Count Your Blessings. Luke 6:17-26

 The Sixth Sunday of Epiphany Jer 17:5-10 Ps 1 1 Cor 15:12-20 Luke 6:17-26 ( and the 70 Days before Easter- Septuagesima)

" Count Your Blessings"

  ---Why is it that disasters and bad things seem to highlight the news and our lives?  We pay attention !  But the good things are not so important it seems at least .  The hymn " Count Your Blessings"  Rev. Oatman Johnson wrote over 3000 hymns. This one is well -known.  It says so much. 

Today's Gospel has many positive and blessed thoughts from our Lord. It is a Beatitude on the plain .  Matthew has it on the mount.◄ Luke 6:17 ►

"And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases"

He had just called the  12 Disciples/ Apostles . He spent the night praying before He did it.  He heals the people of their diseases. Of course He still does that today .  We are people of God on the way to His kingdom in heaven forever, but here we too are His disciples and witnesses. We don't see the good so much, but like the news people we focus on the bad and difficult things in our world. 

Sometimes we cannot see the forest for the trees.  I was collecting my trash bin. ( Hobo-I don't like that name really), and a red pick-up truck was driving by the house.  He stopped when he saw me.  He was a tree man and climber.  He said, " You have a dead pine tree in the back of your house". I had never seen it before.  Then I discovered it, but it is on the property behind my house and technically not mine.  But if it ever falls, guess where it could fall?  

We are like that guy, myself, that can't see the dead pine tree often.  We pass by people and neglect to see what is going on. Jesus does not do that, for He is God incarnate.  We too have a duty and privilege as Christians to see what He is doing in others lives.

1.  We are Blessed .  We are poor in spirit.  Ours is the kingdom of God.  ( Matthew says it perhaps more clearly here 5:3 " Blessed are the poor in spirit") Certainly the poor are blessed, but the poor in spirit is the focus of our Lord here.  It begins the beatitudes.

Blessed in the original language is happy.makarios" makários (from mak-, "become long, large") – properly, when God extends His benefits (the advantages He confers); blessed. is used to describe a state of spiritual well-being and prosperity. It denotes a deep, abiding joy and contentment that comes from a right relationship with God. This term is often used to describe those who are favored by God and who experience His grace and favor in their lives." biblehub.com greek on Luke 

Happiness is not found here on earth and its creation as much  in seeing God's Hand in His creation, His Church and His working in our lives and in the world. 

It is the way of life or the way of death.  We know it as the way of life.  ( Didache) " Luke's hearers then and now should see beyond themselves to the One who was made poor for them."  Ambrose

2.  The other things Jesus mentions flow from the first thing He said to them. He says they are blessed if they are hungry now, for they shall be filled. Those that weep now shall laugh.

The part about persecution is very strong.  We are going to be in the minority whether we like it or not.  We are going to be reviled and excluded " on account of the Son of man."  

But He says the prophets were treated the same way. Our reward is great in heaven.

3. The woes.  I was surprised by this.  Of course Matthew does not have these. Luke does.  But the word in the orig language for woe is too strong in the English.  It is more like " Alas" or " How terrible" . " It is an expression of regret and compassion, not a threat."

There is a whole sermon in this word. ouai.  The world lies in the grasp of the wicked one and does not have any idea what it is missing.  How terrible. God's compassion is that all men would repent and have the fulness of life in His Son.  But alas they do not.  They are the road to destruction.

How we should be compassionate to those who are without God!  It is difficult to argue . You cannot and find a way through it with people doing that.  We witness by our actions and speech.  As Peter said in his epistle, ch 3, "14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed." NKJV

We are salt and light.  I spoil myself with salt on my avocado.  Being from California, I like them. But without salt, they taste bland.  A bit of salt brings out their flavor.  Just so, we as Christians are salt and light to those suffering and dying around us without God.

 Conclusion: In the middle of this we should count our blessings.  They are many .  We should look at them and be thankful.  We should not be like the news media and focus on the disasters.  They are here, and people do suffer tragedies, but we can be certain that God is working out His purpose in the midst of all that.