Reverend Philip Stringer
Luke 6:17-26
LET US PRAY: Enlighten our hearts, O God, through the hearing of your word and the meditations of our hearts, that we may be strengthened in faith and bear a bright witness to the world, through Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. Amen
You may be aware that vision is subjective. One can only see what one’s eyes can reveal.
Honey bees, for example, cannot see red — which might surprise you because it’s such a bright color — the color of many flowers. But they can’t see it.
But they CAN see ultraviolet light — which means that they see colors that we don’t even have names for because we can’t see them. The ultraviolet colors are the ones that actually guide bees to the nectar in flowers.
You may be aware that some animals can’t see orange. Did you ever wonder why an animal like the tiger — which relies on stealth to sneak up on its prey — is bright orange? Because to most animals, they don’t look orange — it is more of a grayish-green color. Meaning that a tiger’s stripes makes it blend in with tall grasses and weeds.
It is also why it is the perfect color for hunters. While deer and rabbits cannot see it, to other hunters, the color stands out — well — as clear as day.
Do you know what the WORST color is for a hunter to wear? It’s BLUE. Because that is the color wavelength that is most prominent at night. So, to a deer — blue stands out as bright and obvious to them as ORANGE does to us.
The point is that what one is able to see depends on what one’s eyes can reveal.
My dad is an avid and accomplished astronomer. There’s lots of amazing stuff up there in the heavens, but as a child what I found most amazing was Dad’s red flashlight.
It takes the human eye about 15 minutes to adjust for “night vision.” And the moment one switches on a light, the pupils restrict, and you have to start all over again.
But that doesn’t happen with red light. So, using a red light one can conveniently go about one’s business without ruining their night vision. It’s perfect . . . unless you need to see color. Then you’re in trouble because with a red light, everything is either black or red. Under red light, you cannot distinguish one color from another — Not even red!
Luke tells us that Jesus “came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd . . . They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases . . .”
Jesus came down to a level place. He met them on a place where no one was above anyone else. He met them in a place where even he, himself, was on the same level. Or we could say, he shined a light by which everyone could see.
That’s really powerful — we don’t need to attain some lofty knowledge. We don’t need to rise to some great level of holiness to be met and healed by Jesus. He comes to meet us where we are. That’s good news.
<<<<RED LIGHT>>>>
But even so, it can be hard to understand what he says when our vision is clouded. It is sort of like looking through a red filter. If all we can see is red, we can get a general idea, but the details escape us.
<<<<OFF>>>>
Luke tells us that the people came to Jesus because he was healing them, and “power came out from him and healed all of them.” Then, we read, he looked up and started talking.
That doesn’t mean Jesus is finished healing. In fact, Luke seems to be quite clear that he wants us to understand that this is precisely why Jesus speaks -- through his words power is coming out of him to heal. There is the power of life in Jesus’ words for all who hear them.
That is true for us today, too. There is the power of life in Jesus’ words.
I have spoken with you before about the difference between God’s way of love and the world’s way of control/domination. And we have discussed how, by seeking control, we often twist religion into a means of taking control. One might think of the sinful desire to control as a red light. When viewed through the red light of sin, The Beatitudes -- these words of Jesus for healing -- become, instead, a means for drawing a line between the good people and the bad people.
Like the level place upon which Jesus spoke, the Beatitudes are not intended to divide. Rather — they are intended to reach everyone according to their needs. In other words, they are the same message of hope and healing spoken in ways that reach all people.
The Word speaks to us in different ways according to our needs -- but still it is to create and give life. In the Beatitudes, Jesus speaks as a prophet, proclaiming the truth of God’s way -- illuminating justice. And in the classic terms of prophet, he is “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable” with these words. The Word speaks to all who will listen. Are you listening?
To the poor, hungry and persecuted, they are words of hope. Not words of blessing -- but words of hope. “Take heart -- your salvation is near.” To the rich and powerful, they are words of warning. Not words of condemnation -- but words of warning. “Watch out! You are close to destruction.”
A common mistake is to associate the conditions of the people with the words of hope and warning. As if their poorness makes them lovable, or their richness makes them unlovable. That is not what Jesus says.
<<<<RED LIGHT>>>>
It is a terrible thing for us when we look at ourselves and the world around us, through a red light that only sees value based on haves and have-nots. The world does terrible things to people because of what they do or don’t have -- Seeing only one part of them and forgetting the rest. We do terrible things to ourselves when we see ourselves this way -- focusing only on what we dislike in us -- or only on what we like.
<<<<OFF>>>
Jesus does not do this. He is not assigning value to you based on what you do or do not have. In fact, this is exactly what he is speaking against.
Jesus wants his listeners to know that blessedness is a state which comes from Hope. Another word for “blessed” is “happy.” But instead of thinking of these words as Jesus’ secret to success -- Jesus doesn’t give you happiness as a reward for being committed. Instead, he is telling us that blessedness – happiness -- is the natural state of one living in faith. The Kingdom is real today because of what faith does in us today. The foundation of our faith is the promises of Jesus: “you will have. you will be. you will.” Placing one’s trust in these promises produces joy today. “Blessed are you.”
You who are poor are happy when you know that God loves you and will feed you with eternal life.
At the same time, those who aspire to become wealthy at the expense of others -- you are already living in a state of death -- because you are living outside of God’s way of love.
The Beatitudes are not a line between the good people and the bad people. In them, Jesus is choosing us all for the kingdom. Both the blessings and the woes belong to each of us. And whether we need to hear more blessing or more woe, we must remember that he speaks them both in order to bring you joy. Blessings to bring you joy in persevering. Woes to bring you joy by showing you his more excellent way.
In what ways do you need to hear Jesus’ words of warning -- How are you arranging your life around acquiring those things that are of passing value? In what ways are you sacrificing relationships for things? How is Jesus coming to you in the ways you are comfortable to tell you, “Hey, life is passing by and you’re missing it. You are close to your destruction!”
In what ways do you need to hear Jesus’ words of comfort and hope? How is Jesus coming to you in the ways you are afflicted to tell you, “Take heart -- I am still here. My promises are still true. your deliverance is near!”
<<<<<RED LIGHT>>>>>
Sometimes we do not allow ourselves to hear words of comfort . . . we beat ourselves up. We carry guilt and shame and feelings of inadequacy.
Sometimes we do not allow ourselves to hear words of warning . . . we gorge ourselves on our human passion for excesses and for control of people and things and ourselves. We’ll straighten up tomorrow. But today, we are like Esau -- selling our birthright poor a pot of stew right now. Jesus says,
<<<<<OFF>>>>> “I have something better in mind for you -- and it isn’t just for tomorrow.”
Because the kingdom of God isn’t tomorrow. It’s today. And it doesn’t consist of seizing control, but of living in love. And Jesus doesn’t want us to miss it -- not one moment of it. Because only in the kingdom do we have life in all of its abundance.
He is speaking to you in your affliction and pain.
He is speaking to you in your comfort and greed.
And he is not merely speaking words of warning or words of comfort. He is speaking to you with words of healing — an invitation to a better way. The more excellent way. A way that means peace and wholeness for you.
Have faith in the power of God’s love to gather us all — and heal us all.
AMEN
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