Reading
He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “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[a] on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. “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.” (Luke 6:17-26) Reflection Black – White. Up – Down. Light – Dark. Rich – Poor. Hungry – Full. Happy – Sad. Life – Death. I’ve just begun reading a book gifted to me: Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – And Why Things Are Better Than You Think (Hans Rosling et. al.). It has me thinking a lot about our human tendency to separate the world in terms of “opposites” or contrasting categories. Again and again, this sort of simplification proves wrong and even harmful. Few things I see are truly black or white, visually or metaphorically. In terms of line of sight, the world lies between sky and ground. Earth’s rotation and revolution around the sun ensure a fluid transition from light to dark. The same breadth and depth apply to circumstances like poverty and wealth, hunger and satisfaction, joy and sorrow. These situations aren’t strictly physical and are subjective, relative to how we perceive the conditions of those around us. They invite judgment, labeling and separation. Surely, the person whose table is bare and whose stomach growls knows hunger, but so too does someone bereft of purpose and suffering with a hungering soul. Is the rich man he with a fat bank account or the man surrounded by caring friends and family? Is there really an “us” and a “them”? Are any of us all that different from one another? There is an old adage that you must taste the bitter to appreciate the sweet. No one is perfect and existence consists of a series of ups and downs and everything in between. Thus, Jesus’ message speaks to everyone. It’s a call to end injustice, lose the labels, practice empathy, and embrace our human connection. We are promised salvation in Christ, but we wouldn’t have to wait to enjoy these blessings if only we could live in community with one another. –Heather Wolf Prayer Jesus, thank you for your love and lessons. You lived among humanity as one of us and saw God in everyone. Where I draw differences between myself and others, help to remind me of our bonds. Let me know empathy. Amen. Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man. In the current season of Epiphany, Christ is revealed, the disciples are called, and we see the early ministry of Jesus.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
Anyone is welcome to contribute! If you'd like to write for us, please e-mail [email protected] Email
Get our daily devotions delivered to your e-mail box each day by signing up below:
Archives
May 2022
Subscribe |