Last week, we witnessed Jesus preaching to crowds from Simon Peter’s boat, then causing a miraculous catch of fish. James and John witnessed this and helped haul in the fish. Then all of them left everything behind and followed Jesus. After that, Jesus heals someone with a skin disease, and word spreads about him as more and more people start coming to hear him preach and be healed. Another day, while teaching, he heals a paralytic man. He then calls the tax collector, Levi, to follow him. Levi throws a banquet for Jesus, fellow tax collectors, and others whom the Pharisees refer to as “sinners.” Jesus continues to heal, preach, and eat- he even gets called out for allowing his followers to pluck grains of wheat on the Sabbath. And right before this morning’s scripture, Jesus gathers his followers (who are called disciples) and chooses twelve of them, whom he names apostles.
This morning’s gospel passage is the beginning of Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain”, which is Luke's version of Matthew’s well-known Sermon on the Mount. We hear how many in difficult situations are blessed because “yours is the kingdom of God” “you will be filled” “you will laugh.” We hear “woe to you” who are wealthy, and full, and laughing.
But, Jesus can’t be condemning everyone who has money: we hear in Luke that he had wealthy patrons- those who supported him and his ministry. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the father is wealthy: he’s a landowner with servants, and hosts a lavish party. And Jesus and his disciples have been eating. They’re even ridiculed because “John fasted while Jesus and his followers are eating.” Luke is full of stories about feasting.
Luke wrote this and the book of Acts for Theophilus, “[a man] of high social standing - …probably one the non-Jewish, gentile, converts to the new Christian community - someone who is being instructed in the way of Christ.” For all of his focus on the poor, Luke’s patron is definitely rich.
Which means, this isn’t about a final judgment for those who are rich. The greek word here is οὐαὶ and it’s not a noun; it’s an interjection like “Alas!” According to some interpretations, “The underlying Greek words that are translated as ‘blessed’ and ‘woe’ are better understood as ‘How honorable …’ and ‘How shameless …’” These blessings and woes are statements that console the poor and marginalized, as well as flip the script on “who was considered honorable and [who was considered] shameless” in Jesus’ day and in our time as well. Theophilus isn’t to be revered just because he has money. And if he throws in his lot with the poor, with this topsy-turvy kingdom of Jesus, he’s probably going to experience the exclusion and slander the ostracized already experience.
When Jesus says “woe to you who are rich,” he’s saying “Alas” to those who aren’t sharing with those who are in need. Alas for you who keep your money for yourselves. How shameful you who only share food with those in your social class and those you consider your betters as your to climb the social ladder. The banquets that Jesus has been going to and that he talks about in parables are all about opening up the banquet to everyone. After all, Jesus has just eaten with Levi the tax collector, Levi’s fellow tax collectors, and “others” whom the Pharisees and scribes call “Sinners.”
That means we have a part to play. I love how UMC Discipleship’s notes connected our part to play with Jesus’ statement “Rejoice on that day and leap for joy.” What if the blessing and woe has to do with living the faith in community? That we can be a “place of filling and healing or learning to laugh again.”
This joy is found in the community that is the source of healing and hope. And we get to be part of that community, part of the kingdom of God. In his devotion on the “woes” passage, Rev. Dr David Lose noted, “God invites us to discover who and what we are …through our solidarity and identification with those who have less. After all, we are all… mortal, fragile, vulnerable – in a word, human – and there is an invitation from God for us when we remember this.”
There is room at our table for the desperate, for the hungry, and for those who weep. We can be right now the place of filling and the place of healing or learning to laugh again. We can’t fix the problems with a snap of the fingers, but we can be a part of the solution. Finding ways to feed: Thank you for bringing in soup so we can pass that along to those who need it. Our next opportunity is coming up on March 23 with our Community Meal. Finding ways to help those among us who need it, as well as our community as so many are hurting. We’re in a time when need is increasing. How can we as a community help those who aren’t sure how to make ends meet, or who are at their wits end? If we are called to stand with the poor, the hungry, the distressed, and the marginalized, what can we do? And can you help?
Maybe the rejoicing is about recognizing an opportunity to grow closer, to deepen our relationships by entering into the brokenness and standing with those who have been hurt. To sit down with someone at a meal and hear their story. To enter into relationship. We may not have the solutions, but we can journey together. And as we journey together, we celebrate that Christ is here in our midst; we rejoice as we and others learn to follow Christ more and more each day.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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