SCRIPTURE
LUKE 6:20-26
sermon on the plain
BEHOLD YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT IN HEAVEN
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: “Blessed are you who are poor,* for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.
REFLECTION
Many may be more familiar with the Eight Beatitudes given in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Chapter 5. The main differences are: in the Sermon on the plain there are a shorter list of blessings and there are Woes. Jesus reminds us that our rewards for our blessedness may be deferred to rewards in heaven.
Jesus tells the people of his time and us today, ( their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way) – that blessed of old have been mistreated as well; but those who persevere to the end receive the resurrection to glory and full Beatitude!
Certainly no one likes suffering but it is the state of affairs since Original Sin. But we have God’s promise He will be with us in the midst of that suffering. His Son suffered and God did not abandon Him but raised Him up in triumphant glory! It is the woes we should concern ourselves with.
Is God first of all in our lives? “… I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:25
SCRIPTURE
LUKE 6:27-36
Love of enemies
BE MERCIFUL AS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS MERCIFUL
But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. For 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 do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same. If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit [is] that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, and get back the same amount. But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
REFLECTION
The Sermon on the plain continues with Jesus’ discourse on love. This is revolutionary stuff-counter cultural. Loving Gentiles and Samaritans was not in the DNA of ancient Israel or for that matter, loving someone who might do you harm.
What in the world is this Jesus asking us to do? He is asking us to imitate Him, “that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Some call this the “Golden Rule.” To me, even if you didn’t believe in God but acted on this so called “Golden Rule,” the world would be a lot more peaceful and safe. If someone followed that rule all the time, it also would lead them to sanctity of every human life and the source of that sanctity, God the Creator of all.
Love is the norm for human existence. It is defined as completely self-giving, seeking only the good of the other without any self-interest. Love makes no judgments about the other, forgives unconditionally, bears all, believes all, hopes all, endures all, and wholly receptive to the other.
SCRIPTURE
LUKE 6:37-42
judging others
JUDGE NOT LEST YOU BE JUDGED
“Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. And he told them a parable, “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.
REFLECTION
I love the picture above. It says so much about how we often interact with others. If you look closely the man with the beam in his eye is pointing aggressively at the smaller man in an accusative way that can only be intended to intimidate and demean the other man.
The smaller man with the splinter in his eye lifts only a finger hesitatingly, recalling that judgment is not his to make. So often judgment is a knee jerk reaction but even then it can do harm not only to the one we are judging but also to us, the accuser, by feeding our pride and superiority.
I am sure it has happened to others as it has happened to me that a judgment I made was all wrong, not wrong to do but my judgment was not correct about a situation. Be wary of judging! ““Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you. This alone should give one pause in how they treat others. I want much better treatment from God. Although my sins deserve no special treatment, I fall on the mercy of God.
No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. I focus here on the fully trained. To be fully trained requires discipline. Jesus in his human nature prepared for his public ministry with forty days of prayer and fasting in the wilderness.
We have the season of Lent coming up very shortly. What better time for self-discipline, choosing God’s will over my will. “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1