This sermon was delivered on February 13, 2022 at the weekly service at The Kensington in Galesburg, Illinois.
The gospels give us two different versions of what we know as the “beatitudes” the “blessed are yous…” We have the version in Matthew and the version in Luke. And while both of these versions describe the same event, they both describe it in very different ways. AND THAT MATTERS.
The biggest difference between the two gospels is who gets the blessings. In Matthew, Jesus is recorded as saying “blessed are the… or blessed are they that… or blessed are those…” Matthew is depicting Jesus as speaking in generalizations, talking about people in general. Luke, however, is speaking directly TO the people. “Blessed are YOU who are poor, blessed are YOU who hunger now, weep now, who are hated.” Luke’s recollection of events shows us a Jesus who is very concerned about the people who are listening in the moment and recognizing that those in front of him are the ones who might be suffering.
Blessed are YOU who are poor. Jesus assumes that there are people listening to him that are poor. He assumes that they are struggling, and assures them “yours is the kingdom of God”- again this is very direct language and he’s speaking directly to the people, not in the abstract terms we see in Matthew.
In Matthew’s version, they are “poor in spirit” where as Luke is focused on the financial struggles. This is common for Luke- and the stories in Luke and Acts are often referred to as a a “social justice” gospel because Jesus is directly concerned with the well-being of people. He’s worried about the people who are poor RIGHT THIS MOMENT.
Blessed are YOU who hunger now. Again, the emphasis is on this moment and on people who are present that might have empty bellies. This isn’t at all the same as the Matthew account which says “blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.”
And while both of these hungry groups will “be filled.” I’m sure that Luke Jesus means they will receive actual food, which might be a little foreshadowing to the feeding of the 5000 that will occur in a few chapters. But Jesus is indeed concerned with the people who are hungry right now.
Blessed are YOU who weep now. Jesus looked out into those gathered and spoke directly to those with tear-stained faces, promising them laughter. This is a direct response to what the people in front of him were experienced, not some larger esoteric meaning.
This seems different than “they that mourn will be comforted,” and I think takes into account the fullness of emotions. We weep for reasons other than mourning- we weep from exhaustion, from frustration, from disappointment…Jesus is recognizing all of these reasons, not only mourning.
And Blessed are you who men hate and persecute. According to Jesus those people are being treated unjustly. I find it interesting that Jesus doesn’t make any promises here, but just recognies the injustice in the moment. Whereas Matthew’s account promises the kingdom of Heaven…but truly all of Matthew’s promises are more celestial big picture type things, rather than in the moment physical promises.
And here’s where the two accounts really begin to go in different directions- Matthew’s account continues with the blesseds. Luke, turns to woes. He calls out the rich and the full. He says those laughing won’t be laughing long and those who are spoken well of are living falsely. This seems like quite a turn as he pronounces woe apon them.
Now here’s where I’m going to use a little poetic license, because I think the woes might be more like WHOA!-s. As in WOAH!!! Check yourself there buddy. I sincerely believe that Jesus is saying, “WOAH- y’all need to check your privilege and get right with me, because it isn’t going to be pretty if you don’t.”
I realize the phrase “check your privilege” can be a pretty loaded phrase and that a lot of folks bristle at the idea that they have some sort of privilege in the world when they’ve encountered hard times or struggles. But I think it’s an important reminder. And to be clear, I don’t think privilege is something you earn or are entitled to based on the way you were born. If you were assigned male at birth, you have privileges not accorded to someone who was assigned female at birth. If you were born white, you have privilgeges not accorded to someone who was born not white.
This DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOUR LIFE ISN’T DIFFICULT. It’s just that something you have no control over isn’t the thing making it MORE difficult. I get really passionate about this because I think folks who are innately privileged have a responsibility to those who are not. And that this whole “I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps so everyone else should have to” mentality is actually problematic. Sure, you had to work hard, but someone else might have to work EVEN HARDER to get to the same point as you got. That doesn’t negate the work you did. That doesn’t make your victory any less valid.
But we have to learn to acknowledge that some people have a harder path just by the fact that they were born with certain characteristics (or without them). And folks who can’t see that are EXACTLY who Jesus is talking to here. WOAH- you are rich- you’ve already received your consolation. WOAH. You are full, you are going to end up hungry (but maybe not just for food). You may be laughing now, but there will be a time when you cry. And WOAH- if you think everyone loves you and thinks you’re perfect you’re totally living a lie. WOAH WOAH WOAH…slow down there buddy you need a compassion check.
This is a hard message to hear sometimes. That sometimes the blessings aren’t for us. Sometimes, the blessings are for someone else. It’s hard to see other people getting “handed” the thing we worked hard for. But maybe that’s because NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY WORK they can’t ever attain the thing.
The current situation with the student loan crises is a really good example. The cost of college has increased astronomically, as have interest rates, but wages have not. In fact, to pay for a year of college at the current minimum wage would take about 2438 hours of work a year- that’s a full time job and a half.1
Someone who took out a loan in 1980 can reasonably expect to be able to pay it back and probably already has. Someone who takes one out in 2020, probably will never pay off the debt. Ever. And yet, you can’t get an entry level position anywhere without a college education.No matter how hard someone works they can never pay off the debt- does that mean they shouldn’t have gone to school? Ok, so if only the rich can go to school where are we going to get the next generation of teachers and scientists?
This is what I’m talking about when I talk about privilege. The deck is stacked against some folks, and no amount of budgeting or skipping starbucks is going to help them. Jesus understood the danger of this kind of privilege and that’s why he said “WOE” and “WOAH”. He understood that that way of thinking isn’t good and isn’t something that brings people closer to God or others. Jesus understood and he understand that those folks had had enough blessings for right now and maybe it was someone elses turn. Now I don’t think Jesus means that those who have already received their due are never going to receive a blessing again, but I do think Jesus is willing today “WOAH- back of the line- it’s someone else’s turn to come first,” and I sincerely believe that’s what he was doing in this moment. And I think that’s the perspective Luke is giving us- the perspective that not every blessing gets to be ours at every moment.
I know that’s a really hard thing to hear sometimes, especially when we desperately want things to go our way RIGHT THIS SECOND. But I’ve always been comforted by the idea that unanswered prayers aren’t always a finite “no.” Sometimes they are a “not right now” or a “not until you’re ready” or a “I’ve got other plans for you later” situation. I dont’ think God is up there keeping score saying– well, Sam got a blessing this week no more for him. But I do think that this moment asks us to remember that someone else might need one too.
Amen.
1 Patrick W. Watson, “OK Boomers, About That Working-Through-College Thing,” Forbes, accessed February 11, 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickwwatson/2019/12/09/ok-boomers-about-that-working-through-college-thing/.