ICYMI: Luke 6 // Poor
If you missed Sunday's service or could use a refresher, here's a quick recap featuring a song from Sunday on Spotify, main points from the sermon, a key quotation, a guide for prayer, and our weekly Next Step Practice. Scroll to the bottom for the full sermon recording.
📖 Focal Scripture
🎯 Main Points
The Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6 paints a picture of the Jesus that Luke wants us to see, and we can best come to know this Jesus by contrasting Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) with Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. Luke is making particular theological points.
Jesus comes down. In Matthew 5, Jesus gives his Sermon on the Mount from, well, a mountain. But in Luke 6, Jesus comes down the mountain to teach from a level place. This movement for Jesus embodies the incarnation. Jesus came close to them, collapsing the gap between God and humanity. He came to be with them, to share their suffering and be present with them in solidarity with their struggles, challenges, and pain. He comes to be with us in all of our stuff, too, so we might know we are not alone.
Jesus creates space for all. Luke's version of Jesus's Sermon on the Plain includes "woes" that are not present in Matthew's version. Each “Blessed are you…” is paralleled by a “Woe to you…” While some might view the "Blessed are you" and "Woe to you" statements as distinct categories, they might be more accurately seen as two ends of a spectrum that encompass the full breadth of humanity. These are not so much absolutes as they are creating space for the complexity, mess, moxie, and beauty of all people who might inhabit different places in between blessing and woe at different times.
Jesus shows us the way. Rather than be tempted to over-spiritualize Jesus’s teaching, Luke won’t let us off the hook. “Blessed are you who are poor,” Jesus says. Jesus teaches that in order to experience the life that God has for us fully, we must demonstrate solidarity with the poor. Giving away our possessions, power, and privilege is an act of faith that opens us up to the power and provision of God.
Emptying ourselves makes room for God to fill us. And this is the world as it’s meant to be. A Jubilee reality in which the poor are blessed by the rich and the rich see true blessing in becoming poor — and everything in this level place is as it should be. Generosity and sacrifice lead to freedom. This is the way of Jesus.
🗣️ Key Quotation
“John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement… once described the plentitude and prosperity that the rich, full, and jovial enjoy as ‘a sweet poison.’ Prosperity and is sweet when it’s shared but poison when it’s hoarded.” — Brent Levy
🙏 A Guide for Prayer
Prayer of Gratitude: Begin by expressing gratitude to God for the blessings in your life. Reflect on the ways in which Jesus comes down to our level, walks with us in our struggles, and provides comfort and guidance. Thank God for being present in your life and for the opportunity to know Jesus more deeply.
Prayer for Inclusivity: Pray for a heart that mirrors the inclusive love of Jesus. Ask God to help you see others through a lens of unconditional love and belonging, embracing people regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances. Pray for a community where every person feels affirmed, anchored, and empowered.
Prayer for Generosity: Reflect on the call to become poor, to let go of attachments that hinder our relationship with God. Pray for the willingness to share your resources and to use them for the well-being of others. Ask for the experience of the joy that comes with sacrificial giving and the blessing of abundance that comes with generosity.
Prayer for Solidarity: Pray for those who are marginalized, disadvantaged, and in need. Pray for Divine provision, justice, and restoration in their lives. Ask God to show you ways to stand in solidarity with those who are in need, to be a reflection of Jesus' love and compassion in your interactions with others.
Prayer for Guidance: Seek guidance from God as you strive to follow Jesus' example and embody his teachings in your life. Pray for clarity in discerning God’s heart and for courage to take the next faithful step on the way of Jesus. Ask for the Holy Spirit to lead you in living out Jesus’s mission in your daily life.
Remember to approach prayer with an open and receptive heart, allowing time for silence and reflection, being attentive to God’s presence. May your prayers bring you closer to Jesus and deepen your understanding of the Divine's nature and purpose.
➡️ Next Step: Give Something Away
John Wesley said that prosperity can be a sweet poison: sweet when shared, poisonous when hoarded. This week, practice giving something away. This is not just clearing out of old junk, but a giving away something valuable to bless others.
For this week’s practice, here are a couple of suggestions:
Give away something valuable that you no longer need but could be meaningful for someone else.
A possible suggestion for this practice: bring valuable, high-quality winter clothes for our Winter Clothes drive!
Bless someone in need with an anonymous financial gift or through a non-profit that meets the needs of people in Chatham County, like Salvation Army, CORA, or Love Chatham.
Make extra food for a meal to share it with someone who needs it, or bring some fresh produce next Sunday for Feed-Well Fridges.
