19: How to Be Blessed (Luke 6:12-26)

Here are some quotes from some other church bulletins:

10. The pastor will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, "Break Forth Into Joy.”   

9. During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when J.F. Stubbs spoke. 

8. The choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.   

7. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs. (I guess they could join the choir too.)

6. ”FASTING CONFERENCE" The cost for attending the Fasting and Prayer conference includes meals. 

5. The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the  church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to  attend this tragedy.   

4. (The Pastor had been ill): GOD IS GOOD  Dr. Hargreaves is better.   

3. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 pm. Please use large double door at the side entrance.   

2. The Peacemaking meeting scheduled for Saturday has been canceled due to conflict.  

1. Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.

Often times it’s important to get a little more information before just taking a sentence at face value.

Today’s teaching is called How to Be Blessed, & If you have to leave early, here are the cliff notes: God blesses the poor, hungry, weeping, & hated. But I would encourage you to stick around a get a little more information before just taking THAT SENTENCE at face value.

PRAY

Open your Bibles to Luke 6:12. Last August we touched on the first part of this passage so I won’t teach it in depth again. I do want you to notice 2 significant facts from the text as we read. First, when Jesus had a major decision, He spent time praying about it.

Luke 6:12–13 (NIV)

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:

Evidently, much of that prayer time was about making sure that out of all the those following Him, He picked the right men to invest the majority of His time in.

What major decision do YOU have to make?

How much time have you spent asking God for wisdom?

Second, we see that Jesus used some ‘average Joes’ to change the world. He didn’t pick Bible scholars or political leaders. Instead He chose…

Luke 6:14-16 (NIV)

14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

These are the ‘new wineskins’ Jesus would pour Himself into - a ragtag comprised of a group of fishermen, a tax collector, and at least one zealot who had been ready to fight to get the Roman government out of Israel. In short, these aren’t the guys we would have chosen, but they are the guys Jesus transformed and sent out (meaning of the word ‘apostle’) to impact the world. So we must beware the idea that God can only use people in positions of authority to accomplish great tasks. God often chooses the average Joes & Josephines to train & lead others to transform their culture. Would you ask God to use YOU that way? Would you pray, “Father, I know I’m not the sharpest pencil in the drawer, but I am willing for You to use me for Your glory.”

After choosing the 12…

Luke 6:17–19 (NIV)

17 He went down with them [the apostles] and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

Looking back at v 17, there are 2 distinct groups of people in the audience; who are they?

Large crowd of Jesus’ disciples.

Great number of people from all over.

This is important as we consider who the primary audience seems to be.

Luke 6:20 (NIV)

20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you…”

As we have learned in the past, good interpretation always attempts to answer the question: “Who is YOU?” You in this passage is His disciples. There are a lot of people standing around listening to Jesus teaching, but these next few promises are targeted at those who would choose to be his disciples. And it is here that we discover How to Be Blessed.

Last week I was reading from Deuteronomy 28 in my quiet time. There God speaks of blessing the Jewish people…

If they would obey Him, He would bless their families with lots of food & healthy flocks. He would protect from their enemies & cause them to prosper in every way. This Blessing meant health, provision, & protection. Who wouldn’t want THAT!

But God also warned of what would happen if they did NOT obey Him - their families, food, & flocks would be cursed with disease. On top of that, their enemies would overpower them and take them captive.

It’s this idea of blessing & cursing that makes the beginning of Jesus’ teaching so intriguing. Like Deuteronomy, Jesus pronounces blessings on those who obey Him and curses on those who don’t. But these blessings are not QUITE the same type of blessings as I read about in Deuteronomy. Remember that the blessings in Deuteronomy meant health, provision, & protection. But the blessings of Jesus contain a Paradox - the opposite of what is commonly accepted as being blessed.

Listen to the words of Jesus and you’ll see what I mean.

Luke 6:20–26 (NIV)

20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Now let’s take some time to dissect this & dig deeper.

20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Let’s take a moment to clarify both of these terms: Blessed & Poor.

First, BLESSED in this case obviously doesn’t refer to immediate happiness. Instead, blessed refers to someone who has received divine favor’. In other words, we might not be happy ABOUT the circumstance, but we can trust that we are BLESSED THROUGH the circumstance.

* A couple of years ago we studied about Joseph in the OT. Even though he was enslaved or imprisoned for 20 years, God’s favor was on him - he was a blessed man.

Second, it is the POOR disciples of Jesus who are blessed. Let’s clarify what Jesus means by poor. Jesus is NOT referring to those who are abusing the welfare of others.

Jesus is NOT saying, “Blessed are those who are lazy.” Laziness is frowned upon in the Scripture. Paul even writes believers in Thessalonica saying, “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” (2 Thes. 3:10 NIV)

The poor disciples Jesus is referring to are those who might have been sick, had a poor harvest of crops or fish, or worked hard but just scraped by. And maybe, as we will see in a moment, following Jesus is really beginning to cost them something. To all those who follow Him, Jesus encourages, “You won’t be poor forever, because you BELONG to the Kingdom!”

BIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

BIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

BIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

But here’s another aspect we need to consider.

Beyond economic status, the term “poor” has another meaning in Scripture. In Matthew’s record of the same teaching, it is obvious that Jesus intends poor to point to a person’s spiritual need: In Matthew 5:3 Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

1000 years earlier, King David calls himself “poor and needy” several times in the Psalms (Ps. 40:17; 86:1; 109:22). This is obviously not saying King David was economically poor. Further, the term “poor” is also used in Prov 3:34; 16:19 about those who are humble.

These poor disciples are blessed because they recognize their desperate need of God and choose to put their hope in the ONE who owns them rather than the WHAT they own.

They are BIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

BIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

BIG TRUTH Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

As we’ve already read, Jesus contrasts each blessing with a woe.

Woe (οὐαί) is an “intense hardship or distress—‘disaster, horror.’”

Woe is a term that OT prophets would use when warning people of God’s coming judgment.

So Jesus contrasts Blessed are the poor with…

Luke 6:24 (NIV)

24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

In other words, Woe to you…because you won’t be rich forever. Your comfort was in THIS world, but NOT so in the next. Woe - DISASTER - is coming.

It’s not that rich people CAN’T enter the kingdom. But Jesus says it is difficult because the rich are more likely to become prideful than humble. Which is more likely to be humble enough to ask God for help - the RICH person or the POOR person?

Which are you most like?

The humble POOR thank God for His provision - Living on Earth WITH Eternity in Mind

OR The prideful RICH who trust their wealth & possessions instead of their Creator. Living on Earth WITHOUT Eternity in Mind

Now, Back to the blessings…

Luke 6:21 (NIV)

21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Again, we wonder how hunger & weeping could be attached to those who are blessed. For 1st century Jews, following Jesus would be uncomfortable. It would cost some their jobs & families. Following Jesus could result in hunger now and weeping now. But that would not last. Despite their circumstances - They are blessed - they have God’s favor - Living on Earth WITH Eternity in Mind

But again, it seems that Jesus intended more than just hunger & tears. Matthew notes that Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…” (Matthew 5:6 NIV)

I think this is what is most disturbing among American Christianity. I meet a lot of folks who claim to follow Jesus who have almost NO DESIRE to live in purity. Few of us HUNGER & THIRST for righteousness. Some of us even celebrate sin instead of weep over it.

Disciples of Jesus hunger for what is righteous & weep over what is unrighteous.

Is that true of you? Do you desire to walk in righteousness? Do you weep over those who don’t? Do you LONG for ‘His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven’? Until then, we hunger & weep, but ONE DAY, that will all change!

The Jews looked forward to a Messianic banquet, where they would feast & celebrate with the Messiah when His kingdom came to earth. (Isa 25:6–7; 49:10–13; Ps 107:3–9) Luke uses this same imagery frequently in his writing. You might hunger & weep, now…but Jesus reminds His disciples - but satisfaction & laughter are coming!

We recognize that we are BLESSED: Living on Earth WITH Eternity in Mind

In contrast…

Luke 6:25 (NIV)

25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

This reminds me of the story we will see later in Luke’s Gospel - Jesus tells of a rich man and a poor man - Lazarus. Lazarus is righteous yet lives a life of hunger & struggle. The rich man has everything he could ever want and yet has no compassion for others. When they die, the rich man now weeps while Lazarus is comforted in eternity.

Here’s another way to be Blessed:

Luke 6:22-23 (NIV)

22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

(Sarcastically) And so this week’s homework is to make sure SOMEONE hates you, excludes you, or insults you, or rejects your name as evil. Of course I’m being ridiculous. But some people actually abuse others & then claim they have ‘suffered for the Lord’.

As you might know, Fred Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, died this week. He led his people to picket & verbally abuse anyone they disagreed with.

They picketed at funerals of servicemen who died in combat.

They condemned Christians who shared with the Gospel of Jesus with people who are a part of the homosexual community.

When Jerry Falwell died they even picketed his funeral.

If people hate you because you abused or slandered them, please don’t claim this passage as a badge of honor.

Jesus was speaking to Jewish disciples who had been expelled from the synagogues, been fired from jobs, & kicked out of families - all because they pledged their allegiance to Him, the Son of Man. Since then, many disciples of Jesus have been hated, excluded, insulted, rejected, & even killed because of the Son of Man. (a powerful proclamation of Jesus as Lord)

But instead of wincing and whining on that day, disciples of Jesus are told to rejoice…and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. Why? Because they are BLESSED.

Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBlessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBlessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in MindBlessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

Blessed is: Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

Today many Christians act as if they should be able to speak the truth in love and seem STUNNED when persecution comes their way. Some just avoid all possibility of conflict because they don’t want others to think they are judgmental. Here’s what Jesus says to that…

Luke 6:26 (NIV)

26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Vance Havner “Popularity has slain more prophets of God than persecution ever did.”

So while it shouldn’t be our GOAL to make enemies - if no one hates you, excludes you, insults you, or rejects you because of the Son of Man - then are you having ANY SPIRITUAL IMPACT at all?

Let’s conclude with what the disciples of Jesus experienced in Luke’s sequel we call Acts. Jesus had ascended to heaven. The believers are empowered by the Presence of the Holy Spirit. And after being beaten with sticks and warned not to speak in the name of Jesus…look what happened.

Acts 5:41 (NIV)

41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.

I wonder if they were thinking about the time they heard Jesus say these powerful prophetic words:

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.

So you want to be Blessed? God blesses the poor, hungry, weeping, & hated who are

Living on Earth with Eternity in MindLiving on Earth with Eternity in MindLiving on Earth with Eternity in MindLiving on Earth with Eternity in Mind

Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

Does that sound like YOU? Or are you living on the Earth WITHOUT Eternity in Mind?

Start your day by reading Luke 6:20-26 every day.

End your day - when your head hits the pillow - asking this question: “Am I Blessed? Am I Living on Earth with Eternity in MindLiving on Earth with Eternity in MindLiving on Earth with Eternity in MindLiving on Earth with Eternity in Mind?

Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind

Living on Earth with Eternity in Mind