Luke 6:17-26
17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
0 “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
0 “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
0 “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
Reflection
Jesus boldly shares God’s surprising vision of people and the world. Just the opposite of our natural expectations, God’s blessings rest upon the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the persecuted.
The gospel of Jesus truly brings blessedness and wholeness. But in this fallen, sin-ravaged world this blessedness will often look like poverty, hunger, weeping, and persecution. This teaching calls us to apply the gospel to our lives by choosing to rejoice in God’s favor even in times of trial (Luke 6:23; James 1:2–4; 1 Pet. 1:6–7). We can rejoice because difficulties in this world mark the path of God (see Acts 14:22). In the coming heavenly kingdom we will be rewarded with riches, satisfaction, joy, and God’s full acceptance despite our present suffering and weaknesses.
Ephesians 4:17-24
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Reflection
When Christ calls us to himself it is always a call to leave the world, die to self, and live for God. We must abandon the futile and self-indulgent mentalities of the world (Eph. 4:17–18). Let us never accept a false gospel that says we can have Jesus as Savior without also having him as Lord. It must be both or neither.
Instead of living for this world, Paul says that Christians have “learned Christ.” Learning Christ means we think differently (v. 23), we put off our old identity (v. 22), and we put on the new person that Christ has created us to be (v. 24). This gets to the heart of the New Testament view of Christian growth. The command for the Christian is to “be who you now are.” We are new creations in Christ, so let us turn away from the old ways of the world and live like new people of the Spirit. When we sin, we betray our new identity as sons and daughters of God. Christian obedience does not earn us a holy status; it reflects the holy status we have freely received.
Psalm 26:11-12
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me. 12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.
Are you daily putting off your old identity and embracing the calling to live in total surrender to Jesus? Ask God to help you be mindful throughout the day to turn from your old way of life and live in the reality of your new identity in Christ.