Blessings and Woes

Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. He came down with them 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. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Then he 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 on 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. Luke 6:12-26

In a time when all of the rhetoric seems to be about winners and losers, the greatest and the worst, the most brilliant and the stupidest, Jesus speaks directly to our times. He knew those who were suffering and hungry were honest, loving people and most often those who were wealthy and secure were dishonest and cruel. He saw through the glitter and the talk right down to their hearts. May we remember this as we walk through this world. The least among us are our greatest blessing and where our Lord will be found.

Loving Creator, you bless all creation

giving us sun and rain for the crops

wind and moonlight so we can sail

and abundantly love all of creation.

We are swift to judge and dismiss

we see those struggling and blame

we envy the rich and copy them

not understanding what love really is.

May we live today with open hearts

may we be a blessing to all we meet

may our lives not be measured by wealth

but by the way we love those around us. Amen.