6th Sunday after Epiphany , 02/17/2019

Sermon on Luke 6:17-26, by Brad Everett

Luke 6:17-26; 1 Cor 15:12-20

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

You might think this Easter proclamation is out of place for the 6^th Sunday after Epiphany. But it’s essential that we establish the reality of what St. Paul writes about in the lesson from his first letter to the Corinthians before going any further with today’s texts.

Jesus Christ who out of his great and abiding love died on the cross, was buried and on the third day rose again. Not simply resuscitated from death only to die again at a later date, but conquering death by death, is risen, ascended and glorified.

It’s this reality St. Paul drives home in the 15^th chapter, the climax of the letter. Every one of the crises and challenges he addresses in the earlier chapters can be traced back to a failure on the part of the Corinthians to believe Christ was raised from the dead. Thus St. Paul’s blunt language—if Christ isn’t risen, then faith is futile, everyone is still in their sins, and we are to be pitied more than anyone. If Christ isn’t risen, this whole enterprise is worse than a waste of time.

Case in point, if Christ isn’t risen his words in today’s Gospel are not merely fluffy sentimentality, but a deceptive and destructive delusion. Because the blessings Jesus pronounces are only blessings because of the power God to bring them to pass.

When Jesus spoke the words recorded in St. Luke’s gospel to his disciples, he was with them—God incarnate, fully God fully man, conducting his ministry in the power of the Spirit, healing the sick, casting out demons, proclaiming the good news of God’s forgiveness and mercy, and in this passage setting out for his disciples what a life devoted to following him looked like.

This passage isn’t about offering encouraging words to individuals who happen to find themselves in particular circumstances such as poverty, hunger, weeping or being out of favour with others. Rather Jesus is painting a picture for them of who they are and who they are becoming as they grow in their relationship with him, as they are being conformed to his image by his love and mercy.

The only way those words had meaning is because he was with them. The only way those words have meaning for us is because he is risen, and is with us as he promised, transforming us into his likeness.

Considered from the world’s (and if we are going to be honest many in the church’s) perspective, these blessings and woes are completely backward—because everyone knows that wealth, plenty, cheer and being thought of well by others are signs that you are doing things right—if not signs of God’s blessing.

And to be clear there is nothing necessarily wrong with wealth, plenty, cheer and being thought of well by others. There are certainly passages in Scripture that speak well of each of these circumstances—but only in terms of being gifts of God. They are never to be sought out and worked for as ends in themselves—which is a danger we all struggle with either for ourselves or for those we love. Who doesn’t want wealth, plenty, cheer and being thought of well for themselves or their loved ones, especially parents wanting what they think of as “the best” for their children.

However, we must remember that as followers of Christ he has not only already told us, but given us “the best”—he has given us himself.

It’s because Christ is risen that we are free from trying to chase after wealth, plenty, cheer and the good opinion of others and instead free to seek after that one needful thing—him who loved us enough to die for us and our salvation.

It is because he is risen we can trust the blessings he gives in this passage. Who else but one who has conquered death can turn the values of this world upside down. Or perhaps to be more accurate we should think of this passage as the first stages of Christ turning things right side up. He came not only to restore and redeem humanity, but all of creation. And in these verses we see the first broad brushstrokes of what that will look like—first in the lives of those who would be his disciples.

And be disciples, not in the sense of simply following a set series of steps, or processes to become a better person. But disciples whose lives are transformed by this same power of God by which Jesus rose from the dead. The same power which worked the miracles of healing, exorcism and forgiveness of sins—visible signs of God’s love which St. Luke records in the gospel.

It’s startling to realize that Jesus didn’t intend these word for a select few, ones especially holy who could and would readily accept and embrace this teaching. But for all who would follow, all willing to be transformed by the power of God. And it does mean transformation. Because of our fallen, sinful state, we don’t hear Jesus’ words this morning and think—"What a great idea! Of course it’s the poor, hungry, weeping and reviled who are blessed by God—this is exactly what I’m looking to be!”

No, and to try and come to that understanding in our own strength and power would be disastrous. Instead as we look to Christ our Saviour, as we receive him and all that he has for us, as we quit resisting the transforming power of his grace and allow ourselves to be conformed to his likeness, then this all starts to make sense.

But it all begins with trust—which is itself a gift of God.

Trust that Jesus is who Scripture says he is. Trust that he is who he says he is.

Trust that we were claimed as children of God when we were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Trust that we believe and confess Jesus comes to us in the bread and wine of holy communion, giving us his body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins and strengthening of our faith. That the work of God’s love begun in each of us when we were baptized continues by the grace of God through this sacrament, that we might be transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Trust that Christ has been raised from the dead, and that our faith isn’t futile nor are we left in our sins.

It is because of the truth of the Easter proclamation that we have hope in Christ and his Word for this life and the next.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Pr. Brad Everett
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
E-Mail: everettsts@gmail.com

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