Howdy. Well, last few days I had an opportunity to go over to Phoenix. I was there for a conference.
And it was a great opportunity to be able to hear about some different ideas in ministry that are happening.
But also I had a chance to speak at one of the sessions on community development being used for outreach.
So it was really great to be able to interact in that way. It was a whole lot of fun.
But one of the things that came up was that someone was mentioning that ministry can oftentimes have comparisons
or metaphors that help you to understand it better.
And one of the things that one of the pastors said was that he felt that his church always reminded him of the island of misfit toys.
Which was funny. I know the guy and I know his congregation and it was funny because I could see that.
Is that everybody was kind of their own odd little duck. I always found that fun.
Now I'm not sure. Did the younger people see Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?
That was from the 60s but they kept showing it on CBS, right?
Yeah, absolutely. Even like up until 1989 or something.
But you know Rudolph, you know the Red-Nosed Reindeer, he had a very shiny nose.
And I just remember as a kid thinking why in the world is everybody freaked out about him having a glowing nose.
I'm like what's the big deal. Which kind of speaks to the whole point of the cartoon I think.
But one of the things with that adventure is that Rudolph feeling like he's a misfit, he doesn't fit.
He goes off and finds himself on this island of all these other toys.
And they don't quite fit either. And there were a lot of them that were kind of interesting.
One of them was a Charlie in the box rather than a Jack in the box.
And there was a cowboy that was riding an ostrich which my dad had invested in some ostriches.
So we actually did know a cowboy that rode an ostrich but it was not on purpose.
The train that had square wheels and then there was a water gun that was squirting jelly instead of water.
A bird that swims, a boat that cannot stay afloat in an airplane that can't fly among many others.
And there were some of these that just seemed a little bit odd to me because I kept thinking well the Charlie in the box,
dude just change your name to Jack. You'll be okay. It's not a big deal. Everything else looked alright.
Or the water gun that squirts jelly, just put water in it. It's okay. Stop putting jelly in the water gun and you'll be okay.
And as a kid trying to understand all these different toys that were there and realizing that the idea of a misfit
is so much of what it is that we think of when we hear the Beatitudes.
When we hear what it is to be blessed, to hear that you know blessed are the poor and blessed are the hungry and the sad
and those who are hated is this idea that Jesus is going to people and saying even if you don't fit in,
even if you're not a part of everybody else, you still have a part in the kingdom of God.
Now that is a very big part about what we're seeing here. But it also goes quite a bit deeper than just feeling like you're a little bit different from everybody else.
Because God is trying to speak not just to the fact that we're unique, but also to the idea that we're not playing by what the world wants us to be.
Because you notice I said well couldn't the Charlie in the box just say my name is Jack?
Or couldn't the water gun just change what was inside of himself?
And I think that that speaks volumes to what we have to genuinely ask about ourselves and our own identity.
Now I do have to point this out is that whenever we hear blessed are the blessed are the poor or blessed are the hungry is that oftentimes we jump over to Matthew.
Oftentimes whenever we hear Luke we automatically fill in what comes up in Matthew.
And we can't help but asking this question of are we not just repeating what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew.
And when we look at that we see that there's actually some distinctions there between Luke and Matthew.
Matthew 5 has a lot of these things that are listed.
So for example is that it might say well blessed are the poor, but in Matthew it'll actually say blessed are the poor in spirit.
Or it'll say blessed are the hungry, but it'll say over here blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Or blessed are the those who mourn.
Well that one seems okay, but also blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.
And we see a lot of parallels there.
But we also in many ways feel more comfortable with what Matthew is saying.
You see we are more comfortable when it says blessed are the poor in spirit.
Because we're not really thrilled at the idea of being blessed by being poor.
And we are not really excited at the idea of being hungry either.
So hungry for righteousness is much more enjoyable to hear.
But the difficulty is that they're not the same speech.
It's not the same sermon.
If you'll notice one of them is up on a mountain, sermon on the mount.
But in Luke it's a sermon on a plane.
And some people will say well maybe you just went up the mountain and then there's a flat level that's up on that mountain.
So it's really kind of both.
But if you look at the two they're similar but they're not the same.
The thing is is that when preaching you may preach sermons that have some similarities.
Because sometimes you're trying to say something similar or the same thing.
I'm sure if you go back to all the sermons that I have preached even just here at Christ Memorial.
You'll probably hear some similarities.
I'm sure I've preached more than one sermon that mentioned a cartoon in it.
I'm pretty sure I've mentioned more than one sermon that had Gilmore girls or Golden girls in it.
Depending on which age group you prefer.
But that doesn't mean it was the same sermon and it doesn't mean it was emphasizing the same things.
But also we don't feel comfortable with how Luke goes to the woes.
Woe to you who are rich, full, happy or respected.
And we have to really deal with the fact that we're not comfortable with that because there's something that we're afraid of here.
What is it that we're actually fearing when we hear from Luke?
Why is it that it makes us so uncomfortable?
What is it about this passage that as we're hearing from Luke we really don't like where it is that Jesus is going?
So maybe we need to look a little bit and understanding why it is that being rich may not be a great thing.
And being poor may be helpful.
And why it is that being full may actually not be always pleasing to God.
And why it is that being hungry may truly be helpful.
So let's look at those two.
Let's look at the blessed ours and the woe twos.
Let's look at them side by side with each other.
Let's see, as we're looking at those, what do we end up understanding about it?
Blessed are those who are poor.
Whenever we think about what it is to be wealthy, that's really what we as Americans, but just as humans in general, we oftentimes measure that as success.
Are you wealthy?
Are you able to get the things that you want?
Are you able to have all the things that you want?
But if we're at a place where we've never wondered if we were ever able to pay for everything,
or wonder whether or not we have to choose between one thing or another because we can't afford everything that we may want,
if we're at a point where we don't feel that strain, then what is that saying at that point?
Is it possible that maybe we've managed to build a company, but are we necessarily paying everybody what they're worth?
Or are we charging more than what maybe we should be?
Are there times whenever we have taken on a position with a job, with a company, just because we wanted the money?
But maybe there was a part of us that said this isn't actually where I'm supposed to be or what I'm supposed to be doing.
Or to wonder, am I actually helping people with what I'm doing?
Or am I just making sure that I create a product that I know people will pay for?
At times whenever we may be looking and we may be saying, hey, I am able to pay for all the things that I want,
and we wonder how it is that we could get this amazing thing for only a fraction of the price,
and we just dismiss all the things that may question where those resources came from in the first place,
whether people were actually compensated for what they were giving,
and whether or not people were actually cared for in the place where they made what we had.
There are so many parts that we take for granted because we are in this blessed nation,
but is the world really being fair to everybody else around us, the people that we're happily ignoring or saying that's on them,
and we just don't want to have to deal with that?
We are currently in a situation in our world where things may very well become much more expensive,
and we may need to pause long enough to say, isn't this just what the rest of the world already had to deal with?
But also to feel that we are rich, is that necessarily something we should be pursuing as the purpose,
as our point, as our meaning in life, or even for the next generation,
if we give them everything that they ever wanted, then did they ever truly understand what it meant to work, to strive,
and to really ask what matters instead of just getting everything that they might want?
Or even what it means to be hungry and not to always be full?
The conference that I was at, they had a lot of donations from different places where people were able to feed all of the people that were there,
and you didn't have to pay for it.
The conference part of it itself was free, but you walk around and there were sodas in all these different tins everywhere,
and they were all cold, or you'd go around and they'd have donut holes sitting in all these baskets all over the place,
or at times whenever you just go in and they'd feed you breakfast, lunch, dinner, and you could go in for seconds if you wanted.
There really was no lack of eating the entire time.
And I remember at one point I was walking along and I saw the donut holes, and I'm like, ooh, donut holes.
And there were little skewers, like kebabs, you could just go along and skewer yourself some donut holes.
And I did that twice, and was about to do it a third time.
And then I realized that I actually have a trigger.
It turns out that many of us are actually triggered that whenever we see something that we don't normally get to have, we automatically reach for it.
Our brain has actually been trained to do so without actually asking whether we genuinely need it.
And then more than that, I actually had a moment where I realized if I eat too many donut holes this week,
I'm not going to want any of Barbara's donuts on Sunday morning.
And then felt kind of sad because it's like I don't want to miss out on enjoying the donuts that Barbara brought on Sunday morning.
Because the thing with it is that our body is supposed to have times of hunger and times of fill.
It's supposed to be up and down. It's supposed to have all the feelings and experiences.
Because then that's when our body is genuinely burning things off.
But it's also then that's when your body can actually tell you what it needs.
If you're missing a nutrient or a vitamin, or that there's something that you were supposed to be eating,
and your body can say, hey, you're craving this because you genuinely need it.
But if you're constantly feeding yourself, your body doesn't know how to say what it needs anymore.
But it also is to a point of saying, maybe we're constantly creating foods that we genuinely didn't need to create.
We're constantly utilizing the space in our nation and around the world that could be used in other ways for other types of needs
that other people in the world might genuinely have instead of making so much wheat and so much corn that we never go without donuts if we want.
Or even asking the question of, bless it or those who are sad and woe to those who are happy.
Is it a bad thing to be happy? I really hope not.
Because, you know, frankly, I would like to know that if I laugh or if I smile that I haven't sinned against God.
But maybe asking this deeper question, if you've never truly known what it is to be sad,
then have you ever truly known what it is to love?
Because we know that people around us go through tough times.
And to truly love someone means to truly empathize when they are going through times of struggle.
And to truly know what it is when you've lost somebody.
And that if you've never known sadness, then have you ever truly connected with other people in a way that you would truly know what it's like when you miss them?
Or even more than that, have you truly appreciated what God has given?
Because if you are always looking to be happy, then doesn't mean that you are just constantly giving yourself what you want,
instead of slowing down to ask what God is wanting to bless you with.
Because if you've never had a moment of feeling a lack, then have you ever truly known what it is to be given what you need by God instead of your own ideas?
Or even what it is to be hated and woe to those being respected?
Because let's be honest, there are a lot of times where people are popular and they are absolutely terrible people.
We may constantly be looking at times where people have opinions about everything.
They will tell you whether or not they think that you should be ashamed because somebody danced up on a stage.
Or they will tell you whether you should be joyful and happy at somebody saying hurtful and horrible things.
There are times where you may see that the most popular person or the most popular idea may genuinely be something that is not pleasing to God.
How often and how easy is it that we make sure we keep our mouths shut?
Because we are pretty sure that the people around us will not be happy with what we may have to say.
Or even that we are not trying to antagonize, but even just to say, you know, I don't know that that is always true.
Or, well maybe, but isn't there a way that we could be helpful to people?
Or maybe we could do that, but we could do it in such a way that it is actually kind and merciful.
And as much as I wish that that were something that only happened out in the world,
I know how many times that I have been among people of God where they were the very ones who yelled at me for saying maybe we could just be kind.
There was a pastor that was speaking at the conference.
I knew him previously at another church that I had been helping out before being here.
And one of the things that was fascinating was the way that he was sharing about the early parts of his ministry.
And how there were all these things that people were telling him were so great.
You know, it's like, oh, your sermons are just amazing.
Oh, every ministry that you are leading, that everything that you touch is turning to gold.
And every thing is going so well, you can always ask for money and everybody will always give it.
And I'm sitting there thinking, I hate you already.
He's a great guy, I'm just teasing.
But this feeling, this sense though, because if you're truly being honest, I'm sorry,
but I've never heard any speaker who's ever said everything perfectly, no matter who they are.
Or even realizing that there is no single person who can ever make any single ministry work perfectly on their own.
Everything's always about other people.
And even just saying those things made me realize that that's truly the struggle of what it is to go through.
Because those feelings are artificial.
It's not real, which means that a person is only listening to those who say what they want to hear.
But what was more is that the pastor was then revealing that the whole time he felt like an empty shell.
And that's the truth.
Is that when all we're doing is making sure that we say things that we know people want to hear,
and is that there really any purpose in saying what you had to say in the first place?
And that's what we end up seeing here.
Is this question of what is it that Jesus actually wants for us?
Because what does Jesus want for us?
Does he want us to constantly feel wealthy and full and happy and respected?
Or does he want us to know him?
And that's one of the things that I find interesting is that what led up to this portion
is the part that is saying that people are coming because they need him to cast out evil spirits.
They know what is inside of them that they need him to release them from.
They know their need because it is right in front of them.
And that's the thing about this is that to be blessed is to know that you need Christ.
And woe to those who feel that they have everything they need without him.
Because isn't that really how we discover love and mercy?
See, when we look at the people that we see as our enemies,
we're the most likely to treat them like enemies when we feel that we have everything we need already.
Because we could not possibly understand why someone would do what they might feel so desperate to do.
Because we've never been at a place where we felt desperation and we've never been at a place where we felt that we were in need.
If we've never felt that we were the misfit, if we've never thought that we were anything other than always loved and always respected,
then how would we ever understand someone different who might need mercy and love in order to change?
If we've never known what it is to be forgiven, then how would we ever be forgiving?
And that's the thing about who God is and what his grace is, is to be able to say, you needed forgiveness.
But if we thought that everything that we had done was right and good,
then how would we ever truly understand what forgiveness from God really was?
And if we've never truly understood what forgiveness from God truly is,
then how would we ever know that somebody else might need it even as we did?
See, that's the thing about judging, is that, yeah, of course, you may look at something and say, yes, that is a bad thing for a person to do.
Absolutely. But are we going beyond saying that is a bad thing that we really want wish to stop to,
that is a terrible person that I wish did not exist?
Or even more than that, that is somebody terrible that I hope to never see ever again,
no matter what I have to do to make that happen.
See, that's the thing about this is that if we are constantly rich, full, happy, and respected, then how would we ever get to a point of bearing good fruit?
Because what is it that a plant has to have happen in order to get to be healthy and to bear good fruit?
It has to be pruned.
There have to be times whenever the tree is not constantly succeeding.
There have to be times whenever the branches are not continuing to grow.
There have to be times whenever the tree is held back.
There have to be times where not every single branch is always bearing fruit.
Because if every branch on every spot is always bearing fruit, then the fruit never ripens.
Because there's not enough nutrients or water to get to them all.
And if none of the fruit ever falls off, then they just stay until they rot.
See, that's the thing about this is that if we've never gotten to a point of realizing that we are in need,
then we've truly never realized the need for Jesus.
And with that, were we willing to come to Jesus?
Because when we have what we want, do we truly want Jesus?
How many times there are whenever we provide or have seen opportunities to be with God or to know Him better?
And yet everything else in the world has taken us away with our time and our energy and our perspective.
That somehow everything else that makes us feel wealthy or full or happy or respected somehow manages to take away the energy
or the desire to be closer to God or the energy or the desire to do what He would desire of us.
And that's what we end up seeing is who Jesus is for us.
Because you know, to be poor, to be hungry, to be sad, to be hated, before Jesus came to be human,
being God the Word incarnate, was he ever poor, hungry, sad or hated, dwelling in the presence of the Father?
But the only way to truly know us and to truly reveal His love was to be with us.
To know what it is not to dominate, not to come and rule with a sector or with an army,
but rather to work, to speak and to go to places where He knew they wouldn't have enough food for everybody,
but because He knew they needed them, or to go to places where they may not have a roof over their head because they were homeless,
but being willing to sleep wherever He needed to just because He knew that the people there needed Him.
See, the thing is, is that we're oftentimes afraid of these things, but Jesus is not.
So as we look to who Jesus is, couldn't we realign our view of what we pursue so that we have room for who Jesus is in our lives?
And maybe even more than that, could we stop blocking Jesus from living that out in our own lives?
Because today, Jesus is still willing to be poor and hungry and sad and hated because He's willing to do it through us.
Are we willing to be a part of that same ministry that He was willing to do with us?
Are we so afraid of what it is to be Jesus to the world that we do everything to avoid it in our own lives?
So I don't know what it is that allows you to always feel wealthy, or full, or happy, or respected,
but I do hope that the more that we pursue who Jesus is in our lives, that we're more focused on knowing Him than we are on fulfilling everything that we would ever want.
And that in so doing, that we would have time for those in the world who also truly need Him as much as we do.
So may His Spirit lead us and guide us to not fear the poverty, the hunger, the sadness, or the hatred,
because in Christ Jesus, we truly have everything that we would ever need.
Thanks be to God.