Written by: Ruth Mills

Luke 6 v 20-21
Jesus looked at his followers and said,
“Happy you people who are poor, because the kingdom of God belongs to you.
Happy you people who are now hungry, because you will be satisfied.
Happy you people who are now crying, because you will laugh with joy.”

Notes
In today’s reading Jesus was talking to not just his disciples, but also to various other people who had committed themselves to following him. Some, like the disciples, would have left lots of things behind in order to follow him: friends, family and positions, to name just a few. By the world’s standard many of them would have been classed as poor, for they didn’t have worldly belongings but put their trust in God for all they needed.

In Matthew 16 v 24 Jesus says, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me.” This is what the disciples and the other followers he was talking to had done, and this is the challenge for us today. It may mean leaving our homes behind in order to follow God and do his wishes. However, for you it may not mean something as great as that, but just to keep living a life which is honouring to him and not living a worldly life. This is something that with the influence of our peers can be hard to do. By doing this, Jesus says you will be satisfied and the kingdom of God will belong to you.

Today, why not renew your promise to God to follow him in all you do, and not live a worldly life.

Luke 6 v 22-23
“People will hate you, shut you out, insult you and say you are evil, because you follow the Son of Man. But when they do, you will be happy. Be full of joy at that time, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. Their ancestors did the same things to the prophets.”

Notes
About a year ago I started to read a book called “Jesus Freaks”. It is full of accounts of various people who have sacrificed their lives for their belief in God. Some of the accounts are horrific, describing how the person had been tortured. Some accounts specifically talked about how the people responded in love towards their torturers, and by doing that, tried to be a witness to them. 

At school, work, or even at home, you may come across people who hate you or insult you because of what you believe. Here we are told to be happy and full of joy, which is not the easiest thing to do in those circumstances, but we are to do this because there is a great reward waiting for us. A paraphrased version of the Bible, called “The Message”, says, “all heaven applauds” when we do these things, which I think is a lovely picture. 

Next time you are being persecuted for your faith, imagine that God and the angels in heaven are all applauding you when you “take it on the chin” and live your life for God.

Luke 6 v 24-26
“But how terrible it will be for you who are rich, because you have had your easy life.
How terrible it will be for you who are full now, because you will be hungry.
How terrible it will be for you who are laughing now, because you will be sad and cry.
How terrible when everyone says only good things about you, because their ancestors said the same things about the false prophets.”

Notes
Do you ever wish you were rich? I don’t always wish I was rich, but I certainly wish I had more money so I could buy all the various things that I want - like more clothes, a new bathroom for my house, a digital camera and a new car. Often we think the rich have it made for them: more money than they can spend, posh houses, designer clothes, and some even have their own private jets. What could be better?

But how many famous rich people have you heard of who take drug overdoses or have committed suicide? For example, Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain, actor River Phoenix and TV presenter Paula Yates. Just because people are rich doesn’t mean they are necessarily happy.

Jesus, in today’s reading, is talking about how being rich does not always make you satisfied but it can make you dissatisfied, and that self-satisfaction doesn’t last. The “rich” that he refers to in the reading are just like the “rich” today. They may appear to need nothing and seem satisfied, but they are not because they are lacking the final ingredient: God. He is the only one who can fill the void and make life complete. Society implies you are not good enough unless you have the latest gadgets and clothes. But here Jesus is saying there is more to life than material things, and that in the long term they will not satisfy the hunger that only he can fill.

Luke 6 v 27-29
“But I say to you who are listening, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who are cruel to you. If anyone slaps you on one cheek, offer him the other cheek, too. If someone takes your coat, do not stop him from taking your shirt.”

Notes 
Sometimes we can be in situations where someone keeps doing something that does nothing but wind us up, either intentionally or unintentionally. We can try our best to follow what we know we should do and not retaliate, but it can be hard. Jesus talks about not only not retaliating but loving our enemies, people we may feel are unlovable. One thing we can do is pray. There are times when only God can give us the power to cope in such situations and give us the grace we need to deal with them.

I read a book a while ago called “This is Your Time” by singer/songwriter Michael W Smith. The book talks about Cassie Bernall who was killed in the Columbine school shooting back in 1999. When faced with the question of did she believe in God, knowing that saying yes, she may be killed, she answered yes. The book goes on to talk about what sort of legacy we will leave behind, not in financial terms but it terms of how we will be remembered and what for. 

Will you be remembered as someone who followed God and loved the unlovable? Why not think about how you wish to be remembered, then put in place the things you need to do to be remembered in that way.

Luke 6 v 30-33
“Give to everyone who asks you, and when someone takes something that is yours, don’t ask for it back. Do to others what you would want them to do to you. If you love only the people who love you, what praise should you get? Even sinners love the people who love them. If you do good only to those who do good to you, what praise should you get? Even sinners do that!”

Notes 
How do you like people to treat you: with respect or with hate? I suspect I already know the answer; not many of us like to be hated for whatever reason.

Have you ever been in a situation when someone said something bad about you and you just wished, “Why for a change can’t you say something nice?” Here Jesus is telling us to do just that. A paraphrased version of the Bible, called “The Message”, says, “Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them.” When I read those words I thought that would be great: people being really nice to me all the time. But then I realised it means that I too have to be nice to people. Not as easy as it first sounds. 

How easy is it for you to be kind to those around you who are kind to you? On the whole you probably don’t have too many problems, but then neither do I. Jesus is saying that most people don’t have a problem being kind to those who are kind to them, but he asks us to be different and be kind to those who are not kind to us. Not something I always find easy, as I am sure you find too.

Today why not ask God to help you try to be positive about people and be kind to those around you, even if it isn’t easy.

Luke 6 v 34-36
“If you lend things to people, always hoping to get something back, what praise should you get? Even sinners lend to other sinners so that they can get back the same amount! But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without hoping to get anything back. Then you will have a great reward and you will be children of the Most High God, because he is kind even to people who are ungrateful and full of sin. Show mercy, just as your Father shows mercy.”

Notes
There is a song by Joan Osborne, called “One of Us”, which contains the lyrics:

“What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home.”

It makes you wonder if you would do or say things differently if you knew the person next to you was God. Often we treat people based on what we can see on the outside and not the whole person. 1 Samuel 16 v 7 says, “People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 

In these verses Jesus talks about our actions towards people, such as lending to them - not just the people we like, but our enemies too. This could also be extended to the people who we might want to keep at arms’ length. 

Paul in Romans 12 vs 12 & 13 says, “Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times. Share with God’s people who need help. Bring strangers in need into your homes.” These too are things that Jesus is talking about, and things we need to be doing. When was the last time you had someone round for a meal? Ok, maybe you can’t cook or don’t have somewhere to entertain, so when was the last time you took someone out for a meal and you paid? It doesn’t have to be our best friends, but people who are on the edge of our friendship groups, people who we can reach out to and not expect anything in return.

We have a giving God. We are to follow his example and be giving too, and give as if we are giving to God.

Luke 6 v 37-38
“Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. Don’t accuse others of being guilty, and you will not be accused of being guilty. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. Pressed down, shaken together and running over, it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”

Notes 
Today’s reading seems simple enough: don’t judge others. Simple. But I expect you are like me - the more you think about this, the more you want to say things like, “Oh, if I was them I wouldn’t do it like that, it would be better if they did it this way…” 

The principle here is like that in Luke 6 v 31: “Do to others what you would want them to do to you.” However, it is so easy to say, and often so hard to put into practice.

I watched a programme recently about how the early years of childhood can affect you in the long-term, and how the role of your parents fits into your growing up. Our parents certainly influence us, both in the ways we behave and the ways we think. Have you ever watched your parents and noticed that some things you do you have picked up from them? As Christians, we should strive to be like our Father and have qualities like our Father. Some things we may “inherit”, but others we will have to work at.

When we become Christians we are forgiven by God, by his grace, and are given the Holy Spirit to help us. 

Pray that God will help you by the Holy Spirit to be more like him and to learn some of his qualities like love and forgiveness.


word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes