Travis Reese

Friends,

Today’s reading is in Luke and focuses on The Beatitudes.

I found The Beatitudes made for very easy reading, but difficult writing. The more I read them the more I feel tension between faith and cynicism.

The combination of cynicism and faith comes to life when Jesus speaks in Luke 6:20-31.

Luke captures Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, the less famous relative to the Sermon on the Mount. Both sermons make up what we know as The Beatitudes.

In Matthew’s retelling of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches a message of a fulfilled spiritual life. In Luke, most scholars believe Jesus is speaking to a group closer to the fringe of society. The Sermon on the Plain is a practical response to their social and cultural situation.

In Matthew Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, …”

In Luke Jesus says, “Blessed are you poor, …”

We’re immediately confronted with this reality. In this crowd are those less fortunate, and Jesus is speaking directly to them.

He continues, “Blessed are you that hunger now, …”

If we fully accept that “blessed” means entry to heaven, does our faith grow hearing what’s next?

“…for you shall be satisfied.”

This clearly represents that God recognizes the suffering and will alleviate the hunger. But a cynic might wonder how exactly, and in what timeframe?

Are we skeptical of those who beg from us? Do we believe they will do the right thing once we provide for them?

Jesus definitely doesn’t tell us to have those in need go through a vetting process before giving. He clearly says to give to everyone.

Reading this sermon and relating it to our modern experience, do we have faith that a person who is full, laughing, and rich will mourn, weep, and experience hunger? And is this something to root for?

I imagine for first century citizens in this Roman occupied part of the middle east, cynicism ran high. People were skeptical. Belief in institutions was pretty low.

With The Beatitudes as his foundation, Jesus gained an audience that connects us to today. Thanks to those early believers whose faith overcame their cynicism.

—Travis