Epiphany 7   Family Service

Gordon McPhee

                                             Luke 6: 27-38

This whole section of Luke is about change. It is characterized by what Jesus says in Luke 5:32; “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” The author of Luke is expressing to us Jesus’ vision of healing; and it is huge, and we will struggle with it because it is so counter cultural, even radical. It is oriented around Jesus, and it calls us to trust God.

Our passage today, which is a continuation of what Edna illuminated for us so clearly last Sunday begins with a ‘but’. Jesus says, “But to you who are listening I say:” And that, as you know, means we must look back to what has come before. If I said, “but it's not going to be that way”, your question to me would be, “well, what way is that way?” You need the “I wish it was warm and sunny” that precedes the ‘but’ to understand what I’m saying. Fortunately, Edna laid that out for us beautifully last Sunday.

THE BLESSINGS AND THE WOES.

This is about changing our status. Who are the poor, the hungry and those who weep and are despised? These are all things that speak to our core values; the things that give us security and hope; provision, sufficiency, happiness and identity. All things we would dearly love for our children. Stripped of these we are laid bare and vulnerable. Even wealthy Zacchaeus was in fact poor and hungry and in great need for Jesus in his life. And so we see that this could be us. How much worldly provision we have may be a temptation, but it doesn’t exclude us from seeing our need for Jesus’ healing in our lives.

Jesus then speaks of the woes, and it is to these the ‘but’ that begins our passage refers to. Woe to those who are confident in their own riches, well fed, scorning those who weep for the ills of this world, popular in the eyes of the world, at the top of their game, top of the heap. The ‘but’ refers to these. These are the ones who are not listening. The cares and riches of this world have stopped up their ears.

What follows for us today is for the ‘blessed’. the poor, hungry, sorrowful, insulted; those who know their need for Jesus’ healing, and are listening. Those to whom belongs the Kingdom of God. But don’t be too exultant, the words of Jesus that follow, we may struggle with.

So we come to our question, “Are you listening?”

Just as verses 20-26 last week were about changing our status from Woe to Blessed, verses 27-38 are about changing our Love. Jesus uses a common for the time teaching tool of repeating the same thing in three different ways, for clarity and emphasis. It means it's important.

The imperative to love your enemies is followed by three maxims, showing good to those who hate you, blessing those who curse you and praying for those who mistreat you. In other words, in every way, in every situation, without exception. And to drive the point home this is followed by three specific examples that fly in the face of all our social upbringing.  Turn the other cheek, give more than you’re asked to and don’t look for recompense. On the surface it might appear that this is unjust, which would contradict all Jesus taught about justice in the Kingdom of God. Loving people who don’t deserve it, extending forgiveness and, more, grace where you can only hope to receive a curse in return.

We are called to defend justice but always with deep loving concern for the wrong doer, always with love, never vengeance. This is a very radical love. Don’t exult if you win. Don’t be angry or depressed if you lose. Show love and support for the antagonist in either scenario. It's a call from Jesus to show the kind of compassion and empathy that he extends to us daily. This is totally counter cultural, but it is what Jesus is calling us to do.

DO TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO TO YOU.

Here, Jesus refers to a widely accepted practice in the Hellenistic world of the time, relationships were reciprocal. Even sinners were generous and did good knowing they would receive the same and more in return.

In verse 35, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” … we see that our acts are to be grounded in the nature of God. We are the ungrateful who have received mercy from God in Jesus Christ. And again “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” do not judge, do not contemn, forgive.

This does not mean do not have or express an opinion especially in matters of what is right and moral. but if God has forgiven us our sins through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, then we have no place condemning others for their unrighteousness. I’m reminded of the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18.

Jesus is teaching about his ministry of healing, of a change in status from woe-begotten to blessed and a change in love, from selfish to selfless. And he is calling us to be healed, and to be changed into healers as well.  We are fellow sinners with all those around us, even our enemies, and those who hate us. Them in particular, I think.

Jesus is calling us to share the grace of the good news that we have received, with our fellow sinners in this world.

What does Jesus say we are to do?

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

This is our worship to bear God’s fruit. The foundation on which you build.

A little further on in these teachings Jesus reflects on the wise and the foolish builders. Jesus says the wise builder with the unshakeable foundation is the one who comes to me, hears my words, and does them.

Seek, Hear, Do.

So we return to our question; are you listening?

Lord, open our ears to your Word, our minds to your Spirit and our hearts to your healing and changing love…. Amen