The Sermon on the Plain, Lk. 6: 17-49

If we believe that Jesus is who he says he is, that he is the Son of God, that he came into the world, took on our humanity, suffered, died, and rose again to liberate us from our greatest enemies, sin and death, then shouldn’t we, in all honesty, humility, and sincerity, take his words seriously? If he is the way, the truth, and the life, would it not be a matter of wisdom on our part to take his words as the fullness of truth and then try, with all of our might, to honor them with our lives?

The “preacher” of this “sermon” is not your local pastor or priest; it is Jesus Christ himself. This is the Word of God speaking to us directly. There is no commentary, no theological exegesis going on here. No. This is God speaking his wisdom to us in the person of his only Son, Jesus Christ. And we are called on not just to listen respectfully, but to let it sink into the depths of our hearts and minds until it becomes our very own nature. Are we not called upon to take the Word of God into our very lives so that it is the center of all that we think, say, and do? What prevents us from doing so? Two things come to mind that are pointed to in this passage from Luke’s Gospel: materialism and ego.

What does Jesus mean when he says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (v. 20)? He is not romanticising poverty here. That is an economic, or materialistic interpretation. What he is saying is that our truest happiness does not come from the accumulation of material things. Rather, it is when we detach ourselves from our addiction to finite things. It is when we are liberated from the siren call of the material idols that we substitute for God that. It is in that “poverty” that we find true happiness. Wealth and material things are not evils in and of themselves. They become so if, or when, we make them the center of our lives, when we believe that they are the source of happiness. It is only when Christ is the center of our lives that we begin to enter the holy joy that our hearts most desire.

Jesus is not blessing physical hunger when he says, “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled” (v. 21). What he is blessing is those who know that their hunger can only be satisfied by the love of God. They are blessed who are humble enough to realize that they cannot truly live without the love of God and his mercy. Jesus promises that those who are “hungry” in this way will indeed be filled. When he says, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (v. 21), he is identifying those who weep for the suffering world, recognizing the role that sin plays in that suffering. They weep, they cry out for God’s mercy on all, knowing that it will be generously given to all who turn to God’s infinite love and mercy. Those who come to know the forgiving, compassionate love of God do, indeed, laugh for joy.

“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man” (v. 22). We might be tempted to shout here, “Woe! This is too much!” Might this be because our culture has taught us that fame and praise and approval of the crowd, and being #1, are the highest goals to be achieved? Do we not live in a celebrity culture? Do we not idolize those who have status, fame, wealth, and power? In other words, have we not made idols of these things? But, in reality, these are merely finite and fickle things?

Jesus’ “sermon” here ends with a series of “Woe to you” statements. What does Jesus mean when he says, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (v: 24); or “Woe to you are full now, for you will be hungry”; or “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep“ (v. 25); or “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. Jesus is saying that if you think this world is all there is, and you make an idol of the world and its fleeting pleasures and powers, it will fail you in the end.

Those who place Jesus at the center of their lives know that the path to holiness and spiritual freedom amid this world will almost inevitably bring them into conflict with those who are chained to their worldly idols. These are the holy ones, the true disciples of Jesus. They are those who have detached themselves and become free from the fickle “approval” of the crowd. They are no longer enslaved to the false appeals of the “things” of the world. They see the world for what it is, and not through the distorted lenses of cupidity and egotism. They see with the eyes of Jesus. This is the source of their joy and their sense of fulfillment. Lord, give us the graces we need to rise onto our feet and begin to walk in your ways. Amen.