3. Blessings or Woes?

Luke 6:17-26

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Startling?

How did you feel? Comfortable or uncomfortable?

Good News . . . a bit disturbing?

Warm and fuzzy or knot in the stomach?

My own response: Those richer than me – should be more generous

BUT . . . Maybe I should be more generous myself?

Context

Those with nothing find these words comforting. How we hear Jesus depends on our context & lifestyle

The big picture: understanding the “why?”

Contrasting pictures: “who made / caused it?”

Stewardship

Exploitation

Wellbeing

Poverty

Community

Conflict

Hope

Despair

Who did this?

Two contrasting images: Good stewardship, wellbeing, community, hope

Exploitation, poverty, conflict, despair.

Who is going to fix it, and how?

1. What kind of Kingdom?

Blessed to be poor, hungry, weeping, hated. Doesn’t sound very blessed!

I’d rather be rich, well-fed, laughing, well spoken of.

Is God’s solution just to re-define everything?

God is acting to bring it to an end.

1. What kind of Kingdom?

All who turn to God will see rescue and justice come.

How will God fix the world? He will bring justice at the end.

There will be a reward for the faithful in heaven (v 23)

2. What kind of Prophet?

To those who are poor, weepinging, persecuted: Rejoice! That is how they treated the PROPHETS. (v 23)

To those who are well-fed, laughing, applauded: Woe! That is how they treated FALSE PROPHETS. (v 26)

2. What kind of Prophet?

Old Testament prophets were not popular. Considered negative, judgmental, extreme, not-from-God.

Their message (Jeremiah 23:17) “It shall be well with you”

“No disaster will come upon you”

People in every generation want to hear it.

2. What kind of Prophet?

Spoken to: “those who despise the word of the Lord”

Who “stubbornly follow their own heart”

It misleads them!

A few verses later (Jer. 23:22) If they proclaimed my words … turned from their evil ways

Robbed them of the opportunity to repent.

2. What kind of Prophet?

Our challenge: our society is moving away from Biblical underpinnings of ethics.

Challenged on key social policy issues: Abortion, divorce, marriage, sexuality, euthanasia . . .

Physician assisted suicide

Dr Margaret Cottle, this Wednesday 7.30 pm

How do we not alienate everyone?

3. What kind of love?

How we make our voice heard: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (v 27)

Practical examples:• Bless and don’t curse (v 28)• Pray for those who mistreat you (v 28)• Give to everyone who asks (v 30)• Do to them as you want them to do to you (v 31)• Give money without expecting it back (v 34-35)

3. What kind of love?

Treat enemies like your dearest friends and family.

Radical love that will change the world. It will validate our message

“against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:23)

Living It

Jesus is talking to all of us (v 17)

How God will fix the mess in the world:1. One day he will act to rectify everything.

• Get our priorities straight (Luke 8:14)• Make sure our treasure is in heaven (Matt 6:19-21)

2. In the interim, we speak truth and love radically.