Feb 14th, sermon, St Mary's Handsworth

Gospel: Luke 6 – the Lukan Beatitudes

Each of the gospel writers saw Jesus slightly differently. St Luke shows us a Jesus who cared passionately for the poor, the weak and the despised. Luke presents Christ as one of us, a Man and emphasises Jesus’ poverty and therefore sometimes the Gospel is called the Gospel for the poor. This couldn’t be more relevant for the reading we have heard today. We have just heard a snippet from the most famous sermon ever preached, in which Jesus teaches his disciples about life, blessing and woes. Of course, only Jesus has the ability of turning the world upside down and today’s reading is no exception. These eight beatitudes couldn’t be more relevant and controversial for our world today.

We call them the beatitudes – from the Latin word for blessing, be-at-us. In fact, the Greek word, makarios doesn’t mean ‘happy’ at all. It means ‘blessed.’ Eight statements that Christians claim make a truly blessed life. To be happy is merely an emotion, but to be blessed is something physical and lasting.

The teaching of Jesus here throws me because they seem to be a complete reversal of common sense! Jesus delivers the message probably fully aware of the controversy it would cause, and still causes today. Instead of happiness we’re meant to be mourning; instead of riches, we are to be poor; instead of laughing, weeping. These upside values are not commandments or simply good advice, however, they are good news – they are pure Gospel.

Mary’s Song, the Magnificat, gives us images of salvation, God’s plan for the world, things that have already happened. Mary said: “he has lifted up the humble and cast down mighty rulers, he has filled the hungry with good and the rich he sends away empty.” The beatitudes from Jesus are a confirmation of God still at work in our world.

Jesus delivers this sermon on level ground having just come down from a mountain after praying. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus delivers the sermon from the mountain. Why is this? Well, Jesus knew that Moses had also done the same, when he received the Law given to him by God on Mt Sinai. To the Jews, big things happened on mountains! Luke clearly mirrors this image, illustrating Jesus giving us a new Law, but one that shocks his listeners. No longer will the rich, wealthy and powerful be the blessed ones, but the meek, poor, humble and hungry. Jesus tells his disciples later it’s easier for a camel to get into heaven than a rich man, he also demands his followers leave everything to follow him as we heard last week. God uses the weak to shame the strong and the poor to shame the rich!

Zimbabwe is a place where the rich and poor live side by side. Of course the majority of the population live in extreme poverty. The situation there means that so many have become poor, some who were rich have lost everything, farmers their farms, mother their children, police their wages, teachers their jobs. It seems to be a place where the poor rejoice because they have God. Churches are full even though Anglicans are persecuted. There is joy and singing when waiting for aid and food to arrive. There is happiness and dancing when someone dares enter the dark, cramped huts in which so many live. Their poverty has meant their faith has deepened. They have learnt to trust God for everything. Food is expensive, many water supplies are not safe; there are no jobs so parents cannot afford education or health care for their children. In their little and in their weakness, they find God.

Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday when traditionally cupboards were emptied and pantries cleaned up in preparation for the great fast of Lent. We get rid of everything we have stored up and over spent on! On Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent we begin the de clutter of our lives in order to make room for God. Our disciplines over Lent (some greater than others!) help cast our minds on other people. When we make room in our hearts for Christ, we can then share in the poverty of those in Zimbabwe; we can join in with the mourning of those in Haiti; we can stand alongside those who fear their children’s life in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our small disciplines mean we have chance to think of the suffering world – those who are poor and hungry, those weeping and those who are hated and left out. We have the chance to pray for the world that belongs to God, and the world which he knows and loves.

Living out the beatitudes mean embracing the world as it is. They don’t mean go sell everything you have and live in poverty, although maybe it means spending wisely and using God’s resources better. Giving up something here may mean giving more to the Haiti appeal or sponsoring a child in Zimbabwe. Blessed people are people who, whatever their circumstances, are made happy by God’s grace and the assurance of a hope in him. They teach us that the only thing that really matters at the end of the day, is God. It comes painfully to us because we refuse to let go of the worldly things, the things we find pleasure and wealth from, but actually make us greedy and selfish people. Lent is a good time to practice this.

Jesus says (John 16: 22) I give a joy which no one will take away. That joy is a share in the life and blessedness of God – Kingdom life, eternal life, sharing God’s bliss. But it comes at the cost of turning the world and our lives upside down. We discover our blessedness as we hunger for what the neighbour or the stranger has to give us; we shall find our happiness as we comfort those who weep and are friendly with those who everyone shuns and pushes out. These controversial, topsy turvy and uncomfortable teachings of Jesus, tell us to be controversial Christians today. Controversial in the way we love others and love God, showing how serious we are in our relationship with him, remembering and looking forward to a time when all mourning will turn to laughter, all poverty to great riches, all sorrow into dancing and a time when all the fruits of the Spirit are alive and active in our world. Amen.