17 [Jesus] came down with [the twelve] 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.18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. 20 Then he looked up at 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 will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors 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 will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”
Blessed are you who are struggling with faith and doubt, for Jesus will come to you bringing strength and courage.
In our worship today we are highlighting the work of Christ as a healer. We hear that a great multitude of people had come to see Jesus from all over the region. Many had traveled great distances and they didn’t have cars to take them, with seats that warm up. They had to plan ahead for a long hike or a very bumpy ride on an animal. This trip was so important to them, that even if they were infirm and feeling awful, they still went. They wanted to hear Jesus and many desired to be healed. They had heard what Jesus had done elsewhere so the possibility for such healing coming to them was worth the risk of the journey.
Do we make plans, do we take risks and make commitments, in order to encounter Jesus? We too are to anticipate healing, to seek the Lord’s touch, and to listen to His word.
For those in the crowd, a touch, a word, any contact would have been a prayer answered. According to Luke, their hopes were fulfilled. Then Jesus shared about the concept of blessings. In this list of blessings and woes we notice that our Lord has a different way of evaluating gifts and misfortunes than the world does. Being poor, hungry, and grieving does not sound like a blessing. Having wealth, a satisfied belly and a life full of laughter doesn’t sound very bad! What was Jesus getting at?
In her book Always a Guest, minister and author Barbara Brown Taylor writes that the Beatitudes “describe a view of reality in which the least likely candidates are revealed to be extremely fortunate in the divine economy of things, not only later but right now . . . Whatever you believe about [Jesus], believe this about you: the things that seem to be going most wrong for you may in fact be the things that are going most right. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to fix them. It just means that they may need blessing as much as they need fixing, since the blessing is already there. If you can breathe into it — well, that’s when heaven comes to earth, because earth is where heaven starts, for all who are willing to live into right now.”
So if you’re poor in spirit or wealth, you know the blessedness of embracing God’s compassion in your life and your ability to help others do the same. If you’re “hungry,” you know the blessedness that comes from sharing what little you have with someone worse off.
If you’re “weeping,” you know the blessedness of giving comfort and solace to the grieving and struggling.
If you’re hated and pushed to the margins because of your nationality, culture or gender, you know the blessedness of standing up for the justice of God’s Kingdom. Rejoice and leap for joy, Jesus says. The Kingdom of heaven begins with such blessedness as yours. (Connections2-2025)
If we take our own self out of the first place priority, and set aside our selfish desires, and even our actual needs, and look around us with compassion and empathy, the blessings of our own life will become felt and recognized. We will be able to appreciate what we have learned through our situation and encounters. Then we can utilize that hard earned knowledge for the sake of someone else. It will be a blessing not only for them but also for us. The blessings are there for us today, even as one may be suffering with troubles, ill health, or the grief of loss. Jesus promises blessings. He understands which experiences and circumstances result in that which will create strength, courage, kindness, and generosity. Jesus has been there and known it first-hand.
Jeremiah, in the first reading, was saying much the same thing, using different imagery. “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought, it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:7-8)
Even during the unfavorable weather, when the rains have not come, the tree is blessed, it bears good fruit, which the birds and creatures will use for food. I noticed on Tuesday, when the temperature was bitter cold, there were a half dozen crows on our plum tree in front of the church. They had found good fruit to sustain them when there was little for them to forage. That tree, if it has feelings, may not have looked upon those crows as a blessing and yet, its purpose was being fulfilled as it was able to serve as a refuge and a restaurant for those birds.
I am more like a shrub than a tree, but I think the analogy still works. The nourishment, the blessings we need come from the Lord and our trust in Christ is our connection to those blessings. Let our fruit be compassion and love that is shared. Christ is able to heal through us and blessings will abound.
Posted on February 18, 2025 11:21 AM
by Paul Heykes