to note that this practice of mercy is something that comes from the heart, and is not merely some form of what is popularly called "virtue signalling," nor a way of jumping on a political or social bandwagon, nor conformity to popular ideas or to follow a crowd, or some other ulterior motive.  To practice mercy, St. Cyril is effectively saying, is to have a change of heart, or change of mind.  And therein we find something akin to a shaft of light in a dark tunnel.   Earlier in Luke's Gospel, the people ask John the Baptist what they must do to practice repentance in preparation for the coming of Christ.  "What shall we do then?" they want to know.  John responds by instructing the people of various walks of life what they can do, and in particular is mentioned those Jews notorious among the people for taking what they can get through authority and power, the tax collectors and soldiers.  See Luke 3:10-14.   Looking at this passage, we note that each word of advice given in response to this question by John is offering things that can be done as acts of mercy.  We might also think of the practice of mercy as acts of compassion, as our Lord so often shows us that He is "moved with compassion" and that compassion plays such a great role in His ministry (see Matthew 9:35-36; 14:14; 15:32; 18:27, 33; 20:34; Mark 1:41; 5:19; 6:34; 8:2, 9:22; Luke 7:13; 10:33; 15:20).  St. Paul speaks of Jesus as our great High Priest as One who has compassion:  "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15-16).  What St. Cyril offers us, then, is a way out of our "woes" that is enlightening even in its simplicity.  We must think of the practice of mercy as our way to repent, in whatever form that comes to us to practice.  Note that mercy is neither sentimentality nor pity, but a true sense of what is helpful and needful.  A practice of mercy is also the act of creating community; it has been called "love in action."  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus extensively cautions us not to use such acts as public spectacle, but rather prizes those which are done in secret.  One might read all of Matthew 6 in relation to this particular teaching regarding mercy and the things Jesus names as Woes.  Let us note also that the practice of mercy can be constituted by the smallest of seemingly minor acts, such as a smile when someone needs it, a good word, encouragement, even a tiny and intimate kindness, a touch on the shoulder, a reassurance.  We need not "save the world" in order to save the world, for in so doing in the name of Christ we participate in God's love which brings salvation to the world (John 3:16-17).  Let us remember the heart of the poor in the spiritual sense explained here, which is neither grandiose nor leaping ahead of itself, but humble and seeking the way of Christ, even when no one else knows it.  Above, I post a portion of what remains of a mosaic of the Aghia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom") cathedral, built in Constantinople, the capitol of the Byzantine Empire.  It is a detail of what is called the Deesis mosaic.  In the center is Christ, and on either side the Virgin Mary (called Mother of God) and St. John the Baptist pray on behalf of humanity.   Both of these figures constitute a picture of what it means to be blessed in the sense Christ gives in today's reading.  She is called the most "blessed among women" (Luke 1:28), while John is called greatest "born to women" (Matthew 11:11).  The portion in the image above is the face of Mary the Mother of God, in whose expression we can surely see the compassion Jesus teaches for us all.

 

 

Blessed are you

 

 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 cast your 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 it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus 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: . . .  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  Instead, as the Son of Man, He prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).   Moreover, according to Theophylact, Jesus spent all night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles in order 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.  The twelve are called interchangeably both disciples and apostles.  The Greek word translated as "disciple" means literally "learner."  "Apostle" means "one sent out." 

. . . 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 comments that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, because many people had more than one name.  The names here and in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4) are given in pairs, suggesting who might have traveled together on the first missionary journey, as Mark reports that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7). 

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.  Note that for the sermon He will give here, Jesus stood on a level place.  For that reason, the sermon in the verses that follow is called the Sermon on the Plain.  It is also noteworthy that, in addition to all those from Judea and Jerusalem (and, we presume, Galilee), there are also people present from the Gentile regions of the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.  Although the Sermon on the Plain is not as extension as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), it is similar in content.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years.  

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  In the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," meaning those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  This can also clearly mean those oppressed or excluded because of their faith and humility.  Blessed in the context of Christ's teaching means heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than a worldly kind of happiness or simply material prosperity.  In Hebrew, my study Bible comments, "poor" means both the materially poor and also the faithful among God's people. 

 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again we remember the kind of blessings Jesus refers to here.  In the Sermon on the Mount, it's reported that He taught, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."   

 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."    In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ speaks of the blessedness of those who mourn.  That is, according to my study Bible, those who sorrow over the suffering of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  

 

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and cast your 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."    My study Bible comments that those who would be children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Luke Jesus, there will be those who, in response, hate, exclude, and cast one's name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake (see also John 15:18-20).  It adds that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  

"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 reports four "woes" which are not found in Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount.  My study Bible comments that 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 which are listed here are liable to the "utmost misery"; however, according to St. Cyril of Alexandria, they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.

 

 In giving us both the blessings and the woes that accompany the kingdom of God and His gospel, Jesus teaches us about the centrality of this Kingdom to our lives.  He's saying that we have both blessings within it, and woes that come without it, and He offers us a perspective that teaches quite clearly that being a part of this Kingdom is worth every sacrifice and any worldly suffering it might entail.  The blessings of this Kingdom come despite nominal worldly hardship because of it, in Christ's framework of Beatitudes here.  We are blessed although among the poor, because ours is the kingdom of God.  We are blessed when we hunger, for we shall be filled.  When we weep we are nonetheless blessed because we shall laugh.  And when we are hated by others, and excluded, and our name is slandered as evil -- all for the Son of Man's sake -- we are also blessed!  In fact, we are to rejoice, and leap for joy, because our reward is great in heaven, and in so suffering we join the ranks of the prophets of the past.  He asks us to celebrate this blessedness even in the midst of worldly suffering because of our faith.  On the other hand, there are woes here for those who reject the Kingdom, and who reap a worldly harvest at the same time (even possibly because of that rejection).  The rich will receive no other consolation; those who are full (in contrast to the hungry faithful) shall hunger.  Those who laugh now shall mourn and weep.  And those whose reputation is great and flattered shall suffer the same fate as the false prophets.  It might be safe to say that we all know those who seem to have a good life possibly because they reject living the values that Christ teaches -- and also those who nominally follow Christ in an outward fashion.  But consider what it means to truly accept the things He posits here.  Can we rejoice when we're reviled for His sake?  Are we really capable of understanding, contrary to the plethora of suggestions in the world that having all things immediately at our fingertips is a guarantee of a great life, that a deferred consolation might really be far better than the things with which we could gratify ourselves right now?  These are not easy teachings, but they nevertheless make a great deal of sense with a little spiritual experience.   Some have learned by sharing the bitter experience of letting oneself down with, say, easy money gained through a cheap cheat of someone we care about.  Another common path to this knowledge through experience is in finding a purely outward fix through indulgence and forgetfulness in whatever vice we choose, rather than really grappling with and struggling with an inner problem.  These remain common experiences in a modern world -- and the true "fix" to the problems that deeply ail us remains still in the spiritual struggle that is there within us.  There are all kinds of ways of losing ourselves within the worldly framework of what looks good on the surface.  For example,  popularity and flattery, getting the big house or car or boat even through not-so-honest or decent ways of conducting our business, or a high lifestyle that seeks to ignore the question of integrity and even the inner struggle with our own troubles.  These dilemmas remain with us and become magnified with greater worldly wealth and temptation.  There are myriad books in any marketplace to testify to such struggles, and self-help programs, medications, and therapies that continue to proliferate in an effort to offer solutions.  But so much in the end comes down to facing the true fact that it is the intangible that gives us reward, the struggle that gives us substance, and the love of God that is the comfort that answers our deepest needs for consolation.  In the end, it is the love and mercy of the Kingdom that become reliable -- despite worldly loss -- because those are the things that stay with us while everything else can fluctuate.  Those are the needs we still have when everything else is transcended.  Witness the enduring problems in the headlines of people who have too much too fast, of the wealthy and famous, the anxieties that can accompany worldly achievement.  Let us consider the Kingdom, and Christ's teaching.  For whatever we have in life, a real need remains for what is of true substance, and the spiritual life the one place to seek the answers we haven't  managed to find.  There are times when we make a choice between this inner struggle of working out our salvation and some sort of worldly plan for "success."  Let us cherish the value of the one over the other, and know that all things may be added to the one we are to seek first. 

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God

 

 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 it was on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus 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.  According to St. Ambrose of Milan, 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 the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).   Theophan comments that, as Jesus spent all night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles, it teaches us that before a candidate is chosen for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  Out of His disciples, He chooses twelve He also named apostles:  disciple means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out."  My study bible tells us that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here, in Luke's Gospel, for example, Levi is now Matthew.  These names, as in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4), are given in pairs, suggesting who might have traveled together on the first missionary journey, as Mark says they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).

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.  Jesus stood on a level place to deliver the sermon that follows, for this reason it is often called the Sermon on the Plain.  Note that Jesus had gone to a mountain to pray before choosing the twelve disciples He also named apostles; here the text tells us that He came down with them to a great multitude of people from everywhere inside Israel (including all Judea and Jerusalem) and from nominally Gentile regions of Tyre and Sidon.  Jesus' great 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."  Here Jesus begins what is known as the Sermon on the Plain, directed at all of His disciples, and by inference, all we who would be His disciples.  It is not as extensive, but similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 - 7.   My study bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years.  Blessed, in this context, does not indicate an earthly happiness or prosperity, but rather heavenly, spiritual exaltation.  In Hebrew, poor means both the materially poor, and also those who are faithful among God's people.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus refers this teaching to the "poor in spirit" -- that is, those who have teh heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Let us note that these are spiritual teachings, and not promises of prosperity and abundant food, but rather allusions to the deep desire for the things of God, the bread and wine of Christ and His true substance.  All of these teachings follow upon the mention of the "poor," those who are aware of their deep needs.

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of those who mourn (Matthew 5:4).  My study bible says that they are those who have sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23),  the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  Christ shares His joy with us in this world and in the age to come, a joy that comes from the fulfillment of one's place in the economy of God, the salvation story of all, God's grace at work in one's life (John 15:11; 16:20-24).

"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."  My study bible comments that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, the Son of Man, and like the prophets, they will suffer antipathy and exclusion, even being called evil.  Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  See Acts 5:40-41.

"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 reports four "woes" which are not found in Matthew's Sermon on the Mount.  Woe, according to my study bible, is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18; Revelation 12:12).  Similarly to "blessed" in this context, "woe" has a deeper spiritual meaning beyond its worldly connotations.  My study bible cites St. Cyril of Alexandria, who comments that those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery"; but they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others (see also Matthew 6:19-21).

Jesus' Sermon on the Plain tells us deep truths about the ways in which we live our lives, and the realities we deal with as His disciples and followers.  But it also echoes the truths found in other prophetic verses in the Bible, most especially in the songs of women we encounter.  Luke reports the song of Mary, sung by Mary after her cousin Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) is filled with the Holy Spirit as her own child leaps in her womb, and she prophesies that Mary carries the Incarnate Lord (Luke 1:41-45).  In Mary's song (Luke 1:46-55) are also found the truths of the power of the Lord, which turn upside down the wisdom of the world.  She whose state is lowly will be called blessed by all generations.  The proud will be scattered, the mighty pulled down from their thrones, the lowly exalted, the hungry filled with good things, the rich sent away empty, and the faithful people of God who serve the Lord are helped.  In all of these themes is the contained the power and action of the mercy of the Lord, and we also find this elaborated by Jesus in today's reading which includes the Sermon on the Plain.  These themes extend from the Old Testament (see, for instance, Hannah's song), and are fulfilled and made manifest in the New.  But we also carry with us an understanding that this manifestation must continue and must grow, even as we still look to the future for a richer revelation and fulfillment of the same.  As you read these words of the Sermon on the Plain, I would ask my readers to reflect on what ways these words might be fulfilled in your own lives and your own experience, for it is indeed in experience that we find the fulfillment of Christ's teaching.  A sad occasion or loss turns to joy with the addition and action of faith:  one door closes on a job or occupation, but with time we find our faith leads us to something more pleasing to the Lord.  We might experience the loss of social status, but contained therein is a blessing of peace in more deeply being linked to Christ in the heart.  There are myriad ways we can experience this power in the mercy of the Lord in our own lives, even more than I could count simply in my own.  But it is important that we look to what seems to be that power manifesting in the small, even the intimate, and even in ways no one else possibly knows, and not discount them.  We think of Christ as Lord of the Universe, and indeed, this is true; His will be the final word over all.  But our experience of our faith is something different.  It takes eyes to see and ears to hear, and it comes down to what we know in the heart, and what we have the capacity through faith to see and to hear.  This intimate moment between Mary and Elizabeth, this Sermon on the Plain with Christ's disciples, or the mountaintop experience of the Twelve, are not earth-shattering events when they happen.  They are not on parallel with a worldly impression such as a declaration of Caesar, a great battle that topples a kingdom, the siege of a city.  And yet, their impact is far, far greater than all of these through time, and will continue to grow through time into the future.  When we look to Christ's words, let us also consider how they are manifest in the experience of St. Paul, who prayed to be healed of an affliction, but was told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  "Therefore," writes St. Paul, "most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  God's power so often manifests not through the great, but the small.  Let us therefore look to our deeply intimate times of faith for meaning and understanding, and look back through time at the unfolding of God's word -- even as we watch terrifying powers defeated, power-hungry movements collapsing from within, and our prayers made manifest in a deep sense of peace and joy we can't explain.  For these are the ways in which God's power and love are at work, and God's mercy is always present with us.