What does it mean to be blessed?
Is it what happens when you are baptized? When you come to receive
communion? When something good happens? Yes to all of those – but that
doesn’t begin to contain what it means to be “blessed.” There are also many
times in the Bible in which someone is “blessed.” For example, Jacob steals
his brother Esau’s birthright and blessing, Aaron shares a blessing in the book
of Numbers, and Jesus received a blessing at his baptism.
Jesus gives blessings too, like the Beatitudes. Beatitude is simply the Latin
word for blessing. In Matthew, Jesus is on the mountaintop and proclaims.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are the meek”… and continues
blessing those whom others consider “the least of these” or less desirable or
deserving or worthy. It is absolutely beautiful and inspiring. I love it.
But, Luke’s blessings tell a different story, one that is much harder for us to
hear. For this time, Jesus is not on a mountain. Jesus is on the level plain -
which means he is accessible to and welcomes the poor, the hurting, the sick,
those in need. They come and Jesus responds - healing the sick, the lame and
giving good news to the poor.
I hear a bit of an echo of Mary’s Magnificat from earlier in Luke’s Gospel in
which Mary prophesies the poor would be lifted up and the rich would be
brought down.. and now here Jesus is, proclaiming blessings. And woes.
This would be completely shocking to Jesus’ first audience. They lived in a
very hierarchical society. The Emperor was at the top and was considered the
one who was the most blessed. As Diana Butler Bass explains, The blessed”
in Greek actually became interchangeable with “the gods” and “the elite.”…
Thus, the “the blessed” were the big shots of the ancient world” and the
“blessings” were the material riches that were handed down (or not) by those
in power. 1
By blessing the people who are poor, who have no food to eat, who wonder
where their next meal is coming from, who live off food stamps and handouts
and food pantries and bags of food offered by charities, Jesus turns the
hierarchy upside down. He gives hope to people who have no hope and he
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gives a promise of change. To the poor, Jesus promises the kingdom of God,
to the hungry, he proclaimed, “you will be fed,” and to those who weep, that
they will rejoice with laughter.
These promises are in keeping with the promises of the psalmists and
prophets who remind the people of God that the earth and everything in it is
the Lord’s (Psalm 24:1) – and do not belong to the Emperor or any other
person. Just as Isaiah and the prophets declared that when God’s Kingdom
comes, the Lord will wipe away all your tears, so Jesus declares that those
who weep will rejoice. In addition, there is an underlying message that since
Jesus is not giving these blessings from on high, but rather from the plain,
where there is no hierarchy, these blessings are for the ordinary people.
But that is not all. Jesus also has a message for the rich, for those who have
put their trust in the Emperor or other gods or in their own status or luck.
And the message is “Woe to you.”
This is not a blanket condemnation of the rich and powerful but rather a
warning for them and all who have God-given resources and yet are not
following the way of God. It is also an invitation to repent and change.
For example, remember the story of Zacchaeus? This is a story from later in
the Gospel of Luke. Zacchaeus was a rich tax collector. And yet, Jesus saw
that he had a good heart - and so Jesus called Zacchaeus to dine with him.
Zacchaeus was overjoyed and in response, shared his wealth generously -
especially for anyone who felt wronged. After Zacchaeus made that
announcement, Jesus responded, ‘Today salvation has come to this house,
because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out
and to save the lost.’ Jesus was calling those with riches and wealth to trust
in the power of God - and not their own selves, and what they call their own
– whether it is property, status and power. For if you put your trust in
anything less than the love and power and provision of God, it will not last.
Luther Seminary Professor Dr. Mary Hinkle Shore writes that the challenge
for those of us in our 21st-century American, mainline Christian context is
that most of us who will hear this word are not inclined to trust it.” After all,
who would want to be poor, have your character maligned, be bullied or
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“cancelled” – even if it was for the sake of our faith? As Mary says, “We aim
to be rich, full, laughing, and respected. Hearing the beatitudes from Jesus,
we may be tempted to think, “I’ll take my chances with the status quo.” It’s
tempting to put your trust in pensions and security systems rather than in
Jesus. But Mary says, “It is as if Jesus said, “Certain things are worthy of
your trust, and other things are sure to betray it.” When those objects of
misplaced loyalty do betray your trust -Lord, have mercy.” 2
Dr. Kate Bowler, a professor at Duke University, was studying the prosperity
gospel and evangelical church culture when she was diagnosed, at age 35
with a rare form of cancer, at stage IV. The church community told her to
pray for healing. She prayed. They prayed. But she didn’t heal. Some in her
church assumed it was because she didn’t have enough faith. They felt that if
she did, she would have been healed. And since she wasn’t, clearly, she
wasn’t “blessed.” 3
Through all of this, Kate held onto her faith – despite the diagnosis, despite
the shaming from some in her church, and despite the challenges and the
grief of dreams that had to die. Suddenly, Kate had to confront her own ideas
about what it meant to be blessed. And she found that it wasn’t being perfect,
it wasn’t about winning God’s favor. Instead, Kate discovered it was about
living fully the ordinary life that she was given, trusting in God, and caring
for others in the world around her. She also discovered that she had a gift for
noticing the blessings in the ordinary of her life and ours. She shares these
blessings freely on her website. Here’s one for you. It’s titled:
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a blessing for the life you have
Blessed are you who
hold hope with an open hand.
You who try not to fix your gaze
on time’s far horizon or
get drunk on what might yet be.
And blessed are you who
avoid walking too far down memory
lane, getting stuck wondering if that
was as good as it gets,
if you’ve peaked,
or feeling resentful about all that
has disappointed before.
Blessed are you who know
that sometimes you need
to stay right here.
At least for a minute.
Blessed are you who look
wide-eyed, maybe timidly,
at the present moment,
gazing at those things that
are gently, actually within
the reach of your fingertips.
Blessed are you amid the
ordinary details that define
what life is for you, right now.
And as you see them,
greet them—each one—
as you smile and
call them by name.
Everyday joys. Small pleasures.
Birds chirping. Cat cuddles.
A cold glass of water.
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A little child calling your name.
The breeze on your cheeks.
The ocean rhythm.
The perfect pillow.
The kindness of a friend.
Loves that are and were
and ever will be.
May they seem even lovelier,
even more delicious because
they become gifts offered anew.
May gratitude fill you,
reaching all of the spaces within
you that disappointment
left behind and fear has gripped.
May something rise in your heart
that feels like a strange
new kind of contentment.
Because this isn’t what
you had planned, but it
surprises you that even here
it can be good. Satisfying.
In a way that you know you
can come back to. A place that can
sustain you through
whatever may come.
Blessed are you,
finding that life is good
because it is enough.
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Friends in Christ, you are blessed. Trust in Jesus when the way before you
seems difficult – and when things are going so well that you feel on top of the
moon. For God is the provider of it all – including all the blessings for the
poor, the ordinary, those who are considered “less than,” the young, the old,
the middle aged and all of those just trying to make it to the next day. And so,
regardless of what happens in your world and in your life, trust in God, keep
the faith and receive God’s many blessings. Friends in Christ, may the Lord
bless you, and keep you in God’s loving and surprising grace. In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
1Diana Butler Bass, Grateful
2 Workingpreacher.com Mary Hinkle Shore
3 Dr. Kate Bowler, Everything Happens for a Reason and all the Lies I’ve learned to Hate.
4. Dr. Kate Bowler website,
https://katebowler.com