THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 6:17-26
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.” (Luke 6:24)
Who would you consider to be the lucky people of the world?
The beautiful, rich, popular, well-fed, successful, strong, free?
Jesus here describes the truly blessed condition, the ones who are better off.
He is not saying that poverty, hunger, weeping, rejection, etc are good.
But in this broken and messed up world, people like this know their need for hope, for help.
Wealth, abundance, luxury, ease of life, etc. do not tend to make people better.
They often become spoiled, demanding, lazy, inconsiderate, indifferent to those in need.
They disregard God, or arrogantly assume that God is a crutch, and they don’t need it.
Those with plenty often are blind to how poor and needy their condition is.
Full of themselves, they live empty lives, missing out on the fullness of LIFE.
And despite appearances, they are NOT as happy as they look.
The people in the best position for God’s better future are those who know they need it.
Having grown up with relative wealth (compared to the rest of the world), I can see the danger.
My dependence on God is weak, I assume I can handle life’s challenges on my own.
My concern for those who suffer is shallow… except when it hits close to home.
My present comfort makes me less concerned about my ultimate COMFORT in life and in death.
Our world is a mess; God is looking for people who know it and want to do something about it.
These are the blessed ones, the ones who join with God and Jesus to pursue God’s kingdom.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, I don’t want to suffer. But I do not want to ignore other’s suffering either. Make me discontented with this broken, messed up world, so that I can work with others to pursue Your kingdom and Your righteousness.