ACTS: A Way to Live
The Gospel of Luke—Lent 2022
Read Luke 6: 17-26
Focus Verses—Luke 20:23
Looking up at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.”
ACTion for Reflection: What is Blessing?
Today's verses are so interesting! The older I get, the more aware I become that Jesus flipped the understanding of the world upside down. His life and teachings didn't "make sense" to the world then. If we really think about it, though, they don't make sense to us now.
I am so familiar with The Beatitudes that I have a tendency to fly through these verses without pausing to reflect on the absurdity of lack, hunger, weeping, exlusion, and slander being blessings. What?!?! This does't make any sense at all.
Then, the heading in my Bible for verses 24 through 26 is "Woe to the Self Satisfied." Jesus taught (very clearly) that having plenty, comfort, laughter, and popularity are dangerous for Believers. He was genuinely concerned for those that lived without much want.
It's backward, right? In writing this post, I've read through all of these verses several times. It seems to me that Jesus was saying any circumstance that reminds us of our great need for Him is a blessing. Every provision that could lead us to believe we can make it (even for a second) on our own are woes.
In God's perfect timing, I read a FB post just before sitting down to write this that said, "Change your outlook. What if you were actually very blessed because you got to experience something hard that you now have a depth and understanding, an awareness, an overcoming and strength that not all human beings get the opportunity to receive."
Because of Christ, our need gives opportunity to notice God's wonderful provision. I hope that is an encouragement to someone today. If you are in a situation that is difficult, can you look at it as blessing? Your Heavenly Father wants to draw you in closely. He wants you to look to Him and to desire being with Him. He knows we won't do it until we need to. Woe to us when our plenty hides the reality of our need.
ACTion to Live Out: Be a blessing
An idea for today is to make Soul Sisters’ “Snack n Smile” bags (blessing bag) filled with snacks, a water bottle and a scripture card of hope and deliver to a local shelter.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for teaching us how to live! After we daily reflect on your life-giving words, help us to then, through your Spirit, get up and ACT. Give us hearts of compassion, hands of generosity, and feet that take your good news to the world. What an honor it is to be your image bearer. Amen.
