I find the teachings of Jesus troubling. Not the teachings I hear modern day preachers teach as they "interpret" the teachings of Jesus, but His teachings straight out of the Bible. The teachings of Jesus unadulterated: before our scholarly pastors can bend, fold and mutilate His words into mushy pop psychology and easy to swallow platitudes. Get a load of this one.
He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him because power was coming from him and healing them all. Luke 6:17-19 (NIV)
In this passage, we read that a great number of people assembled. This was, doubtlessly, a tremendously differing crowd, and yet they had something in common. They were troubled people who knew they were troubled. Such were the people attracted to Jesus. Not the rich or the middle class; comfortable, self-reliant people like us. These were the down and outers. The people who should go to a storefront church with shabby carpet and folding chairs. They were plagued by evil spirits, chronic illness, and life problems. Each, in their own way, was a mess. And all they wanted to do was be touched by Jesus. Their needs were clear and the cure was obvious. So, they came to Jesus.
It seems as we read the New Testament, that these people were special. As the teaching continues, Jesus explains why they are special in the Kingdom of God.
Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. Luke 6:20-26 (NIV)
Allow me a moment of honesty. Isn’t that the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard? Really. The way I see it, Jesus got the blessings and curses completely backward. I mean, really, are these the blessings you want? To be poor, hungry, crying, hated, excluded, insulted and rejected as evil. Is this what you are going to seek out and when you get those things you are going to rejoice and leap for joy? Are these what you consider blessings? Are these the things we pursue? Do we consider life a success when these things are happening to us? Is your response to being poor, hungry, sad and disliked to celebrate?
And to make matters worse He enumerates the curses: to be rich, to be well fed, to laugh, to have people speak well of you. Are these things we avoid? Do you feel yourself to be a failure when you are rich, well fed, happy and respected? How do you measure success? Is your way different from a person who doesn’t claim to be a follower of Christ? Why or why not?
Why would Jesus say such things? This teaching, taken at face value, makes absolutely no sense to us. Now I know some Biblical scholars say that Jesus meant that people who are spiritually hungry are blessed. Nice try… doesn’t that make us more comfortable with the teaching? It does, but I seriously doubt Jesus intended to make us comfortable with His teachings. I believe He meant to make us think.
This teaching is completely upside down when stood beside what we really believe and how we seek to live. What do you consider a good day… a good life? Nice, comfortable weather; the car starts; the traffic is light; we like our jobs; nobody or nothing irritates us; everyone is kind to us; we have good health; we have plenty of money to buy what we want.
When Jesus looks at your daily life, what do you think He thinks of your life and your choices? Do you share the same values? Do you have the same goals? Does He want for you what you desire to have and experience? Think about His teachings. If you took them seriously, would anything change in your life? Your giving – how you spend your money; how you use your time; how you treat others; if you are taking care of others – visiting the sick and lonely, feeding the hungry, clothing those in need, housing the homeless.
As I study the teachings of Jesus I am convinced that to fully embrace Christianity is to live life backward and upside down. To fully embrace Christianity is to abandon life as we had once known and lived it. One’s allegiance changes from self to total commitment to God as Lord and Savior. Trying to be just a little bit Christian is a ridiculous idea and completely undoable. We seem to desire that Jesus redecorate our lives instead of doing a complete restoration.
These blessings are to be embraced. They allow us to see life as it really is. Especially in the context of eternity: life is eternal; our lives on earth are preparation for life in the Kingdom of God. The purpose of life is to learn and grow into the image of Christ. The picture Jesus paints is much larger than we first understood.
They help us to see ourselves as we really are: Sinners in need of salvation; relatively helpless beings; prone to following false leaders and philosophies.
They open us to God: to God’s leading; to God’s plan; to God’s ministry in our lives; to God’s ministry for our lives.
Questions to contemplate:
- · Are you living life backward and upside down from the people around you?
- · Are you living and thinking in the context of eternity?
- · Do you take the teachings of Jesus seriously and are you applying them to how you live your life?
Copyright © 2017, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved
Bill McConnell is the Interim Minister at Norwood Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a Church Transformation consultant and a Christian Leadership Coach. He is a frequent speaker at Church Transformation events. His latest book on church transformation is DEVELOPING A SIGNIFICANT CHURCH and is available at Westbow Press.
He can be contacted @ bill45053@gmail.com. Connect with him on Facebook @ William T. McConnell or on Twitter @billmc45053 or visit his Amazon Author Page @ Amazon
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