In the midst of the noise of our culture, Jesus proclaims a countercultural message – a better way. What does this mean?
Scripture:
Genesis, chapters 15-17; Luke, chapter 6
Luke 6:20-30 (NASB):
And He raised His eyes toward His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor; for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way.
But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way.
But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.
Luke 6:31-38
Treat people the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount.
But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
Observations: A Countercultural Message: Jesus Teaches His Disciples
Most readers will recognize Jesus’ teaching in this passage, although not necessarily in this setting. This passage in Luke 6 reproduces some of what Matthew includes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7). Luke begins with a list of beatitudes, although it’s not exactly the same as those found in Matthew 5:3-11. Luke includes a list of “woes,” as a balance to the beatitudes. The rest of this passage in Luke 6 parallels Matthew 6-7, although Luke presents a condensed version. What are we to take from this?
First, I’d suggest that this is not a matter of whether Matthew or Luke “got it right.” There is no reason to believe that Jesus only taught these types of things one time, and that the gospel writers are simply producing their own versions. Any good teacher recognizes that most people don’t learn things the first time they hear them. When I was in college (long ago!), my communications classes taught that people need to hear things at least 7 times before they begin to “learn” them. So why would we think that Jesus only taught about the values of God’s Kingdom once?
Second, I’d also suggest that you not get caught up in trying to “harmonize” these two passages. What I mean is that we shouldn’t try to boil down Jesus’ teaching to the lowest level, looking only for meanings that are consistent with both. For example, in Matthew 5:3, Jesus says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In Luke 6:21, Jesus says: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” In Matthew, Jesus talks about hungering and thirsting for righteousness; in Luke, Jesus simply talks about being hungry. Which is it?
A Countercultural Message: Blessed Are the Poor
Why does it have to be one or the other? Why can’t Jesus be talking about both? Clearly, there are plenty of other places in the Gospels where Jesus calls His followers to generosity. He plainly says that we cannot serve both God and money. But He also tells us to focus on God’s Kingdom, on the spiritual rather than the temporal. These messages do not contradict each other; instead, they present different perspectives on the same core issue.
As Jesus goes on in Luke 6, He continues to challenge us:
- Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you (verses 26-27).
- Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back (verse 30).
- Treat people the same way you want them to treat you (verse 31).
- Love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return (verse 35).
- Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (verse 36).
- Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure – pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return (verse 38).
Make no mistake: this was a countercultural message in Jesus’ day, and it still is.
Application: A Countercultural Message: Seek First God’s Kingdom
Jesus’ call to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us still challenges us today. I don’t know about you, but as I scroll through my social media accounts, I see plenty of posts filled with anger and bitterness. What’s sad is that many Christians have allowed themselves to reflect that anger and bitterness instead of reflecting the love of Christ.
Following Jesus is not a part-time hobby. It’s not something we do on Sundays and then forget for the rest of the week. When a rich young man came to Jesus to ask about the kingdom, Jesus told him to sell all that he had, give to the poor, and then come and follow Him (Luke 18:18-30). The man went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus didn’t call him back and tell him to “do the best you can.” Instead, He talked about how hard it is to enter the kingdom.
Jesus’ countercultural message calls us to “sell” all the things that this world values in order to “buy” the kingdom. That may mean that we stop seeking political power and influence and focus on Kingdom values. Maybe we stop dividing people into “us” and “them” and start loving them the way Jesus did. Seeking first God’s kingdom means we stop seeking first what we want so people can see that there really is a better way. That’s still a countercultural message – but it’s still the path that Jesus calls us to follow!
Prayer:
Father, we acknowledge that it is easy for us to get caught up in the values and systems of this world. Help us to recognize the ways that You want us to seek Your kingdom first today. Instead of anger and division, help us to love. Instead of seeking our own benefit, help us to bless others. Above all, help us to trust You and to walk in Your way today. Guard us against the siren song of our culture, that values power and wealth and fame. Guide us so that we may hear You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.
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