Beattitudinal Adjustment

Context

Series: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.

Last two Sundays: invitation to get involved in God’s Mission through Christ to bring the Kingdom of God to people and to bring people to the Kingdom of God.

Today, we will begin a three-part series in which we hear Jesus’ describe what being a part of his mission entails. He offers a whole new set of values for those who would follow him.

Text

Luke 6:17–26 NRSVue

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. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 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. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “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. “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Introduction

Major Payne movie. 1995 Comedy. JROTC cadets at a military high school. They are used to slovenliness, poor standards, failure. No leadership. Neglected by the school. There new commander arrives. He is a battle hardened Marine. Parody of a Drill Instructor. Immediately begins to demand better of them. Treats them like real soldiers. Comedic confrontations. One young cadet, just meeting the Major, unwisely mouths off to him. And the major replies: I see you got a little attitudinal problem that needs some readjusting.

Attitude, a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior.

In the movie, the cadet had a bad attitude. One not compatible with the military mission. It needed adjustment. The whole movie about young cadets gaining a better attitude and becoming the best version of themselves. Which they do and win competition

To hear Jesus preach is to receive an attitudinal adjustment…a change to a more perfect way of thinking and feeling about the being part of the Kingdom of God.

Exegesis

You may recognize Jesus’ preaching. The beatitudes. The blessings.

Jesus is teaching his disciples what constitutes the blessed or happy life.

Blessed, happy, life according to the Bible is the life that is in relationship with God, content in God, comforted and full of joy in God.

In other words, the life that we as God’s people are all called to through Christ.

Yet the blessed life that Jesus describes sound counter-intuitive.

Blessed are you poor. You hungry. You who weep. You who are hated.

Not saying that these conditions themselves are blessed.

It is not in itself blessed to be be poor, or hungry, or sorrowful, or hated. These do not bring us joy or happiness or fulfillment. All other things being equal it is preferable to have money, to be fed, to be free of grief, to be socially accepted.

But Jesus is not talking about these goods in the abstract.

Jesus is talking to his disciples. People who have made a choice to follow him. (Luke 5:20)

He looked up at his disciples. He was seated because that is how rabbis taught. His disciples have gathered around him.

They are choosing to follow him.

He says therefore. Blessed are you who are poor, who are following me. Blessed are you who are hungry, who are following me. Blessed are you who mourn, who are following me. Blessed are you who are hated, who follow me.

Jesus is blessing them for placing their faith in him, and following him, even though it does not advantage them in the present world.

All things are not equal. Following Christ will be hard. It may result in sufferings and will certainly involve meeting difficult moral demands.

They are looking beyond this world to the kingdom of heaven that Jesus signifies with his preaching and with his power.

healing, freedom from evil spirits

Blessed because: they believe that following Christ from the heart as the one who bring the Kingdom of God is more important than any earthly good.

Even more: that the real depths of human longing can only be met by God:

you are poor, and you feel poor materially and spiritually, but yours in the kingdom of God.

You are hungry, but you will be filled.

You weep now, but you will laugh.

You are hated now, but you will have a reward.

In contrast, he pronounces woes on those who may be listening, but who are not really interested in his teaching

rich - they have the consolation they need.

the full — who filled physically are insensate to their spiritual hunger.

those who laugh — meaning those who are self-assured in their security

Those about whom all speak well — they are not concerned with the praise of God.

Woe: because they are letting the lesser goods of this life, block them from seeking the higher good which is God.

A rich man was invited by Jesus but he declined because he did not want to give up his wealth.

Blessed are you who truly follow me, and are prompted to do so because of the pangs of this world. You will discover I lead you to God. The blessed life can only be found in the kingdom come.

Peter and the others left their nets and followed Jesus. Blessed are you.

Interpretation

What Jesus preaches, he also lives out for us to see.

He became poor. He hungered. He wept. He was hated. He went to the cross and died.

Because he was willing to endure all earthly losses for the sake of obtaining highest good: The kingdom of God.

And God raised him from the dead. Making Jesus the most blessed one and happy one. His the supreme beatitude.

And he shares his blessedness with all those who will join him in his way.

Hebrews 12:2 “looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Following Jesus means to do so without regard to earthly gain or earthly loss, but only for the hope of belonging to the Kingdom of God with Christ.

Hope - orientation to our eternal and supreme end: to be with God, to have comfort of God, the joy of God, the fullness of God.

Revelation 21:3–5 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.”…”

In this world, we are surrounded by good things and bad. But they are not the best or worst, thing, and they are temporary.

The worst is to miss out on the Kingdom.

The best is the Kingdom of Heaven — the triune god. Highest and eternal good. That for which our souls were created.

Woe to us if we make the mistake of finding all we want and need in this world. We risk missing out on the Kingdom of God.

Woe to us if we let the hardship of following Christ keep us from the kingdom.

But blessed are we if we can set all happiness and sorrows in this life, underneath the one supreme and sure good of following Christ to heaven.

Beatitudinal adjustment is to reclaim what we really want in life. It is not wealth, security, fame, safety from sorrow at all costs. Rather it is to be living with and for Christ. Oriented to our eternal destiny. Following Christ even if that means sorrow, hunger, or suffering, because we obtain the Kingdom of God, which we really want.

Paul, was an upcoming rabbi. power, prestige. At first opposed the church. Then had a vision of the risen Christ. The reality of resurrection and eternal life. Gave it all up for Christ. Philippians 3:8 “More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Application

Jesus preaches to us today.

Blessing.

If you are following him. Don’t let a hard circumstance get you down. It is temporary. Even if you had everything in your life going right, you would not be ultimately satisfied. Use the suffering as vehicles to desire Christ more and his Kingdom.

one man, losing my career was the best thing that happened to me. it turned me to Christ.

health.

Not good in themselves. But when these events propel us to Christ, indeed we are blessed.

Woe.

And when all is going well, we need to hear this healthful woe: Be on guard against when you are too comfortable and too accomplished in this world, lest it dull your readiness for kingdom demands.

The church preaches giving and tithing, to free from money.

we preach service to train us in compassion.

we preach fasting, to help us to be hungry for spiritual things.

Conclusion

For all of us the beattitudinal adjustment. Attitude is a settled way of thinking and feeling that manifests itself in behavior.

Jesus is llike our commanding officer. He wants to make us fit for his kingdom. Calling us to have the right attitude. A beatitude.