Luke 6:20-31
Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
"Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
"Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
"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.
"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.
"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets
"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,
pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who
takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes
away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you."
Here’s a scene you can imagine: It’s November. Late Thanksgiving afternoon in fact, with the gift of
plenty still digesting. The day’s celebration – and maybe a dry coolness in the air – remind us that on
our calendar, it is the beginning of the new beginning – Advent’s waiting time comes soon.
In the front of the Best Buy, a lone young man sits. He’s the first of many to come that night, drawn to
follow the stars in their eyes. As the night lengthens, so does the line. Nearby Walmart and
GameStop and Target and a whole lot of others find the same phenomenon – Gathering crowds –
waiting in excitement for what they hope is wonderful!
Now lest you think I’m going to get a little snarfy here – Be assured that I am humble. Been there –
Done that. Once in midnight lines for my goddaughter – the other time – though it was a serendipitous
spotting on the way home from a wee hours of the morning hospital call – for my sons.
So – Let’s quick reverse in time – to nearly 2000 years ago.
There’s news of something great! And free! A gift!
People begin to assemble, each following the others. But these crowds are not seeking the newest
PlayStation – or flat screen TV – or Tickle Me Anybody. They’re gathering for a bigger prize.
All Saints Day 2013
Luke 6 – Sermon on the Plain
The Rev. Janice Jones
St. Christopher’s, Killeen, TX
The people in this crowd are clamoring for life itself – and for healing. For the guy they are following –
and the guy they stop to hear – has been walking and teaching and HEALING as he goes. This crowd
is dropping everything to follow Jesus.
Now let’s stop here again – I know I’ve got us in a bit of a weird analogy – But not really.
It’s early in Jesus ministry. Our celebration of All Saints Day breaks the chronology of the lectionary in
Luke. Jesus had just called the twelve. And they are traveling – and he is speaking and healing and
healing and healing. It was pure grace thick and pervasive.
SO what’s my point? Simply that the crowds that followed were not the loyal faithful. They were not
confirmed believers following the way of the savior. They were hurting and they needed him – so they
came in droves to get what he had to give.
Reaching a level place, they stop – for the teacher is to speak. And in this sermon on that plain, the
sick and the lame – the poor and the weeping ones - the hungry and the hopeless – hear of living that
confounds their experience.
-
YOU are blessed. Even though.
You ARE blessed. In spite of.
You are BLESSED. Because you have begun the following that leads to life.
You are blessed because you have already realized that you need far more than you can ever
do for yourselves.
You are blessed because you have seen – and you are ready and willing to pay attention –
and follow – and receive what you can get from nowhere else.
You are blessed because your cracked open aching and broken hearts are ready – Ready for
the love of God to fill them. And that is all we ever need.
We are blessed when we can loosen our clenched fingers from whatever we think will save us and
open them to receive the Kingdom of God.
These blessings, the beatitudes - are as real today in our healing as when Jesus first spoke them.
This famous text is similar in Matthew’s Gospel. While Matthew records only the blessings, our text
today gives us the other side of the story. The part we don’t want to hear. The Woes.
Terrifying and sobering woes that speak of the ones who were not following that day. The ones who
did not need – who were rich enough or happy enough – or full enough whether with food or ego –
that they missed the healing and missed the following – That they settled for a kingdom that was not
God.
Woe to you if you depend on the things of yourself.
We have seen this desolation. We have felt the loneliness of being alone – Even we who come
searching for new life in God. There is a bottom that drops when we count on ourselves. And only in
living the life that is the Kingdom of God on EARTH are we rescued in the sustaining net that holds
fast when we fall.
Jesus goes on to those who gather that day. For while there are blessings – and while there are woes
– the gap between called LIFE has a lot of curves and pits in its road.
All Saints Day 2013
Luke 6 – Sermon on the Plain
The Rev. Janice Jones
St. Christopher’s, Killeen, TX
So how do we live in God’s Kingdom?
Jesus answers most simply: By letting go of what matters least.
By not engaging with the angst thrown at you in the world. By living in Goodness with and despite
those who might delight in triumphing over you.
By praying for those who have hurt you.
By doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.
That is looking for the agenda – the need – of the other – To converse and consider rather than
dismiss and reject. Isn’t that what we would all like? And then letting go of the non-essential. Of
always looking through your God-eyes.
It’s about meeting the things that are not God with the way that IS God. And it changes us and the
world – drop by drop.
Some of went to a conference last weekend. Biblical scholar John Dominic Crossan was the final
speaker of the event. He spoke of Jesus’ revelation to those who will listen in our world. And it is all
about the words of this Sermon on the Plain. It’s all about how we meet one another in peace.
From the time of Cain and Abel on, sin is marked by our violence – and in fact escalating violence –
toward one another.
Crossan pointed out something very interesting – That while Adam and Eve were driven from the
Garden and restricted from the Tree of Life, the word sin is never mentioned. The word sin is first
mentioned in the Bible in the relationship between Cain and Abel.
I looked into this more after the conference. Here’s what I see.
The brothers had each brought an offering to God. God found Abel’s more acceptable than Cain’s –
and Cain responded with anger. There are a number of ways we could understand the ranking. I find
the best – since we are people of Jesus – are the mentions by the New Testament author of Hebrews
and also in John’s first letter. Both seem to indicate that Cain had a bit of an attitude to begin with.
Abel, we’re told in Hebrews, brings his offering “by faith” – the first fruits as God commanded.
Cain’s offerings are not mentioned as faithful in Hebrews – and his reactions and mentions by John of
“evil deeds” are likely to point a way of life that already had an edge of SELF-righteousness and
SELF-centeredness.
God warns the angry Cain: “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door.” God’s told
him to put down the anger.
Rejecting God, Cain takes Abel to the field and gets rid of him. Isn’t that the way of triumph? Get rid
of the one who might have something – be doing something – that you want – And then you win.
Well NO. In God’s book – that’s the original sin. For while God drives Cain away from His presence –
the original boundary perhaps – God still protects him. He warns that anyone who harms Cain will
All Saints Day 2013
Luke 6 – Sermon on the Plain
The Rev. Janice Jones
St. Christopher’s, Killeen, TX
receive seven times the vengeance. The price of violence in God’s eyes has risen. This is God’s
response to violence against each other: “Just DON’T do it.”
Yet five generations later, it seems Cain’s line doesn’t get it. For great great great grandson Lamech
boasts that he too has murdered a young – un-named – man for some sort of an injury. Lamech –
ups the violence ante seventy times.
Sin. When our lack – our pride – our injury – our need – results in escalating violence against each
other until someone dies.
God got it right from the beginning – Separate – Step away from the pain – Don’t respond to evil with
evil. And pray for the changes of hearts that will bring the peace of God.
This is the message that Jesus speaks to those brand new followers. This is the healing of God. For
we are mortal beings. Only conscience stands between us and the sin that casts US out of the
Kingdom. And our conscience is guided by the word of God spoken to us that day by Jesus.
His word lives – as he does. And we follow the followers – seeking His grace – and scrambling to BE
His.
The Sermon on the Plain was only the beginning. For that very same Jesus lives and he is loose in
the world and we are to follow.
His message remains the same – In each and every day.
Blessed are you who rely entirely in His love. Amen.
All Saints Day 2013
Luke 6 – Sermon on the Plain
The Rev. Janice Jones
St. Christopher’s, Killeen, TX