6 Epiphany.C.25
Luke 6:17-26
The Rev. Melanie McCarley

I’m a fan of those puzzles that ask us to “spot the difference.” At first glance, you see two pictures set side by side that for all the world appear identical. And, if you were interested in only taking a glance, you might think nothing of it. But a closer look reveals an abundance of differences. A person is wearing a red glove in one and a green glove in another. One individual might be wearing a knit hat in one picture and in another a baseball cap. The fun is had by looking closely, spotting the differences. By the time your through, you realize that while the pictures are indeed similar, they are also remarkably different—and by that time you can’t unsee the differences.

Such it is with the Gospel lesson for today in the Gospel of Luke in which Jesus speaks to us the gracious and life-giving words of the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are found in both the Gospel of Matthew as well as the Gospel of Luke. At first glance they might seem the same, but there are differences. Matthew’s version comes from the Sermon on the Mount. But Luke locates the Beatitudes as being spoken from the plain—a level place. In Matthew’s version, there are nine beatitudes. Luke includes only four, accompanied by four “Woes”. Matthew’s version can be spiritualized—but it is clear that Luke has Jesus speaking quite literally, addressing the reality of people’s lives as they are lived. For example, when he spoke of the poor, he wasn’t speaking of the poor in spirit, but those who were, quite literally, poor. There is also the difference of context. Matthew has Jesus speak the Beatitudes in the context of a sermon, telling us that people had come from near and far to hear him. In Luke’s version, people had come not only to listen to Jesus speak, but also to be healed of their infirmities. What we are told is that first, before any sermonizing is done, Jesus heals them, then he preaches. So, while there are many similarities, there are also differences. The question is, do they matter.

Yes, and no. My guess is that Jesus probably spoke the Beatitudes to different gatherings at different times, these just happened to be how they were spoken in two instances. Both, however, highlight the Gospel writer’s particular message. And in this, the differences are noteworthy.

What intrigues me most about Luke’s version is the place in which these beatitudes are spoken. Here, we find ourselves gathered on a level plain rather than on a mountain. There’s something gracious about this location. If you’ve ever found yourself seated while another person issues directives while standing, over you, you know how awkward this can feel. Here, Jesus is speaking directly to the people. While it might make him more difficult to see, it makes it clear that Jesus is one of the crowd. He is with the people of God, not over them.

That in itself is disconcerting. Think about these phrases with which we are familiar: Head of the class, top of the heap, king of the mountain, getting ahead, breaking the glass ceiling, climbing the ladder, leading the pack, achieving top-dog status, standing on the pinnacle of success, on cloud nine, and moving on up.

Our society as a whole fixates itself on moving up and reaching the prize. Coming down is a sign of regression or defeat. To lower oneself, is not (on the whole) perceived as a good thing. Jesus coming down to the crowd not only reflects a heavenly descent from on high, it models an approach to carrying the gospel to others—one which reaches the world through humility. The goal here is not to go higher—it is to go where there is need. It is to be present with and among rather than over and above.

Listen again to the beatitudes: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.” In this passage, Jesus is speaking directly to those who are poor, hungry, mourning and hated—now, in the present tense. And he is telling them that they are blessed.

But that crowd to which Jesus is speaking isn’t monolithic. Not all of them are poor, hungry, mourning and persecuted. There are others as well. And they, no less than the first group also stand in need of healing. And so, we come to the woes: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.” From the perspective of our Lord, these people need to be healed—made whole. And what they need to understand is that what they have now, in this present moment, is the best there will ever be for them—unless they make some changes.

Now, my guess is that in Jesus day, no less than in our own, the rich, full, contented and well regarded in society knew precisely who they were as did those who were poor, hungry, mourning and hated. And here they are—all of them standing together on a level plain. I find myself wondering if they are crowded in together or if they self-segregated themselves into groups. And I both wonder and hope that by the end of this time together many of them have gotten the point—that reconciliation needs to happen—and it both begins and ends with them being together, sharing who they are, what they need and what they have on a level plain—all with the help and grace of God, who comes to us not from a place of power, but from a stable; a carpenter’s son, living as one of us, not shielded, not in the least, from either the best or the worst of what humanity has to offer.

Those people on the plain, they are as good a representation of a church as any I have seen. Our challenge is to hear the words of the Beatitudes and see ourselves in them—and reaching both across the aisle and into our community and out into the world, to work together to bring us all to a level place—where we neither look down upon others or up to them, but see one another face-to-face, each of us loved and healed by the grace of our God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.