Sermon on the Plain
Luke 6:20-26
It has been said that the Sermon on the Plain, with Matthew's parallel Sermon on the Mount, serve as the constitution of the Kingdom of God.
These blessings and curses aren't for the future - this isn't the same thing Jesus does to the fig tree that doesn't bear fruit - but descriptions of the immediate present. Not "you will be blessed," but "you are blessed." Not "the Kingdom of God will be yours," but "the Kingdom of God is yours."
This shouldn't come as a surprise, because just two chapters earlier Jesus himself reads his career mission statement from the Isaiah scroll in Nazareth (4:17-19). And even before that, at the beginning of Luke, Mary sings out that God is bringing down the powerful and proud, and lifting up the lowly; feeding the starving, and sending the rich away hungry (1:51-53).
But it is still jarring when we read it here (which is miraculous in itself, given the years of layering and repetition that would have smothered any other radical pronouncements). What is it that is theirs, the poor? What is it that is theirs, the hungry? the weeping? And why would that be so violently denied the rich, the well-fed, the happy?
Yes, yes, "the Kingdom of God." But what does that mean? It has to be more than comeuppance - shaking your fist, crying "you'll get yours!"
Whatever it is, what should be most frightening to American audiences in the pews is where do we fall: in the beatitudes or the curses? Are we poor and hungry and weeping? Or are we - though we don't like to admit it - rich, well-fed, and comfortable? (It's a good thing this scripture isn't paired up with Jesus' encounter with the rich aristocrat [18:18-27], or we might be emotionally devastated right there in the pew. Or, perhaps we need to be heartbroken to really hear the gospel.) As it is, I think we know that we prove the curse: we are having our consolation now - shallow that it is, we still can't bring ourselves to give it up.
There's no confession of faith or creed to gain the Kingdom. No special prayer or sacrament required. What is required? Poverty, hunger and profound compassion. I wonder that anyone has that.
It has been said that the Sermon on the Plain, with Matthew's parallel Sermon on the Mount, serve as the constitution of the Kingdom of God.
These blessings and curses aren't for the future - this isn't the same thing Jesus does to the fig tree that doesn't bear fruit - but descriptions of the immediate present. Not "you will be blessed," but "you are blessed." Not "the Kingdom of God will be yours," but "the Kingdom of God is yours."
This shouldn't come as a surprise, because just two chapters earlier Jesus himself reads his career mission statement from the Isaiah scroll in Nazareth (4:17-19). And even before that, at the beginning of Luke, Mary sings out that God is bringing down the powerful and proud, and lifting up the lowly; feeding the starving, and sending the rich away hungry (1:51-53).
But it is still jarring when we read it here (which is miraculous in itself, given the years of layering and repetition that would have smothered any other radical pronouncements). What is it that is theirs, the poor? What is it that is theirs, the hungry? the weeping? And why would that be so violently denied the rich, the well-fed, the happy?
Yes, yes, "the Kingdom of God." But what does that mean? It has to be more than comeuppance - shaking your fist, crying "you'll get yours!"
Whatever it is, what should be most frightening to American audiences in the pews is where do we fall: in the beatitudes or the curses? Are we poor and hungry and weeping? Or are we - though we don't like to admit it - rich, well-fed, and comfortable? (It's a good thing this scripture isn't paired up with Jesus' encounter with the rich aristocrat [18:18-27], or we might be emotionally devastated right there in the pew. Or, perhaps we need to be heartbroken to really hear the gospel.) As it is, I think we know that we prove the curse: we are having our consolation now - shallow that it is, we still can't bring ourselves to give it up.
There's no confession of faith or creed to gain the Kingdom. No special prayer or sacrament required. What is required? Poverty, hunger and profound compassion. I wonder that anyone has that.
Labels: Luke
posted by Christian at 8:09 AM
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