1"Satisfaction Now or Reward Later?"
Lk.6:17-26 Feb.8/04
Vision OR "I'll think about that tomorrow"
Jesus' ministry marked the eruption of God's Kingdom into human history in an amazing way. Crowds were healed of their physical diseases. To those who were poor, hungry, sorrowing, and rejected, He announced God's blessing - a happier state that began right then as well as stretching on into eternity. But this healing and blessing were for those who were not preoccupied with getting earthly comforts in the present - those whose focus, like His, was beyond the "now". The blessing is for those who share Jesus' vision.
Gone With The Wind is a classic film set in the time of the American Civil War, describing the passing away of the culture and conditions of the Old South. The plot revolves around two women, Scarlett O'Hara and Melanie Hamilton. Scarlett is selfish, lustful, and greedy; Melanie, her foil, by contrast is caring, faithful, and generous. Scarlett is focussed on the "now", improving her condition in this life, whether by a sequence of advantageous if unloving marriages, or shrewd unethical business dealings. She prefers not to think about the long-term consequences of her actions, or their effects on other people. One of her favourite sayings is, "I don't want to think about that now; I'll think about that tomorrow." Her constant drive to shore up her material resources so she's never hungry again blinds her to the kind of person she's becoming.
Melanie though is an example of the power of vision to motivate a person for good. Her faithful love for her husband Ashley is constant even when he's far away in the war. Melanie serves tirelessly at the local military hospital, spurred on to help the dozens of wounded soldiers by the thought, "These could all be Ashley." After the fighting is over, she opens her home and meager resources to war-weary, hungry confederate soldiers straggling to return home. Again she is motivated by the thought, "Perhaps even now somebody in a house beside some northern road is giving some food to Ashley." Even after Scarlett is caught by observers in an embrace with Melanie's husband, Melanie still graciously receives Scarlett at her house; she refuses to see Scarlett at her worst, choosing to see her as she might with grace and forgiveness become.
Scarlett focussed on the "now" is selfish, destructive, and winds up realizing she's missed out on the good things that were right in front of her. Melanie's love for her husband and her ability to envisage the potential for good in others bring her true fulfillment and make her a blessing to others even in tough times.
PASSING UP WHAT'S PASSING
The title of the movie refers to the vanishing of the civilization of the old south; its mansions, genteel living, and established slavery are all "gone with the wind" following the Civil War. Jesus' keynote speech, the Sermon on the Mount, announces His vision for a new system because this material world we live in is quickly passing away, it too is "gone with the wind" before we know it. Jesus pronounces the emptiness of the lifestyle pursued by the Scarlett O'Haras and Rhett Butlers of this world, the deceptiveness of money, food, entertainment, and popularity. Those who live for the moment, for the "now" - even when that "now" is all of this earthly life - are in for a big surprise. Woes are coming to those trying to "have it all". The New Living Translation puts Luke 6:24-26 this way: "What sorrows await you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now. What sorrows await you who are satisfied and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger is before you. What sorrows await you who laugh carelessly, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow. What sorrows await you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets."
This is scary stuff when you live in a culture that's as affluent and materialistic and idol-crazy as North America's. What drives the market, the engine of our worldly success, but these 4 things: the desire for riches - our worship of money, the never-ending accumulation of funds and assets, more toys. The craving for food and satisfaction of our bodily appetites, from fast food right through to drugs and unbounded sex, the constant quest for a higher "high". The preoccupation with laughter, amusements, entertainment, higher-speed internet and satellite TV, from raunchier soap operas to local theatre that pushes the limits of what's tasteful. And the desire to be spoken well of, to be popular, the longing to "win friends and influence people", to use fashions to make the right statement -- backed by the fear of coming across as a geek or nerd or otherwise un-cool. You may have it today, Jesus implies, but it won't last. Woe to the worldly!
He classes those so driven in with the "false prophets" of old, those who predicted peace and security just before Jerusalem was over-run by its enemies. An example was Hananiah, who challenged Jeremiah about 600 years earlier, just 4 years after Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had invaded and carried off Jerusalem's treasures. Jeremiah had been wearing a wooden yoke on his shoulders as a symbol of the coming Babylonian enslavement, but Hananiah prophesied that Babylon's power would soon be broken, and broke Jeremiah's yoke. Shortly afterwards, the Lord told Jeremiah to say the foreign king would impose a yoke of iron instead, and Hananiah would die that very year, "because you have preached rebellion against the Lord." (Jer.28:16) And within two months the false prophet was dead. Jeremiah had the true vision; Hananiah had been a deceiver, trying to shore up the way things were. We may think we can hold on to money and pleasure and popularity, but Jesus identifies these as part of the false vision of reality, for this world is quickly passing. These things don't bring true blessing and happiness; God's Kingdom is what matters and lasts, what's "really real". Our media are full of the voices of false prophets, ignoring God's truth, telling us what we want to hear, blessing the status quo but diverting us from the Lord's prescription for our true fulfillment.
This week a parishioner forwarded an insightful email in which Satan calls a worldwide convention of demons and orders them to steal Christians' time so they don't develop their relationship with the Saviour. The demonic instructions include: "Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds...Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestles ...Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes....Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy!"
The email concludes: "Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge! Does 'busy' mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?" Woe to those caught up in what's passing.
NEW ADMINISTRATION, VISION, VALUES
Turning from the "woes", Jesus also pronounced blessings on those who focus on God's Kingdom rather than present circumstances. His words invoke a new reality, they announce a new administration of God's grace for the hurting. On Monday, the new administration of Prime Minister Paul Martin presented its Speech from the Throne. A couple of the initiatives included a half-billion dollars for cities, along with a refund of the GST they pay; and another half-billion to clean up environmentally contaminated sites, such as the Sidney tar ponds. Now a speech is just words, but in the mouth of Governor-General Clarkson they come with force, they initiate a new reality. People start to accept that these things will actually take place, municipal councillors will start planning how to re-arrange their budgets. Those near the tar ponds will already be rejoicing that the pollution is going to be dealt with.
Similarly, Jesus' sermon is just words, but in His mouth these sentences bring into being a new reality, the Kingdom comes among us. It is speech that effects a certain condition. Having descended from the mountaintop after spending the night in prayer, as Luke says in v19, "power was coming from Him and healing them all." The blessing has already begun.
William Willimon comments: "On the lips of Jesus, these blessings and woes are a sort of official, authoritative pronouncement of the way things are and will be now that God's kingdom has been inaugurated.Think of this as a sort of inauguration day speech by Jesus announcing that a new political administration has taken charge...Here is a kingdom of reversals, of a topsy-turvy ethic in which those whom the world curses, God blesses. Throughout the Gospel of Luke, there is much attention to the poor, the wounded, the lame, and the blind. This gospel was initiated by Mary's song in which we were warned by the mother of Jesus that, in this new kingdom of God, there would be some rising up, and some going down, a reversal of the fortunes of the rich and the poor."
The Lord urges us when we're down, or feeling life's passed us by, to look again and see our circumstances in the larger perspective of God's program - our character development and growth in maturity as disciples; earthly disappointments are opportunities to find comfort in God's Spirit and Kingdom. Don't get fixated on the "now", but keep in view the bigger context of God's working, the justice of the final judgment, and our heavenly reward. As the NLT puts vv20-23: "God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is given to you. God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now, for the time will come when you will laugh with joy. God blesses you who are hated and excluded and mocked and cursed because you are identified with me, the Son of Man. When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were also treated that way by your ancestors."
A prophet is someone who sees a vision and shares it; a vision about the way things really are or will be. Jesus calls us to be prophets in this sense, to "see" with His Kingdom eyes, not the "now" picture but the "forever" significance. The Father's love for me and welcoming of me into His presence and eternity has nothing at all to do with how much money I make or how hard I work. Jesus already paid the price for my sin and finished the work of my forgiveness and the Accuser's judgment. God's blessing is totally independent of whether I'm hungry or well fed; those who "do without" now will "pig out" later at the heavenly feast (the Greek verb is related to feeding animals). The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, comes to me especially when I'm crying and down and don't know where to turn. And I'm part of God's "in crowd", special to Him and privileged to be with Him in eternity, even when I'm ridiculed or persecuted or shortchanged on account of being known as a Christian. Because with Jesus' eyes I'm seeing beyond what this world looks for.
When I was growing up, it was always fun to watch the cows and heifers when they were let out of the barnyard in the spring after being cooped up all winter. We had to wait until the grass was grown enough and conditions were right underfoot, but when the big day came to open the barnyard gates, what a frolic ensued! Stately older cows who seldom moved quickly for anything could be seen to run around, swinging their hindquarters and throwing up their heads; the heifers were kicking up their heels and dashing all over. So Jesus invites us to "jump for joy" when our vision isn't understood by others and they jump on us, because that proves we're in the company of God's prophets. This world is like a grey-boarded, manure-covered cement-floored barnyard compared to the vibrant luxurious pasture of fellowship with God and His Heaven. It's just that, for those who choose to see only the barnyard, that's all there is. But for those who've heard the throne speech, we know we're going to get back the GST or tax of persecution we've paid ahead in the City of God; we know the cost to clean up the tar ponds of our grossest sins has already been set out in the divine budget.
Prophet, Preacher, Princess
Here are three short clips of examples of Christians living out the vision and blessing Jesus announces. First is one I'll call 'prophet', from William Willimon.
"Tops in his class, they flew him down to interview at the top firm in the state. His interview went great. Just before they were to take him back to the airport for his return home, one of the partners mentioned a company that was one of their major clients. It stopped him cold in his tracks. He asked, 'Isn't that the company that operates most of the gambling casinos in this state?' 'Why, yes,' they said. 'But it's all legal. Besides, they pay well.' He responded, 'Legal, perhaps, but moral? I just don't think I could work for a firm that represented gambling, that makes money, even directly, from such human suffering.' He never heard from the firm again. 'Blessed are you who are poor...yours is the Kingdom of God.'" Being prophetic has its costs.
Our lesson talks about the reversals between the world and God's kingdom, how things get turned upside down in God's value system. The second story is about a prisoner who became a preacher. Bill Keller spent 2.5 years in federal prison after being convicted for insider trading. Shortly after, he rededicated his life to Jesus, and studied to receive a degree in Biblical studies. After his release Keller entered full-time ministry and now holds evangelistic meetings in churches across the continent. In 1999, he launched a website called Liveprayer.com which offers daily prayer devotionals, interactive prayer, and counselling. It reaches 1.8 million people. Keller notes, "I am most grateful for over 10,000 people that we know of who accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour in 2003, bringing the total to over 40,000 since we started Liveprayer." This prisoner-turned-preacher is now doing "insider trading" of a better kind: getting people in on the ground floor of God's eternal Kingdom. Yes, if God can use an ex-convict, God can use you, too!
The final story is of a failure who became a princess. Cindy Klassen is a geography major from Winnipeg who was playing defence for Canada's National Junior Women's Hockey Team at the age of 17. In 1998 she was invited to try out for Canada's Olympic Team. She was pleased with her performance and was fairly certain she had made the team. But when the news came that she hadn't, it devastated her. She recalls, "I felt hurt and angry, sad and confused all at the same time." She was told she could still train with the team, joining them in Alberta for a while, but couldn't handle being around the players who'd made the team while she'd been cut. Returning home, after a while she was urged by her parents to speed-skate. She didn't like the outfits and strange skates, but agreed to give it a try. She trained strenuosly 6 days a week, and competed successfully in the World Championships and World Cups. Then she won an Olympic bronze medal. In 2003 she became the first Canadian in 27 years to win the overall title at the World Speed Skating Championships.
But Cindy Klassen's success wouldn't have happened without her profound disappointment at not making the hockey team. Her weeping gave way to laughter. She now recognizes, "God was leading me. This was His plan all along. I learned by getting cut." Even though she's queen of her sport, as a Christian, she has yielded her success to God's sovereignty. She says, "Even when you want things, ...if it's not in God's will, it's not going to happen. I've learned to go along with that. Right now in speed skating I'm having the time of my life, but I have to be ready to move on if He wants me to do something else."
Klassen's focus is not just on worldly status. This princess is also a prophet, she sees God's larger picture, and is submitting her victory to be a booster for Jesus. She says, "I want to use the publicity I've gotten through my success for His glory. I go back to my old high school and talk to the students.I...let people know I'm a Christian...I've won a medal, but that's nothing compared to the crown I'll get in Heaven. I see a lot of people in sports who think when they reach a certain level they've got it made, but really, you can only find happiness in the Lord." How true! True blessing, real happiness, begins when we present ourselves to God, poor and hungry and crying out. Let's pray.