Woebetudes

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

We love the Beatitudes of Matthew 5.  They teach a reality that is upside-down, but positive.  We can all put ourselves in the place of the poor in spirit and those who mourn, and be encouraged by Jesus' promise of blessing.

We seldom consider the parallel version of Jesus' words in Luke 6, which include what someone has called the "Woebetudes:"

"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 shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way."  (Luke 6:24-6)

Maybe, if we examine ourselves honestly, we can also put ourselves in the place of the comfortable and the reputable, and be fearful of Jesus' words.

There's no escaping the fact that Jesus' gospel was bad news for some; for those who grow rich by impoverishing others, or profit from others' bondage.  Bad news, perhaps, for people such as we may be.

Jesus wasn't killed for the good news He brought to men . . .
 

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
 

Macro and Micro: Luke 6:41-45

I've been pleased lately to hear brothers and sisters speaking against, and praying against, the spirit of lawlessness in our country.

If God has shown me the deepest, most utterly grievous, sin He finds in America: and I'm certain He has: it is lawlessness. It is the spirit and attitude and idea and walk that we make our own choices, follow our own ways, and will violently resist any who tell us otherwise.

Lawlessness is itself the essential nature of sin itself, against which Jesus has conquered:

"All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him." (Isaiah 53:6)

I am pleased that other believers are also hearing God call out the spirit of lawlessness, and lead us in speaking and praying against it in His greatest power.

But my pleasure that the Church is hearing this most important word of God is dampened by the realization that our prayers against "lawlessness" are often only against street-riots. Dampened even more by realizing that many who pray against street lawlessness are themselves followers of the spiritual lawlessness of poltical deceivers, that "government is the problem."

Jesus' contrast of the moral "speck" and the moral "log" comes to mind. Perhaps the Church sees others' soulish street violence as greater sin than its own deep spirit of rebellion towards authority.

Jesus directed His moral aim against the greater sin, the determinative spirit in which we think and act. The "evil treasure" we store up in our hearts, from which we bring forth evil. The "bad" nature of the tree, which determinines what fruit it will produce.

God, forgive us our self-deception ! God, give us ears to hear. Give Your people spiritual eyes in which there are no logs, to see !

Amen