A Sermon to Remember—Lectionary Reflection for Epiphany 6C (Luke 6)
Luke 6:17-26 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
17 He came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,for yours is the kingdom of God.21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,for you will be filled.“Blessed are you who weep now,for you will laugh.22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,for you have received your consolation.25 “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.26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
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It has
been reported that preachers are being asked where they got the liberal ideas they
were sharing in their sermons about caring for the poor and the marginalized
while critiquing the rich. When preachers point to Jesus, the questioners
express disbelief. Among the Gospel readings that trigger such responses are
the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and the so-called “Sermon on the Plain,” the
latter being found here in Luke 6. This sermon, which takes place on a “level
place” after Jesus came down from the mountain where he had been praying,
mirrors in many ways the Sermon on the Mount. What we have here is a portion of
this “Sermon on the Plain,” which offers a set of blessings (similar to the
Beatitudes) and words of woe (judgment). They may not go over well in many
churches this coming Sunday. So, preachers, beware!
Our
reading begins with Luke setting the context. Jesus had been up on a mountain
praying, which is something he did on occasion. When he descended to the plain
below (the exact location is difficult to discern), a crowd gathered around him.
While we might assume that Jesus was in Galilee (the last reported location was
Capernaum—Luke 4:31), Luke tells us that a “great multitude” gathered from all
over Judea, Jerusalem, as well as the coastal regions around Tyre and Sidon. If
this takes place in Galilee, people seem willing to travel a long way to see
Jesus! Some came to hear him teach, and others sought healing of their diseases
as well as relief from unclean spirits. Everyone tried to touch him, hoping
that by doing so, they might be healed. That is the setting for the sermon that
follows.
As I
noted above, this passage includes two sets of declarations. The first offers
blessings, and the second issues woes/warnings. Both sets remind us of Jesus’
commitment to care for the poor and marginalized. As Mary did in the
Magnificat, Jesus lets the rich and powerful know that the time is coming when
they will lose their status. As is true today, in the ancient world, there was
a vast chasm between rich and poor. Jesus let the people know on whose side he
stood. It wasn’t on the side of the rich and powerful.
We
begin with the blessings. There are four of them, the first being “Blessed are
you who are poor.” Now, it’s likely that the majority of Jesus’ audience fit
this category. Jesus promises them the kingdom of God. This is not just a
promise that is fulfilled in the afterlife. For Jesus, the kingdom was already
being inaugurated. The second blessing covers those who are hungry because they
will be filled. How this will take place isn’t spelled out, but might we
imagine the disciples pondering the implications for their ministry with Jesus?
Later on in Luke, Jesus will feed the 5000-plus people gathered by the
lakeshore (Luke
9:10-17). In addition, Jesus offers a blessing on those who weep because they
will laugh. As Ecclesiastes reminds us, there is “a time to weep, and a time to
laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Eccl. 3:4).
The
next word of blessing covers those who are hated, excluded, reviled, and
defamed because of their allegiance to Jesus (the Son of Man). Rather than claim
to be a victim, as many Christians do today in the United States because they
were required to wear masks during a pandemic, Jesus tells the crowd to “Rejoice
on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for
that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.” Not too long before that,
Jesus himself had faced a hostile crowd in his hometown that almost threw him
off a cliff (Luke 4:16-30). We might not think of something like this as a
cause for rejoicing, but the point is that we should rejoice that we too are
treated as Jesus has been treated. This word is eschatological in nature
because Jesus speaks of the blessing to come in heaven. This word also echoes
the words of Jeremiah, who, in the first reading for this Sunday, warns against
trusting mere mortals and turning away from God. They will be like a shrub in
the desert that fails to see relief. On the other hand, those who trust in the
Lord “shall be like a tree planted by water, . . . in the year of drought is
not anxious and it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:5-10).
Jesus
isn’t finished yet. He’s offered blessings, but he also offers a series of woes,
words of judgment. While the first blessing applies to those who are poor, the
first woe applies to the rich. Jesus tells the crowd, “Woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.” In other words, enjoy your wealth now
because there will come a day when you won’t have access to it. As I read this
word, I’m reminded of Jesus’ story of Lazarus and the Rich Man. In that parable,
we see a reversal of fortunes, with Lazarus, who had once been a beggar at the
doorstep of the rich man, now experiencing the blessings of Abraham’s bosom, while
the rich man experiences a hellish existence (Luke
16:19-31). The second woe applies to hunger. Jesus tells the ones who are
full and satisfied that they will eventually be hungry. There is a parallel
here as well to the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man.
The
third woe reverses the third blessing. Those who laugh now will eventually mourn
and weep. Perhaps that will be due to their loss of status and power. In today’s
world, many Christians seek power over others. They give allegiance to politicians
who promise to make them powerful and will attack their opponents. It’s called
Christian Nationalism. It is a movement that runs counter to everything Jesus
stands for. That leads to the fourth woe, where Jesus warns those who are
spoken well of, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. So
be careful if you’re seeking fame and fortune. It is a temptation we all face.
I know I do. I enjoy it when people of influence say nice things about me. I do
have a good reputation in my local community. Thus, this stands as a warning
not to get too heady with a sense of importance.
The
Sermon on the Mount is a challenging word, though the Beatitudes often get spiritualized.
That’s less likely here, but even here, there is the potential to spiritualize
the words, robbing them of their power for our lives in the present. Therefore,
this message from Jesus is radical in nature. It challenges the way many of us
live, especially those of us in relatively affluent suburbs. In other words, it
comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. As such, it calls on us to
give our attention to those who live on the margins, whether they are nearby
neighbors or far away. As Pope Francis wrote recently in response to Vice
President J.D. Vance’s use of Augustine and Aquinas’ idea of the ordo amoris
to justify new policies on immigration and aid to those less fortunate: "The
true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we
discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the 'Good Samaritan,' that
is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without
exception" (National
Catholic Reporter).
Jesus
didn’t pull any punches. He challenges us to live our faith with boldness and
without fear, loving one another as God loves us. As Pope Francis reminds us,
there are no boundaries to this love.
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