Reversal of Fortune
Luke 6:17-26
In the Gospel today, Jesus presents us with a reversal of fortune.
We tend to think that in our world the greatest blessing that we can receive is gain as much wealth as we can. It is obvious from the number of lottery tickets sold in our society that many people think that winning a few million dollars in a lottery will bring us great happiness. We also think that filling ourselves with more food than we need and surrounding ourselves with more and more possessions will bring us fulfillment. Again, many people live by the pleasure principal. We think that searching out new forms of pleasure each day will certainly fill our lives with joy and contentment. What’s more, for many people in our society, status, power and recognition are considered to be the greatest glory that we can have in this life.
Jesus, however, numbers these things among his woes. He is saying that it is the way the world to think that the blessings of life are to be found in being rich, full, laughing, and well thought of. In truth this is to be pitied. In the Kingdom of God, true blessings are to be found among the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the rejected, because in the community based on the new reality, we have a new norm of greatness. It is in giving and not getting that really counts. It is sharing with others and not self-indulgence which brings fulfillment. It is in weeping with others and taking on some of the world’s pain that we can experience inner peace that passes all understanding. It is in serving one another and working for justice and the well-being of all people, even if at times it is unpopular, that is the life worth living. Yes, where God reigns there is a reversal of fortune because there is a reversal of values. In living the values of the kingdom we may not be rich in the world’s standards, but we are rich toward God. Jesus told the parable of the Rich Fool later recorded in Luke. The Rich fool build bigger and bigger barns to hold all that he had gathered for himself but was not rich toward God (Luke 12:13-21)
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When I read the contrast in these blessings and woes in Luke’s Gospel I am reminded on a section in J.B. Philip’s book Your God is Too Small on what Jesus said as contrasted with what most people think. It was based on Matthew’s version of the beatitudes but has a similar ring of truth to it.
What Most People Think: Happy are the pushers: for they get on in the world.
What Jesus Christ Said.: Happy are those who realize their spiritual poverty: they have already entered the kingdom of Reality.
What Most People Think: Happy are the hard-boiled: for they never let life hurt them.
What Jesus Christ Said.: Happy are they who bear their share of the world’s pain: in the long run they will know more happiness than those who avoid it.
What Most People Think: Happy are they who complain: for they get their own way in the end.
What Jesus Christ Said.: Happy are those who accept life and their own limitations: they will find more in life than anybody.
What Most People Think: Happy are the blasé: for they never worry over their sins.
What Jesus Christ Said.: Happy are those who long to be truly “good”: they will fully realize their ambition.
What Most People Think: Happy are the slave-drivers: for they get results.
What Jesus Christ Said.: Happy are those who are ready to make allowances and to forgive: they will know the love of God.
What Most People Think: Happy are the knowledgeable men of the world: for they know their way around.
What Jesus Christ Said.: Happy are those who are real in their thoughts and feelings: in the end they will see the ultimate Reality, God.
What Most People Think: Happy are the trouble-makers: for people have to take notice of them.
What Jesus Christ Said.: Happy are those who help others to live together: they will be known to be doing Gods work.
We could add to Philip’s list:
Many people think :Happy are those that never stand for anything, they will always play it safe.
But in reality: Happy are those who follow Jesus no matter what the cost, they will know the ultimate triumph of Love.
In what most people think, Philip’s put forward a lifestyle based on selfishness, egotism, power, control and every person for themselves. I suppose this is the way a lot of people live in the world. Unfortunately it is the way a lot of the people live in the church. I have noticed over the years that most of the problems in the church are power problems. I don’t mean hydro, but I mean problems and abuse of power and control. Philip’s translates Jesus’ words a promoting exactly the opposite, a life style based on giving, caring, and love. This is what life is all about and these are the things that last when everything else is gone down the drain. I remember attending sessions by the Ecumenical Institute of Chicago. The leaders would ask, “How do you stand before the ‘going down the drain-ness of life’?” What lasting values are there to hold on to? You can see why John Wesley referring to the beatitudes, shouted out, “Behold Christianity in its native form.”
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A very important point here is that this is the way that we as Christians are to live our whole lives and not just our life in the church. Sometimes we make people feel guilty if they are not given everything that they are and all that they have to the church. This has been for me always an oppressive style of stewardship.
Many of you probably have taken the course Linking Faith and Daily Life developed by the Alban Institute. I have led the course a couple of times in parishes. In the course it’s pointed out that our faith is lived out in three different areas of our life: our personal life which include our families and all of our personal agendas and relationships; our life in the world which includes the community and society; and our life in the institutional church.
Sometimes we get so hung up with the church that we actually stand in the way of people really doing ministry in the world. I like that sign in one of the churches. It’s not always true but certainly something to ponder. It was directed to everyone. If you spend more than 10% of your time in this building, you are neglecting your ministry.
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Never underestimate the ministry of individuals in the world. Years ago when I was the rector of a church in Edmonton, we had a Bible study group between the two Sunday morning services. One morning we talked about the Church’s involvement in the world and everyone was feeling that the church was not doing enough. I pointed out that the church was probably doing much more than they realized because the church was made up of people like themselves living out their ministry in the world. There were only 6 people in the study that morning so I asked them to share some of the things that they were doing. It was simply amazing! One volunteered regularly on the Community Crisis Line. One was an A.A. member who did a lot of “twelve stepping” helping others in recovery from their addiction. Another volunteered regularly at a youth detention centre. One worked with Literacy Canada program helping people with English as a second language. Another worked in Hospice and Palliative Care. Still another volunteered a lot of time with the Boyle Street Inner City ministry. They all saw the things that they did as following Jesus and living the kind of caring life that he showed us in the world.
This is in fact how God uses ordinary individuals to change the world.
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What’s really important? I think that it is in giving ourselves in such a way that others could say we made a difference. This is a reversal of fortune from what is considered to be rich in the world because is what it means to be rich toward God.
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