Luke 6:17-26
Many consider wealth to be a blessing. But Jesus doesn’t see it that way in this week’s gospel lesson: “Blessed are you who are poor,” he teaches the crowd, “for yours is the kingdom of God.” Then, a little later, he has these choice words for the wealthy: “But woe to you who are rich.”
Jesus is imparting a great spiritual truth that has to do with the nature of blessings. The world has its own set of beatitudes, in contrast to Jesus’ list: Blessed are the rich; the famous; those who have big houses on the beach. Blessed are those with perfect children; who move and shake even the movers and shakers; who have their photo on the cover of People magazine. Blessed are those who know what they want — and take it!
As Luke tells it, Jesus has no time for any of this. In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus turns the world’s values upside-down and overturned the hierarchical structure of blessing.
When Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor … the hungry … and those who weep,” he’s telling us God will bless us if we have faith. God will bless us through our time of need, and may even bless us with what we most desire. But it’s not the final balance sheet of blessings that’s important. It’s the blessing itself.
It’s not counting our blessings that’s important. It’s the blessing itself that counts: God’s blessing sojourns with us through wealth and poverty, health and sickness, laughter and tears. Praise to God, for knowing us better than we know ourselves, and for blessing us in every circumstance!
Rev. Jann Osborn
2/17/2025
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