Blessings and Woes

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 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."

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Luke 6. 17 - 26

On a zoom bible study as she explained this passage, an Episcopal priest said to her parish intern, "you are the rich, you have two houses and can afford to fly to see your grandchildren and you better figure out what you are going to give up if you want to be a priest." The screen full of parishioners looked stunned, speechless and embarrassed. It was such a tragic misinterpretation of the passage and so ironic that the previous blessing was "when people...exclude you, revile you and defame you...your reward is great in heaven"

This Sermon on the Plain, as it is called, preaches a message to the newly called disciples and to us today with much stronger language than the more familiar Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew. Blessed are you when you are poor has nothing to do with how much money is in your checking account. Instead it commends how free you are from self sufficiency and ego, clutter and arrogance so that you have room for the Spirit of God to take over. And Woe to you who are full now means cursed are you who are so full of yourself you have no room for God, and you will be starved for God in the end.

The realm of God rests on those who have nothing but God, in whom God lives and moves and has God's being. As Johnny Cash said, we are "no earthly good" when we are so heavenly minded we don't see those who are reaching out for help, for love, for peace.