 |
| Unlike the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus' Sermon on the Plain contains both blessings and woes. |
©2025 The Rev. Seth Olson
This sermon was inspired by the above readings and was preached on the 6th Sunday after the Epiphany at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Apostles in Hoover, AL. A video of the sermon may be found here.
Holy God, may my words be your words and when my words are not your words, may your people be wise enough to know the same. Amen.
Jesus stood on a level place. Not high above, like Moses on Mount Sinai, nor like how Matthew depicted Jesus preaching the Sermon on the Mount. No, here in Luke’s account of the Good News, Jesus came down to the plain and dwelt among the people. He stood where they stood, looked them in the eyes, and spoke words that were both a comfort and a challenge: words of blessing and words of woe.
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
Luke’s recollection of this sermon is more direct than the one in Matthew. There is no “poor in spirit” here—just the poor. The physically, financially, socially poor. Those who struggle to put food on the table, who lie awake at night worrying about their children, or who live paycheck to paycheck. Jesus did not say they will be blessed in some distant future; he said they are blessed now. Why? Because the kingdom of God is not just some far-off promise—through Christ, it has already entered the world, confronting the systems of power, and revealing God’s abundant grace. As unlikely as it sometimes seems, God’s in-breaking presence never stops, though we often miss it, which is probably why here in Luke, it’s not only about blessings.
Enter the woes:
“Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”
Woe. Not a curse, but a warning. A call to pay attention, like when a lifeguard blows her whistle causing a running child to stop and look around. Jesus blows the whistle. Woe to those who have everything they need but fail to see the needs of others. Woe to those who are comfortable while their neighbors suffer. Woe to those who mistake wealth and security for divine favor. Woe.
This message echoes in Jeremiah’s prophecy, where we hear: “Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord.” And the prophet had his own beatitude, “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water.” Through Jeremiah we discover the difference between blessing and woe is not about external circumstances. Instead, this difference stems from trust—where we root ourselves, or perhaps more pointedly, in whom we put our trust—the one with the Living Water.
Paul, too, in 1 Corinthians, reminds us of where our trust should rest: “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” In other words, the hope we hold, the kingdom we seek, is not merely about earthly success. It is also about resurrection, about the long arch of God’s redemption, about life beyond the immediate concerns that often preoccupy us. Of course, shifting our vision away from the urgent issues screaming for our attention is abnormally difficult in this age of constant notifications, ubiquitous screens, and ever-present distractions. But, I have a surprising practice that may be of some assistance in seeing things differently.
Last Sunday I shared that on Saturday, March 8th we’ll have an end-of-life planning workshop with experts from various fields: financial, legal, spiritual, and even within the funeral home industry. It’s not easy to think about such things, but it can truly be a gift to your family—and even to you!
As strange as it sounds, research affirms what our faith has long taught: that contemplating our mortality leads to a better life. Psychological studies suggest that reflecting on death—whether through meditation or mindful awareness—can reduce fear, increase gratitude, and encourage meaningful living. A 2018 study found that those who regularly engage in mortality awareness tend to prioritize deeper relationships, healthier lifestyles, and compassionate choices. There is even evidence that these meditations cultivate peace and clarity, reinforcing the idea that acknowledging our limits frees us to live more fully in the present.
By placing our trust in something beyond the temporary concerns of this world, we are invited into a deeper sense of purpose and hope. And, paradoxically, when we trust that in the end God will have the final word, we are able to be more fully present now in this moment.
Speaking of the now, what would Jesus’ sermon sound like if he preached it here, among us at Holy Apostles? What are the blessings and woes he might proclaim in our midst today? Perhaps it would sound something like this:
Blessed are you who are exhausted from caregiving, for God sees your labor of love and will sustain you.
Blessed are you who struggle with addiction and keep showing up, for God's grace is enough and is working even now.
Blessed are you who feel like outsiders in the Church, for God has made a place for you at the table.
Blessed are you who work for justice, even when no one listens, for you are doing the work of the kingdom.
And the woes:
Woe to you who find security in wealth but ignore the suffering of others, for your riches cannot save you.
Woe to you who silence the voices of the marginalized, for the kingdom belongs to them.
Woe to you who believe faith is about comfort and not about transformation, for God is always calling you deeper.
Woe to you who mistake privilege for righteousness, for the last will be first and the first will be last.
Jesus’ words are not easy. And, they are not meant to be. Jesus’ words call us to examine ourselves honestly, to ask where we find ourselves in his sermon. Are we the blessed or the woeful? If we are honest, we are probably both. And that is why Jesus speaks these words to us in love—not to condemn, but to invite us into a different way of being.
Jesus stood on a level place—among the people, among folks like us. And he still does. Our Savior calls us to see with new eyes, to beware of our limitations, and to root our lives in the God who loves us, for that is what will truly bless us—life in Christ.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment