I have been contemplating lately, the dichotomy that exists between Western Christianity's comfortable lifestyle and the teachings of Jesus. And questioning what would happen if we put our faith in Jesus; in more than just the area of personal salvation. Do we put faith in him for our security, our love, our daily bread? Should we? Are we hindering the work of the Kingdom of God because we put faith in Jesus for so little. Or is it crazy to suggest that many of us could live a life like John the Baptist? I don't offer an answer in one way or the other, just opening up thought for contemplation.
We begin in the gospel of Dr. Luke. All scripture will be NIV unless noted.
Jesus, Straight from the Hip.
-Luke 4 goes down pretty smooth for all of us who consider Jesus as Lord, God in the flesh.
He proclaims his divinity by reading from Isaiah in the temple and claims "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." (4:21b). He performs miracles by healing and driving out demons.
-Luke 5 still pretty smooth. Jesus calls a few disciples and performs more supernatural events. He offers some teaching about fasting.
-In chapter 6 we run into some troubling verses in Luke's version of the beatitudes.
"Blessed are you who are poor....
Blessed are you who hunger now....blessed are you who weep now.........
Blessed are you when men hate you............because of the Son of Man.........
Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when all mean speak well of you,................." (6:20-26)
I have shortened a few of these verses for bloggable purposes, but don't believe I took anything out of context. So here we have it; Jesus, straight from the hip. Blessings and woes. It doesn't take a Bible scholar to interpret these sentences. Do we explain them away?, turn the world upside down with them?
How do we live the Kingdom now? Help us Jesus, give us wisdom. Illuminate us, empower us.
