Luke 6:17-26 Blessings and Woes
“He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”
Love for Enemies
Luke 6:27-36 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
This morning people are SWARMING FROM EVERYWHERE! The word went out last night that Jesus, that preacher from Galilee, has come to town and will be teaching this morning. Some people have traveled far distances, sleeping overnight in the center of town for safety. Some are struggling to carry cripples or to lead the blind or to climb the hill themselves. These people have already heard that when Jesus comes, the power of God is there to heal, to deliver, and to restore. Nothing like this has ever happened before, not in all the history of Israel, and people are desperate to reach Jesus by whatever means possible. Those who cannot walk well beg those who can to assist them, for they have heard that when Jesus speaks, power goes out from him.
A huge crowd gathers around Jesus and his disciples. Although Jesus is primarily teaching his closest followers, he projects his voice so that everyone in the crowd can hear him. Jesus is standing in a level area with a cliffside behind him that helps amplify every word he speaks, so that all listening might understand. How many people might be in this crowd? Benjamin Franklin actually studied the crowd density when George Whitefield, one of the most famous outdoor preachers in history was preaching. Franklin determined that between 30,000-50,000 people might be able to hear Whitefield, depending on weather conditions, background noise, etc. (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-science-of-sound-whitefields-massive-crowds/ ) It’s possible that even if some at the back of the crowd fail to hear Jesus clearly, those closer to Jesus might be repeating everything Jesus says, allowing the word to go out through the entire crowd.
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.” Jesus is teaching radical stuff! Up to this point, people have believed that the Kingdom of God likely belongs to the rich; after all, they already own everything else. And the idea that to be poor and hungry and hated and insulted are good things is revolutionary. Certainly, none of the teachers in the temple is saying anything like this. And if those statements sound shocking, Jesus’ next statements are even more so.
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” Jesus is warning all those who have been sitting on their wealth and enjoying public acclaim that they are already receiving their rewards. And as if that isn’t enough, Jesus begins teaching stuff that is even more radical.
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
By now, many in the crowd are confused and scratching their heads. Sure, God is kind to everybody; after all, He’s God and that’s His job. But now Jesus is advocating for common people to copy God. Whew! That means that the crowd must be kind to the arrogant Roman soldiers who thrust their way through the streets, upsetting market tables and causing havoc. Those poor people who have been secretly envying and hating the rich religious leaders are scandalized. These people have depended on their hate to fuel their actions; if they leave off hating, what will they have left for motivation?
When we read these accounts, it’s as if we stand at the back of the crowd, straining to hear Jesus. We can only guess at the number of healings and deliverances that took place when Jesus was teaching, for Jesus never worried about numbers. But what of the principles Jesus is teaching? Are we doing good to those who hate us, refusing to worry whether or not they will respond? Are we being merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful?
Isaiah 58:6-14 tells us, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”
“If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
The Word of the Lord is not merely to be listened to or to be read; it is to be obeyed. Throughout the Bible, God emphasizes that obedience is the key to Kingdom living. If we read Jesus’ words and then claim that these only apply to someone else but not to us, we are flagrantly disobeying God. As we read, the Holy Spirit will convict us, highlighting particular things we need to work on right now. May God help us, so that we gladly and swiftly obey Him when He speaks to us through His Word!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to obey when You speak to us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment