Blessed are the Poor

English Standard Version Psalm 118

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

2  Let Israel say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

3  Let the house of Aaron say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

4  Let those who fear the LORD say,

“His steadfast love endures forever.”

5  Out of my distress I called on the LORD;

the LORD answered me and set me free.

6  The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.

What can man do to me?

7  The LORD is on my side as my helper;

I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

Luke 6:20 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.

Intro

The book of Luke has a lot to say about money...

instant gratification

worshiping God or the dollar

God’s economy

Luke knew - how you handle money has everything to do with following Jesus.

1/7 verses in luke is about money

this is why in our Men’s study I’m talking so much about finances right now.

v20 “blessed are you who are poor… v24 “but woe to you who are rich...”

Have you heard it said “Jesus is for the poor”

or maybe “the spiritually poor”

those two statements alone are only half of the truth

the whole truth - Jesus is for the poor that ARE poor in spirit.

in other words - the poor that love the Lord.

AND Jesus is against the rich that are wicked.

but what about rich folks that Love the Lord? and the wicked that are poor?

Don’t miss the point - at the time when Jesus was saying this his people were almost exclusively poor. And the wicked, the oppressors of the day (the Roman and Jewish govt) were rich.

BUT THE GOOD NEWS - the poor had a reason to look up - why? - Because there’s a new king, who is over those wicked kings, and who will set it right.

the wicked rich had better repent.

BUT WHO ARE THE POOR?RICH?

Bible talks about diff types of poor

Poor from oppression - Bible warns over and over that STATE is responsible for most injustice and oppression.

if you think - try to think of a systemic injustice that isn’t enforced by the state … you can’t.

Ezek 46:18 The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people, thrusting them out of their property. He shall give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people shall be scattered from his property.”

Micah 2:1-2 Woe to those who devise wickedness and work evil on their beds! When the morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. 2 They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them away; they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance

an easy example today? The lottery. Who runs it? You know who used to run it? The mafia.

closer to home? Our local casino. Who goes?

and what budget is in trouble if it closes?

so - poor from oppression - still very much a thing.

there are the poor from catastrophe

hurricane, earthquake, plague, famine, disability, disease

there are the poor for righteousness sake

those who choose a career of service that pays little.

Christian school teachers are a great example.

I remember when I worked at Westminster - “career” “no…calling” It’s better now from what I hear.

but we should work to subsidize those giving up $$ for callings, especially those within the scope/vision of the church.

Jesus’ disciples were all poor. Being a disciple didn’t pay well. . .

Maybe a missionary.

The point? To be a follower of Jesus, means you might be poor.

and with things like the passing of the recent so called “equality act” it’s becoming more and more likely that we will be. Start making provision now.

The poor because of sloth/laziness

Prov 10:4 A slack hand causes poverty but the hand of the diligent makes rich

NOW - we gotta say something more.

there are those oppressed/poor who are righteous, and wicked.

those poor from catastrophe - right and wick (Job, God was for him - eventually restored)

Catastrophe came to Rome, Babylon, God was against - no restoration.

There are those that are lazy - God is against - there are those who struggle with laziness, but are repentant, God is working with them...

ALL THAT TO SAY - be careful not to over simplify these principles. not all poor are lazy, not all poor are oppressesd, not all poor are righteous, not all rich are wicked,

Reject the propoganda - seek the truth.

As we work the poor on a local level - which is the Biblical way to do it - we need to discern what their type of poverty we’re dealing with.

you might need to tell a poor person to repent. - makes you feel yucky doesn’t it?

Drinking from a firehose? Let me sum it up - God is for the RIGHTEOUS poor and against the WICKED rich. And if the wicked rich seem to have all the power - they wont for long.

BUT WHEN?

Read it closely - v21 - Blessed are you who are hungry NOW who weep NOW - FOR YOU SHALL

What does this mean?

matt 6:33 - “seek ye first the… and ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE...”

THIS IS NOT PROSPERITY GOSPEL

Prosperity Gospel is manipulating God for your purpose of instant gratification.

THIS IS ORTHODOX COVENENTAL THEOLOGY

it’s a future tense. It’s progressive. If you follow the Lord, if you obey his commands, if you submit yourself to his principles, he will provide for you AND grow you, and over time, perhaps even generations of faithfulness, the trajectory of your life and lineage will change.

TWO THINGS WE CAN DO IF WE LEARN THIS

we can love our enemies.

v27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic[b] either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

Only in a world where you know that the economy is in God’s hands can you do this. You know his promises, and you trust him, in that moment you can love those that hate, revile, and oppress you.

if you don’t know/believe these promises, you’re insecure, defensive, angry.

but when you know the end of the story… generations of faithfulness and provision and kingdom building.

well now, that puts things in perspective doesn’t it.

and now… now you can be confident and rest in the truth, and love your enemies/revilers/slanderers/oppressors along the way.

The world hates those that hate them. The punch back those that punch. It’s natural to have a chip on your shoulder, it’s natural to return fire. But you’re indwelt with the supernatural.

And we can be generous - 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great,

so if you KNOW the economy of heaven you can love you enemies AND you can trust the Lord enough to trust his investment strategy.

which is? Charity. lending to the poor and expecting nothing in return.

stock market on a good month? 10%. add inflation and the current strength of the dollar to that.... not that much.

Nonbelievers will never come to grips with this. They can’t.

Nonbelievers give in exchange for power or social credit or tax credits, but true charity is giving while expecting nothing in return. and THATS the kind of charity the Lord blesses.

Luke 6:38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Prov. 11:24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.

SO! BLESSED ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD!! POOR OR HUNGRY - NO MATTER WHAT

BECAUSE GOD SETS THEIR TRAJECTORY and it is a good one

BECAUSE THEY CAN LOVE THOSE THAT HATE THEM

AND BECAUSE THEY CAN PRACTICE TRUE CHARITY - WHICH GOD CONTINUES TO BLESS

It’s good to be a follower of Jesus. Honestly there’s nothing better.