Blessed are the Poor

Luke 6:17–26 ESV

17 And 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 and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. 20 And he lifted up his eyes on 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 shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to 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 shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

Jesus frequently turns things that seem to be obviously one way, on their heads. He flips things around in such a way that seems foreign to our human way of thinking. This morning and for the next few weeks we are going to be delving into one of Christ’s sermons and we are going to hopefully come away with a fresh, full and meaningful understanding of His Kingdom, His economy, His wisdom, His grace, and His love.

Blessings and Woes of God

We are entering into a red letter rich section of the Gospel of Luke. In fact, the entire sermon I mentioned is entirely “red letters.

Jesus’ words are recorded for us, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as He moved Luke along by His breathe.

2 Peter 1:21 ESV

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The blessings and woes are the very words of God! They can be fully trusted and will not change.

I personally believe that this is a different sermon, than we read of in Matt 5. It’s not something that is necessary to be dogmatic about, but there are enough variances in the two accounts, that it seems to me that it must be a similar yet separate occasion, that Matthew and Luke are writing about.

Never the less, we can and likely will, refer occasionally to Matthew’s account, even as we are now focused on Luke’s letter to Theophilis.

Jesus comes down to the plain to heal and to preach to the crowd.

Jesus shows great compassion and power to the people with faith-filled fingers. Those who came to touch Him in order to be healed.

Now in verse 20, Jesus begins His sermon.

Luke 6:20 ESV

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Poor

Hungry

Weeping

Hated

This morning we are going to focus on the first criteria. The first description of those who are (and it is indeed those that are blessed, not will be blessed, but they are blessed!) and those who are given the first of four “Woes”

Luke 6:20 ESV

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luke 6:24 ESV

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

The Poor are Blessed

Blessed now!

Jesus isn’t talking in the future tense, here. He isn’t saying, if you are poor, just be patient, it’s gonna work out. Eventually things are going to turn around for you. He’s not saying, just give it a little more time, and the father will come and save the day.

Jesus is speaking in the present tense. He is saying, to put it in today’s English, If you are poor, you own the Kingdom of God.

blessed= happy, fortunate, privileged, favored, recipient of divine favor, one who is enjoying favorable circumstances.

The Kingdom is Yours!

The Kingdom of God is at your disposal. All its vast resources are available for your use.

Who is “poor”?

International Poverty Line- $1.90/day

Federal Poverty Line- $35.00/day for a single adult household in America add $12.00/day for each additional person in a household.

If you have your online banking app on your smart phone, please log in to your account. You’ll need to review all the account balances, minus any outstanding debts, then add in any other assets you may own.

I’ve created a simple spreadsheet to help us quickly calculate everyone’s net worth. Ready? Who would like to be first?

UMMMMM! No, that is not what Jesus is speaking about here.

He is talking about something far more important than your bank account or your debt to income ratio, or your net worth calculation.

Woe to the Rich

The rich have recieved their “consolation”. Their comfort, their encouragement, their reward has been given already.

Beware if you are wealthy

You have gotten all you are going to get

If you are rich, you have what you’re going to get.

Jesus expounds on this in the story of the poor man named Lazarus in Luke 16

Luke 16:19–25 ESV

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.

What have you got?

God’s Word repeatedly describes for us occasions where God’s people are brought to a place of confessing that they have nothing to give. The are utterly poor and destitute, unable to meet the requirements of the law. Unable to accomplish what He requires of them, because they lack sufficient resources.

Exodus 4:10 ESV

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”

We often read this and think, Moses was trying to make excuses and wasn’t really being honest or correct in his assessment of his public speaking abilities. However, listen to God’s response to Moses’ confession of his inability to speak clearly.

Exodus 4:11–12 ESV

11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

Abraham

Genesis 18:27 ESV

27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.

Isaiah

Isaiah 6:5 ESV

5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Isaiah 41:13 ESV

13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Paul

1 Corinthians 15:10 ESV

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

What have you got?

Nothing. Jesus’ sheep have nothing to give their Shepherd. They have nothing to offer the King of their kingdom.

Are you destitute?

Have you come to a place where you can admit that you are poor and needy? Can you admit that you don’t have what it takes within yourself to obey God’s commands to love Him and love your neighbor as yourself? If so, if you can confess that and accept God’s riches place in your account for you, then you are and will be delighted to share, or be a co-heir in the Kingdom of God

Psalm 40:17 ESV

17 As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

Psalm 86:1 ESV

1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Proverbs 3:34 ESV

34 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.

Proverbs 16:19 ESV

19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

There are other aspects of our lives that Jesus elaborates on, in the Sermon on the Plain, but this first one is critical. Being poor