Luke 6: 17 – 26 The Sermon on the Plain
Our gospel reading is a collection of verses from Luke that describes a part of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, called the Sermon on the Plain. Just prior to these verses the words of Luke tell us that Jesus had been praying all night, and then he called his “disciples”. A “disciple” in that day was a follower of a rabbi, one who wanted to be just like the rabbi, and who followed him everywhere. In Jesus’ day, only the very best students of the Torah would apply to be the rabbi’s “disciples.” Jesus called his “disciples” from the average people around him. He picked a few fishermen. None had been chosen to learn from other rabbis. Yet Jesus chose them because of their commitment to him. Do any of us have that same level of commitment so that we should be called “disciples”?
Then, from the “disciples” he called the “apostles.” In Greek, the word “apostle” would be “messenger”, while in Hebrew, this would mean “agent” or “‘personal representative.” How do we fit that description, as messenger, agent, or personal representative of Christ?
In this passage, Jesus came down from the mountain with these apostles. People gathered from a wide region, having walked great distances on dusty roads. I’m sure they had sore and aching feet. I’m sure some had back aches, swollen knees and hip pain. Some may have been running fevers, short of breath, having chest pain or maybe they were coughing, had intestinal disorders or paralysis, or were hungry. They had to have been exhausted from their journeys. They had come to hear the words of Jesus and they came to be cured of their illnesses and to have unclean spirits cast out. As many of you know, I have worked in health care for many years. Most recently in Family Practice, I have had few patients come to see me on foot. When I think of these people that came to see Jesus, I think of people I met in the village of Nueva Aerinosa in Panama. For the last three summers, I have been blessed to be a part of a mission to Panama, sponsored by the Frederick Regional Council of Episcopal Churches. We ran a clinic in a mountainous area outside of Panama City, a two hour drive from the Panama Canal, and accessible only by four-wheel drive for the last hour. Our clinic opened at 8 a.m.. By 7 a.m. there was a line of people waiting at the gate to the cinder block building we used for a clinic. Most of these people had walked many miles from their homes. Many arrived later, having walked for several hours on muddy and rutted roads, some with shoes, some without, and usually with many children so that they were frequently carrying their children. How far can a parent walk with children until they end up carrying them because of fatigue? They waited hours to see us in the August Panamanian heat. They were tired and hungry, with many medical problems. Some had psychiatric illnesses. I believe the people that waited for Jesus must have been like these people – tired, in pain, with many diseases: physical and psychiatric. We were tired as we tried to treat their illnesses using our limited communication skills through interpreters, our medical training and our limited pharmacy.
This passage does not say that Jesus was reaching out to heal them. It says, “All were trying to touch him”. The scripture does not say that they asked to be healed. No, they reached out to touch Him. Legend of that time would have claimed that the messiah would have healing in the corners of his garments. So, they touched Him. And power came out of him and healed them. Unclean spirits were cured.
This lesson begins with healing. Jesus is healing the sick around Him as they touch Him and power comes out of Him. After He heals them He speaks to them.
Jesus begins the Sermon with a blessing for the poor: “Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the Kingdom of God.” Now how is this possible? The poor own nothing. How can they own the Kingdom of God? The meaning of the word “blessing” is “God’s favor.” He is saying God favors you who are poor. He does not glorify poverty, but claims that the poor will be freed from their condition. The contrast is made between the present situation and abundance in the future which is the Kingdom of God, or God’s rule over the earth. I have a favorite chant that describes beautifully and simply what I believe about the Kingdom of God. A line says, “The Kingdom of God is justice and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” God favors you who who are poor for you will have justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. God loves the poor. They are living contrary to His perfect will of justice and peace. But how do we bring the Kingdom of God to the poor? How do we provide them with justice and peace? The words of Jesus goes on to say “blessed are you”, or God’s favor for you who are not only poor but are hungry, sad, and hated. These were conditions of Jesus’ day and are today conditions in all societies. Where there is poverty, there is hunger, weeping, and hatred (and that includes indifference).
Corresponding to the beatitudes are the woes: God’s disfavor and judgement is on those who are rich, who have full stomachs, who laugh and who are spoken of highly. Not exactly what our culture tells us! These verses refer to those whose lives are so full of worldly goods that that they have no need of God. How terrible will be their fate for they will be hungry, will mourn, weep and be deceived. If one is consumed by the desires for money and possessions, then they have no need for God. They believe they can take care of themselves, because God is not a part of their lives. The material world is their central focus. Woe to those whose primary focus is on the material world, who have no need of God.
After these verses Jesus then goes on to give them the Golden Rule, but further expands on it: “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those that abuse you.” He certainly challenged and upset their thinking.
This passage of scripture gives us several points on which to reflect. Prior to the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus showed His disciples how to live, and this, too, is a message for us. Following the example of Jesus we are to meet the human needs of those with whom we have contact. He cured their illnesses and cast out unclean spirits before he began to teach. If we know of pain, suffering, or need, then with God’s help we are to try to meet that need or ease that suffering. How can we ignore the need that is all around us? He met their needs before He began to speak. Think for a moment about how hard it would be to try to listen to the words of anyone while you are in pain. How could the crowd that had gathered around him listen to his words while they were hurting? Have you tried to listen to a homily while you were sick, or exhausted, or cold, or in pain? It is hard to listen to the words if you hurt or are hungry. Hungry people are more likely to hear when their stomachs are full. We are to serve those in need because they are God’s children. It is our responsibility to offer justice and peace. They are our brothers and sisters. If we take the time to look we will see the face of Christ in each of them. Once their needs have been met, they will be better able to hear and understand the Gospel. They may hear it through the words that we speak or through the words of another person. Or they may be hearing the Gospel through the way we treat them. In the words of St Francis of Assissi, “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary use words.”
We are a rich country but there are poor living close by. They are living in Woodbine, Mt Airy, on the streets of Frederick, in Washington DC, and in the Republic of Panama. If we know of needs, and we do, then our responsibility as Christians is to “seek and serve Christ in all persons.” We are reminded of this each time we repeat our baptismal vows. When we work at the homeless shelter or serve food at the soup kitchen, we “proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ.”
This parish is helping to meet many needs of this community: for example through the thrift shop and through Mt Airy Net. You are helping to serve the world’s needs through the Honduran mission and the work in Mississippi. Is there anything else you can do? Are there other areas where God would have you serve? Do your next door neighbors or co-workers have needs? Is God calling you outside of your country or your comfort zone? Do you want to go to Panama (see me)! The mission of the church is to restore all people to unity with God, and each other in Christ with whatever gifts we have. We all have gifts with which we can serve. This applies to the Anglican communion, the Episcopal churches of the United States, and to each of us individually.
Lastly, let us not be consumed by our desires for possessions, or stuff. Our greatest need is the saving power of God in Christ Jesus, not the temporal mystique of the material world. We must get rid of all that blocks our reliance on God, be it an inflated ego, a great car, corporate power, prestige or living in the U.S.A. We have all relied on friends who have spoken highly of us and then let us down. Our checkbooks and savings accounts don’t provide us with lasting happiness. Our full stomachs are contributing to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and arthritis. Until we realize that our greatest need is for a relationship with God, we will continue to search in vain for true happiness. While in the Panamanian village, I saw true happiness in the faces of many of the people. By American standards they all lived in poverty: worse than I had ever seen in this country. But those who put their daily trust in God were the wealthiest of all because they had a daily relationship with God and trusted Him to take care of them. We need God. We are to love God with our whole beings. Then we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, wherever they may be. The Kingdom of God is here and now. The Kingdom of God is for all of us. The chant that I mentioned before sings, “The Kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Come Lord and open in us the gates of your kingdom.” Open in us the gates of you Kingdom. The gates of His Kingdom are opened in us when, as His disciples, we promote justice and peace, as we take care of the poor and needy, and as we place our hope and trust and complete reliance on God who loves us beyond all earthly measure.
Amen.