Some Things Are Just Two Hard to Swallow

Some Things Are Just Too Hard to Swallow

Reverend Litton Logan

February 11, 2007

Luke 6:17--26 (TMNT)
Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke:

“You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all.

God’s kingdom is there for the finding.

“You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry.

Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal.

“You’re blessed when the tears flow freely.

Joy comes with the morning.

“Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they do not like it, I do … and all heaven applauds. In addition, know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses having always been treated like this.

“But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made.

What you have is all you’ll ever get.

“And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself.

Your self will not satisfy you for long.

“And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.

There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.

“There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

Sermon:

William G Carter in his book, Praying for a Whole New World, tells a story about a man in a certain town. This man walks into a bookstore to return a purchase. “It’s a Bible,” he said, handing it to the clerk at the cash register.

“Was it a gift?” asked the clerk. “No, I bought it for myself,” he said, “and I made a mistake.”

“Didn’t you like the translation? Or the format?” “Oh no,” the man said, “the format was clear and the translation was fine. I made a mistake.”

The clerk said, “Well, I need to write down a reason for the return.” “In that case,” said the man, “write down that there is a lot of stuff in that book that is tough to swallow.” William G. Carter, Praying for a Whole New World, CSS Publishing Company, 2000.

When I think of things too hard to swallow raw oysters, Brussels sprouts come to mind, or maybe liver. I recall something else that was difficult for me to swallow as a youngster of about nine. My dad and I were once invited into the home of a family that boarded my dad’s coon hunting dogs for dinner. My dad didn’t want to offend the people so he agreed that we should eat with them. This family was having baked opossum, sweet potatoes, collard greens, corn bread, and buttermilk for dinner. My thoughts were, “Yuck, ‘possum, gross!” I sat down at the table, which was lit by a single kerosene lamp in its center, and was served a piece of opossum. I was allowed to serve myself to the remaining fare, which I liked and enjoyed. The opossum was tender, salty, and greasy beyond belief. I took a bite, started to chew, and I promise you that small bite grew to the size of a soft ball in my mouth. I chewed and chewed, it got bigger and bigger, but finally I managed to swallow it. After this interminable meal from hell and a little sitting and visiting, my dad and I left for home. As soon as we rounded a bend in the road, I told my dad to stop. I hit the road while the car was still in motion and into the bushes I went to rid myself of the opossum. I had swallowed the opossum but it wouldn’t stay with me no matter what. Later on in my life, I had further occasions to eat opossums and raccoons and learned what to do to make them edible—drown the critters in Bar-B-Q sauce.

There are many passages and many teachings in the Bible that are not only tough to swallow but don’t tend to stay with us well. These passages from Luke’s Gospel we’ve heard read today are some of the toughest to swallow, especially for many modern, Western Christians, if we don’t understand Luke’s context.

Let me give a brief overview of the context of Luke’s Gospel. The Gospel is addressed to “most excellent Theophilus, (Luke 1:3) who was most likely a prosperous, aristocratic Greek convert to Christianity. Although some scholars take the name “Theophilus”, which means “lover of God”, to mean the letter is addressed to all believers. Most scholars come down on the side of Theophilus being an actual aristocratic, Greek convert, and I do also.

Therefore, Luke is dealing with matters of wealth, the poor or poor disciples takes on a special meaning for him and Theophilus as well as Luke’s audience.

Luke is also dealing with the delay of Jesus’ return to earth and seeks to normalize relationships with the Roman government to avoid persecution for Christians. Luke does this by shifting the bulk of the blame for Jesus’ crucifixion to the Jewish leadership of the day, who would be a lesser source of antagonism and threat to Christians than the Romans.

In our time together this morning, I invite you to try to identify with Theophilus. That is unless you are a poor, destitute, despairing disciple of Christ and your retched condition is the results of your being a follower of Jesus Christ.

Some of the difficulties that we encounter as we read these passages in Luke are that we frequently hear Luke’s Sermon on the Plains through the ears of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, which tends to be a more spiritualized form of the blessings of Jesus with none of Luke’s woes. It seems, some of Jesus’ original teachings were so radically scandalous and offensive to many early Christians that the earliest oral traditions of his teachings underwent some revisions to make them more palatable to wider audiences who were not poor disciples. In Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, Matthew changes the "poor" to the "poor in spirit" and he changes those who "hunger" to those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness.” In our scriptures today, Luke is clearly addressing the poor and despised disciples in the literal sense of those words, not the "poor in spirit" or "those who hunger and thirst for righteousness," as in Matthew (Mt. 5:3, 6).

The striking differences between the Gospels reflect each writer’s context and their agendas as they deal with prevailing issues in their respective faith communities.

Another big problem with these passages and the book of Luke in general are the poor and hungry. I think this is interesting given Luke is writing to Theophilus, an aristocratic, prosperous Greek Christian. However, who are they—the poor? If you look closely, at verses 20 you will see the answer. It is the disciples who are the poor, the hungry, and who weep. Therefore, we have the poor and victimized Jewish disciples of Jesus’ day—his audience; the poor, hungry, persecuted, and victimized Christian disciples of Luke’s day—his audience, and by implication the poor, hungry, and victimized Christian disciples of any time. We must remember that in Luke’s time to be a disciple or follower of Jesus often cost people their jobs, and support of family, friends, and communities. As a rule, Christians would have been from the poorer classes or made poor because of their faith. The exception is noted by Luke—ole Theo.

These scriptures are frequently used to justify Jesus’ mandate for Christians to address poverty, hunger, and injustice in the world, but I believe the scriptures correctly read give us a little different view. Again, I cite verse 20. I believe that as Christians we should be concerned and involved in alleviating poverty, hunger, diseases, and injustices to humanity and creatures alike. I would however cite different scriptures than these in Luke for this mandate for no other reason than who these passages are addressed to—the disciples of Jesus.

Since the dawn of human history, there have been the “haves” and the “have-nots”. It is an unpleasant fact in all societies and cultures. We may give all sorts of rationales from why the poor are poor, the rich are rich; however, the fact remains that there is a moral dimension present between some people’s surplus’s and other people’s necessities. This moral dimension is well illustrated and documented in the Old and New Testaments. However, I do not see this as the major concern of these scriptures we heard read this morning from Luke as much as I agree with the idea.

Having said that, let us now turn to our passage from Luke where in Jesus addresses his disciples. The poor disciples referred to here as well as the multitude are people who are powerless in their plights-- possibly in part because of cultural limitations and in part, because they are followers of Jesus.

Luke declared early in his Gospel through the words of Mary the Mother of Jesus (Magnificat 1:46-55) that with the arrival of God’s reign there will be a complete reversal of fortunes for the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, the full and the empty. It is a fair assumption that Luke has Mary referring specifically to the poor and victimized faithful of God. This reversal for Luke is a reality that was present in Jesus’ ministry, in the ministry of those who followed him, and the coming fruition of Kingdom of God in the future.

In our scriptures today, Jesus has been on a mountain praying with his disciples from which he has chosen twelve, whom he calls apostles. We now see Jesus and the twelve apostles along with the remaining disciples coming down onto a plain. High places, mountains, wildernesses, etc., are places of prayer, spiritual struggle, or spiritual discernment. In today’s scriptures, the implications are that Jesus brings down from on high certain spiritual insights from his time of prayer and imparts his insights primarily to his disciples in the presences of the common people of his day who came seeking healings, not a sermon. Jesus implies to the multitude that overhears his teachings that if they, like his disciples, also become his disciples they will reap the benefits and blessings of which he speaks but they will also have to live under the ethical and moral mandates of his teachings.

Furthermore, Luke’s references to predominately Jewish and Gentile geographic areas is Luke’s way of revealing the universal nature of Jesus’ message and blessings for all believers—Jew and gentile alike.

To reiterate, the people who attended Jesus’ teachings and healing session in Luke today would have been the common Jewish folks, who had been marginalized and discounted by the prevailing religious and political establishment for a variety of reasons. Luke’s reader and later audiences would have been mostly gentiles, who, with the exception of Theophilus, either were slaves or from lower socio-economic or disadvantaged classes. They were also people who have been or are living in fear of persecution for their faith from both Roman and Jewish sources. Armed with these understanding we see why Luke recalls teachings of Jesus that help such people understand God’s unqualified love, care, and concern for them regardless of their socio-economic status or their ethnic backgrounds. These passages we’ve heard today may also be a big hint to Theo to use his wealth and standing to aid poor, hungry, and persecuted Christians.

Again, here the words of Luke:

“You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all.

God’s kingdom is there for the finding.

Jesus says the poor disciples and those would be disciples are blessed; that is fortunate, when they have none of the material stuff that breeds the prideful self-reliance of the rich and powerful. (Do you hear that, Theo?) Please note: neither Jesus nor Luke says anything about the unbelieving poor. When the disciple is destitute or has lost it all they must live by faith that God will provide and protect. The essence of being a disciple of Christ for Luke is just that—absolute faith and reliance on God for one’s “… daily bread”. The poor disciple may have this situation forced upon them, but they are nonetheless closer to God’s ideal for humanity than many of the pious, rich, and powerful, who suffer under the delusions of idolatrous, self-sufficiency. (Do you hear that Theo?) Thus, we see the ”why” of the reversal of which Mary sang. Jesus indicates the poor disciples are spiritually superior because of their absolute trust in God while the pious, rich, and powerful are spiritually inferior because of their prideful and idolatrous self-sufficiency. (Do you hear that Theo?) When the Kingdom of God comes fully on earth, the poor disciples will be considered the most prosperous and prominent according to Kingdom values. (Do you hear that Theo?)

“You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry.

Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal.

Luke seems to indicate that when a person is really hungry, I mean starving, they are far more open to eat whatever is set before them—kosher or not. Likewise, Luke also indicates that starving people are ready to eat the Messianic meal, that is not only to eat the physical food provide by caring others—gentile or Jew--but ready to swallow the truth of Jesus as the Christ, contrary to their traditions, beliefs, and Messianic expectations.

“You’re blessed when the tears flow freely.

Joy comes with the morning.

The apostles and disciples are blessed when their conditions of poverty, hunger, and social derision brings them to tears of despair. In such times, the disciple stands smack in the middle of the Kingdom of God because in order to carry on they must have absolute trust and faith in God. When the disciples have nothing left to rely upon and their illusions of self-sufficiency are gone they are right were God wants all humanity to be. I believe, God grieves for the suffering and deprivation that brings people to points of physical, psychological, and spiritual destitution, but God rejoices when in such conditions we turn to God in absolute faith and dependency. In so doing we receive the blessing of God’s presence of which Jesus speaks.

Jesus says that deprivation and suffering because of one’s faith in him will bring the disciple eternal laughter and joy with God.

“Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don’t like it, I do … and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

In our country, we have little fear of persecution because we are Christians. However, I am afraid this fact begs a question—Why not? God knows there are plenty situations in our modern world and in our country that need to hear the words of Jesus and suffer the social, moral, and spiritual disruption the Gospel can bring. Why is it that as Christians we bask in the safety and freedom of our faith and do not take up the responsibility of addressing inequities, injustice, and sin in our world? Why aren’t we struggling to make life morally, spiritually, and materially better for future generations? Not many of us fall into the category of the truly poor disciple—the destitute; not many of us are starving; our material situations in life are not so desperate and depressing that it brings us to tears of existential despair. We are definitely not being persecuted for our faith in Christ. And, as Jesus and Luke point for many Christians it is their comfort, safety, and prosperity—the very things they see as blessings--that actually hinders some people from fullest participation in the Kingdom of God on earth now and yet to be. (Do you hear that Theo?) Jesus and Luke indicate that it is hard for those who are comfortable and self-reliant to participate fully in the Kingdom of God because they rely more on their abilities than on God. As Jesus says in Luke 18:25 it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. (Do you hear that Theo?) Jesus’ reference is not that actual wealth hinders entrance into the Kingdom but the illusions of self-sufficiency and independence of God that wealth fosters hinders entrance. (Do you hear that Theo?)

However, how do we as blessed, prosperous, modern Christian “Theophiluses” hear Luke’s message. Well, we may have to do like many ancient Christians; embrace Matthew’s more spiritualized understanding. However, truth be told we need to understand along with Theophilus that we are in fact poor. Nothing of this earth that we have confidence in--401k’s, Social Security, stocks, bonds, religious affiliation, military might, citizenship, acts of religious merit, denominational affiliations, etc., are any guarantees against the next moment of life or death.

Therefore, we must be as Jesus, willing to be open to total self-expenditure under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and to make ourselves totally and completely available to God. We are to respond to the Holy Spirit’s leadership regardless of our calls or the costs. Furthermore, in those areas of our life as disciples of Christ where we have no answers or resources we must trust God to give answers and provide for our needs. Remember supply and demand is one and the same thing in the Divine Mind. In addition, as Jesus, we must assume our responsibility to teach and proclaim the words of God to a world hell-bent in its illusions of self-sufficiency and independence of God. Not only that, but we are to be performative—that is we are to perform blessings not just mouth the words of blessing. (By implication Theo, become a blessing to the poor, hungry, despairing disciples of Christ.) We must also pronounce the woes or condemnations of Jesus upon the pious, powerful, and the religiously ingenuous:

²⁴“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

²⁵“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.

²⁶“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

In essence, “Woe to all who worship their sense of economic or religious self-sufficiency even a little bit. (Most excellent Theophilus, did you hear that?)

Finally, we as Christians must repent—turn around--live our lives in the way of Jesus—totally dependent upon God. As Jesus, we must turn from serving our own interests and worshiping at the altars of self-sufficiency. We as individual disciples must take the responsibility for kingdom building not pass it off to religious or government bureaucracies with their imperatives of institutional survival at the expense of mission and people. We must address sin and injustice in our world with the words and deeds of God. Kingdom building is not more and bigger religion but more disciples of Christ on the plains, the level places of every day life where fellow disciples live, meeting each other with God’s grace, help, encouragement, and support.

However, Theophilus, the most import thing we must do in addition to all these performative things is struggle mentally and spiritually to rely on God’s will and ways in our lives when everything in us leans toward our understandings, will, and ways. That is, when God’s ways contradict our values, our will, and our sense of self-sufficiency, we must become poor to ourselves before God without equivocation.

I know that some of what I am saying is tough to swallow. However, why is it that we strain at swallowing gnats and swallow camels with ease? Why is it that we strain to depend on God’s will and ways and swallow all sorts of irrelevant ideological, political, materialistic, and religious doctrinal stuff with no problem?

However, Theophilus, swallowing the teachings of Jesus is eating the Messianic Meal in the Kingdom of God in the here and now while looking forward to that day of its fruition. It is a meal that may be hard to swallow but it will stay with us through out all eternity and you won’t have to drown it with Bar-B-Q sauce to make it palatable.