When we think of the Beatitudes, we immediately think of the gospel of Matthew. Luke comes as an afterthought. But have you ever compared how the two are written?
Matthew 5:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Luke 6:
“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”
Do you see the difference? We like Matthew’s “spiritual virtue” Beatitudes--poor in spirit, mourners, meek, thirsting for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, etc. Well, what about Luke’s? Luke addresses the poor, the hungry, those who weep, the excluded. Luke’s Beatitudes have a bit more of a tangible ring to them.
I was having a discipleship meal with my boss last week, and she asked me, “What kind of a salary would you like to have in the future?” To which I replied, “Hmm. I’m not sure! I’ve never really thought about a specific salary. I’m not concerned with being rich. I just want to do something that I love. I mean, I guess I don’t want to be a bum on the street or anything.”
Her response made me choke on my oatmeal. “Why not?” she asked.
Why not? Why don’t I want to be a bum on the street? What kind of a foolish question is that? But then I really, really thought about it. Look at Luke’s Beatitudes. Not only does Jesus prophecy abundant, holy blessings for those who are financially and materialistically poor, those who have no food to eat, those who have tears now, and those who are excluded and reviled, but He also calls down woes:
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.”
From my sweet, hospitable, compassionate boss’s perspective, we are called to be bums on the street. We are called to seek out the poor, the hungry, the emotionally broken down, the ones that society looks at and says, “Worthless.” Nothing in scripture says we shouldn’t be homeless for the kingdom. But it does say we shouldn’t be selfishly living in excess.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t pursue excellence in our jobs or every other area of our lives. I think we’re also called to excellence. I think we’re not called to blend into this culture of consumerism, this culture of materialism, this culture that says, “You need more” and “‘Comfortable’ means 3,000 square feet and three cars and a pool in the backyard.” I think we’re called to give and give and give until we can’t give anymore.
I think it’s so interesting that the last woe Jesus calls down says, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.” Jesus’ message stepped on some toes, and if we’re doing it justice in our own lives, everyone will not “speak well of us,” too. Blending into this culture can’t also mean living out Jesus’ calling with every ounce of who we are. Because the essence of kingdom living doesn’t “blend in” to anything.
We aren’t just called to give our money, sit back, and be done with it. We are called to give of our money, our food, our homes, our hearts. We are called to love the hungry, the poor, the weeping, the excluded, because Jesus loved us. He invested time in people who the rest of the world thought He shouldn’t be seen with. We’re supposed to invest time in people who the rest of the world thinks we shouldn’t be seen with. We’re supposed to seek out those who embody Luke’s Beatitudes and give them everything we have. I think maybe we avoid Luke’s Beatitudes because they’re things that we can remedy. Matthew’s are easier--we can read about those and expect Jesus to take care of those people. Not so Luke’s--we have to really think about what we’re supposed to be doing where those people are concerned.
I want to be the kind of person who can leave the door to my house unlocked and invite people to make themselves at home. I want to be the kind of person who isn’t worried about something getting stolen because, at the end of the day, my possessions do not define my quality of life or my value as a person. I want to be the kind of person who finds value in meaningful relationships with other people, not in experience after experience that I pay a lot of money for. I want to give the money I would use for expensive clothes and cars and electronics away to people who need to pay their electric bill and buy groceries and have warm clothes. I want to live fully in the realization that loving God’s people and constantly seeking out new ways to do this will be the most exciting “experiences” I will have in this life.
God,
Teach us to give. Not in the cold, distant way that we’ve been taught, but in a way that is reflected in every area of our lives. Not just during the Christmas season, but year round. Not just when we think we’ve got some excess money, but when we’re not sure how we’re going to make it that month. Because we know that being able to let go of material possessions is reflective of a true love and faith in you. Teach us to give abundantly, O God. Thank you for giving abundantly to us.
Through the Giver of life, Jesus, Amen.
Erin Daugherty, Abilene Christian University
No comments:
Post a Comment