Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (2023)

Last week, Jesus called disciples to follow him and live in the light of God's coming Kingdom. Today Jesus teaches us what living in the light means for believers. This Sunday begins a three-part series that featured Jesus’ sermon on the Mount. After Jesus called his disciples and crowds began to follow him, he began to teach them what it means to be his disciples.

The Beatitudes have been called the gateway to the Sermon on the Mount, or the Magna Carta of the Kingdom of God. But hearing them must have given pause to many in the crowd. The Beatitudes are hard for us to swallow. Jesus seems to be espousing a Christianity imbued with fatalism at best, or defeatism at worst. Look closer, however, and see what he says. The weaker you are, the stronger God is in your life. The weaker you are now, the more ready you are to trust in a future reward. In fact, this is the way God loves to work. He loves to work through apparent weakness. He chooses an enslaved nation to be his chosen people. He chooses the younger son for the Saviors line. He chooses untrained fishermen to be his apostles. he chooses you to be His Church.

Beatitude is a Latin word that means “Blessed”. As noted a minute ago they are hard for us to swallow, because they seem to be the exact opposite of what we know from the world. We are blessed when we get that long-awaited raise, or when we receive that promotion. So today we are going to think of all the ways we are blessed, but not from a worldly point of view. You see, Jesus is turning we know upside down and saying you are blessed, and none of this will make any \sense unless we are living by faith.

Before we go down this road let me say a word about today’s readings; they focus our attention on the meekness and humility that repentance brings. We have no strength or wisdom of our own, but we don't need it, because God's strength is enough to give the Kingdom of heaven to the poor in spirit and the earth as an inheritance for the meek. Zephaniah's name means “The Lord protects,” and his book warns of the terrible day of the Lord but makes promises of God's protection and strength for the faithful remnant. Just look at the past acts of God's grace, and you will find many reasons to trust his strength in the face of adversity, persecutions, or sorrow. In today’s Epistle reading Paul notes that God didn't choose his people based on intellect or wealth. He chose them so that the only boost his followers could make would be in the strength of God's salvation.

So today we are going to think of all the ways we are blessed.

True Blessedness Comes to All Who Trust in God’s Strength!

Statements of Fact

First, what does it mean?

Blessed in Greek would mean HAPPY, or FORTUNATE, or PRIVILEDGED

This word Blessed is often misused or misunderstood today because we tend to think of only physical blessings or worldly blessings. Like when we win an award, or an athlete, or we get a winfall of tax breaks.

But Jesus turns the worlds notion of blessed upside down. For example, I am so sad and full of grief over the death of my sister . . . I’m so blessed.

The state of blessedness are statement of fact, in that they are already ours, and in the future.

Promises of Blessing

The promises of blessing are here and now.

The here and now causes problems for us, because we see mourning, poor in spirit as negative. We don’t like it when people lie about us.

BUT, the blessedness that Jesus has given us is our already. The grace of Jesus is yours now. For example, when we talk about heaven and eternal life, we don’t have to die in order to receive them — they are yours already. They belong to everyone who believes and is baptized.

Invitation to Joy

All of this is our invitation to joy, because despite all the bad things happening to us, we have joy because Jesus has paid it all for us.

The trials and tribulations we go through today are tough. But, you know, God’s people have been through all these things before.

Jesus said, you know what: The world hated me, and so it is going to hate you. BUT the promise of reward — the blessing — is for all those who TRUST IN GOD’S STRENGTH.

Through Christ Jesus and what He has done for our salvation brings blessedness to all who trust in God’s strength. Our blessedness, our righteousness comes not from what we do, but what Jesus has done for us.

True blessedness comes from Jesus, and it is yours right now. So, rejoice and be glad.