Big Idea: Jesus calls His followers to live in unexpected ways.
INTRODUCTION - ME:
I am a person who likes to know what to expect. I’m a planner. My calendar is my friend. Generally I like routine, rhythm, consistency. I don’t mind knowing the end of movies before I watch them. I’ll even watch sporting events where I already know the outcome.
I like to know what is expected when it comes to relationships too:
· what another person is expecting of me
· what I can expect of another person
Not surprisingly, I find it helpful in my relationship with God to know what is expected of me.
Growing up those expectations were focused on Bible reading and prayer and being involved in a church. Good things. It was also focused on developing my relationship with God – a very good thing - because of His love and desire to be in relationship with me.
But as I’ve grown older, I’ve wondered and discovered that there is more to God’s expectations. I read quotes like this one from (Catholic) theologian Richard Rohr and it feeds my thinking about what Jesus is calling us to as His followers:
Christianity is a lifestyle – a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared, and loving. However, we made it into an established ‘religion’ (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself. One could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain in most of Christian history, and still believe that Jesus is one’s ‘personal Lord and Savior’…The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on Earth is too great. Richard Rohr
YES the expectations of God go beyond a mere label! SO… especially as I look at the suffering & brokenness of the world – the difficult circumstances of life in the lives of people right around me, I have to ask, “What does Jesus expect?”
Brokenness and circumstances that crosses the spectrum:
On one end globally and nationally, does he have anything to say as to how his followers should engage issues such as poverty, hunger, war, and more recently, gun control, and immigration?
On the other end, what might his teachings have to say to followers more personally – like for me as a husband, father, son, sibling, and friend?
And for everything in between: for those claiming to be followers of Christ what are His expectations of us?
And might some of these expectations be ones that I didn’t expect? Expectations in following Jesus that I didn’t realize were so important to God for His followers to do?
WE
What about you?
WE:
Do you know what is expected of you as a follower of Jesus? Has your understanding changed over your years of following Jesus?
Do you ever look at situation around you OR in the world and wonder what God expects of you? What Jesus might have to say about either a “big” issue OR a very personal situation?
Do you think there might be some things Jesus expects that you didn’t realize OR didn’t know were so important to God?
The expectations Jesus has of His followers: that is what we are going to discover more of today and in this next chapter in our Legacy series titled: Legacy II: The Call to the Unexpected.
RE-CAP and OVERVIEW:
The title comes from the fact that the portion we are covering from Luke’s account of Jesus’ life in chapters 6-9 highlights the unexpected nature of God’s kingdom.
The irony in all this talk about expectations is this: what Jesus expects of His followers is the UNEXPECTED.
What I mean is, how Jesus asks His followers to live is surprising and unexpected in comparison to the ideas of the culture in which he lived – and interestingly enough, the culture in which we live today.
Jesus calls His followers to live in unexpected ways.
So let’s turn to Luke 6, in the Bibles as today we look at one of Jesus’ core messages to his disciples – a message that is going to stretch us in our understanding of what God expects of His followers across the spectrum of challenges we face.
GOD:
This teaching is called by many the “Sermon on the Plain.” Here’s what the setting might have looked like: SHOW “Sermon on the Mount” PICTURE. I took this picture at the north end of the Sea of Galilee when I had the privilege of traveling to Israel in 1995. It gives us an idea of the setting so we can imagine ourselves there.
The content parallels that of the “Sermon on the Mount” found in Matthew 5-7. We believe that this message presented in Luke 6 – like Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5-7 – is one of numerous recorded times when Jesus shares core aspects of his teaching. In other words, these topics in Luke 6 were probably taught many times in different ways in multiple settings with the audience to whom Jesus was speaking being taken into account each time Jesus spoke.
So with this setting in mind, let’s begin reading in vs. 17.
READ Luke 6:17-20
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. Looking at his disciples, he said:
Let’s pause there. The first teaching of Jesus’ call to live in unexpected ways found here in his words of blessings and woes. We heard them earlier. Did the words catch your attention?
Here Jesus speaks affirming words of blessing to those who normally would be left out and cautionary words of woe to those who normally would be consider the “in-crowd” ones.
The “in-crowd” would have been:
· people like the Collaborators –e.g. – tax collectors. “Eat, drink, be merry, and make money for Rome rules.” Ignore God’s law; ignore those who are hurting or in need.
· people like the Pharisees - the ones pushing for pious lives so that the Messiah would come back who also believed if your life was mired in difficult circumstances – sickness, poverty, etc… - you obviously weren’t living piously. So Pharisees were prone to judgment and pushing groups of the people to the margins.
BUT here, the left out ones are told they are included! If you were (a disciple (one) who was poor or hungry who had been outcast and ignored you would be astounded and joy-filled to hear this Rabbi call you “Blessed!” with promise of reward.
Meanwhile the “in-crowd” is warned, “Not so fast!” The word “woe” is an expletive of disfavor or calamity; Jesus’ words are severe! So if you were feeling secure in your position as disciple because of social status or “of this world” wealth, you TOO would be astounded to hear that called into question by Jesus.
Now as we will see in a moment, these designations do not equate to blanket approval and disapproval by God. Rich ones are not automatically under “Woe.” The hungry are not inevitably blessed. The heart matters as we shall see.
(However) these words cry out for their attention whichever title fits their situation.
Can I pause here for a moment and talk directly to some of you? To those of you who are poor and hungry – for whatever reason - hear Jesus’ words to you as well: “Blessed are you…”. Though the culture may want to marginalize you, people may treat you different, cause you to feel less than enough, Jesus says, “NO! You are enough. As my disciple, You are blessed.” Financial status, social position, OR joviality are NOT pre-requisites for God’s love, God’s blessing, God’s favor. NOR – even more - if you are poor, hungry, or heart-broken does that mean God is against you. Rather, Jesus says clearly, “Yours is the kingdom, the satisfaction, the great reward.”
Yes right from the start, Jesus is revealing the unexpected!
And he has more for them. Jesus continues in vs. 27.
READ 6:27-36 – “Loving Enemies”
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
This portion of the teaching? Its unexpected – even extreme – nature can’t really be overstated.
First let’s remember context.
[CG: cartoon picture: “…Certainly he doesn’t mean the Romans. ‘I hope not.’”]
These people are hearing these words in light of living with their Roman “enemies” in their backyard, enemies the Zealots are saying they ought to fight against and kill! And here Jesus is saying, “Love your enemies… pray for them….”
And though most didn’t have the Zealot’s Messianic-warrior mindset, the Pharisees - and even the marginalized ones like the poor, hungry, and destitute - wouldn’t be looking at the Roman oppressors as people to “do good to.” Tolerate maybe, but “do good to them?” No way!
So context tells us that this is an unexpected teaching / expectation.
So too are the images Jesus uses:
· Striking the cheek was the most grievous insult in ANE culture so to say offer the other one as well was just silly! Strike back!
· Your coat? Jesus’ reference probably refers to lending your outer coat and then go one step further and offer your inner coat too. Oh by the way… the poor? They probably only had the inner coat to offer. In other words, as one scholar says, “Jesus refers…to absolute nonresistance on one’s own behalf.”
· Your money and possessions? Lend without expecting anything in return – not even interest. If it’s taken from you? Don’t even ask for it back. In other words, just give!
The point? This call to love enemies wasn’t just the “big” enemy Rome, but included those types of personal encounters as well.
Finally, this command was LITERALLY unheard of: NO ONE commanded love of one’s enemies.
Loving your neighbor? Yes that’s absolutely acceptable and understandable – even sinners love sinners, do good to / give to each other. The Old Testament was clear about that. But no one, not even God in the OT, commanded love for enemies!
Did you catch that? No one commanded love of enemies… no one until NOW!
Unexpected? Oh yeah! More than that: RADICAL!
And Jesus isn’t done yet. Look at the next section of teaching, and let’s start where we left off in vs. 36 BECAUSE I think vs. 36 is a transition verse that summarizes the former portion and introduces the next teaching.
READ 6:36-42 – “Mercy over Judgment”
36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge (Z: giving one’s opinion on a private matter), and you will not be judged. Do not condemn (Z: pass sentence), and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39 He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
One of the most beautiful pictures for this passage I can think of is an early scene in the story Les Miserables where the priest, Bishop Myriel has mercy on the main character, Jean Valjean.
SHOW Les Mis Video Clip
Do you know the scene? Here it is: Jean Valjean just released from years in slave labor has stolen from this kind priest who took him in for the night. He is caught by the police and brought back to the priest, who not only tells the police he gave the stolen silver to Jean Valjean, but gives him even more silver as he hands Jean Valjean the prized silver candlesticks.
This is mercy. This is the opposite of making judgment and speaking condemnation. This is forgiveness before it is even asked for. This is true giving – to give to one who has already taken!
And all of these are Jesus’ unexpected expectations for His followers. You can imagine how ones like the pious Pharisees might have reacted to the idea of such mercy and forgiveness instead of judgment.
Now at this point, Jesus shifts gears a bit in his teaching, but his words are no less unexpected.
READ Luke 6:43-49 – “Practices from the Heart”
43 “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”
Again, context matters here. The Jews lived with a sense of hopelessness at being able to keep up with all of the rules laid out for them by the interpretation of the Jewish leaders. And so hearing Jesus’ words at first probably came across as simply more things they needed to do. Unexpected. Different. But still a religious to-do list.
So Jesus teaches the unexpected again: these “actions” – this fruit of discipled-living: giving, forgiving, offering mercy, loving even enemies, living blessed lives – overflow from the heart of one who follows Jesus.
Those hearing Jesus’ words here don’t have to feel hopeless thinking they can never measure up; RATHER they act in the way of obedience to Jesus’ teachings out of a heart that has been changed by God – a heart connected in relationship with God. And with that obedience, they make for themselves a sure foundation for living.
Jesus calls His followers to live in unexpected ways.
He expects the unexpected to overflow from their hearts. Disciples then… disciples now. So that means you and me!
YOU:
I am struck by the relevance of this passage and its teachings to our culture today - as unexpected and surprising as Jesus’ teachings would have been in His day, so too today. You can see it, can’t you?
The blessings and woes; choosing mercy over judgment, to give?
I read what Jesus is saying here our recent phrase we have been using here in relation to our choice food pantry rings in my ears:
“No one should go hungry in a world of plenty.”
So on a personal level: Are we withholding our generosity because of our judgment OR condemnation that says, “They just need to get a job” OR “I wonder what poor choice they made to land themselves in such dire straits?” So we refuse to help.
But I believe these words should inform AND impact our views on national and global related problems, like poverty, hunger, and even immigration as well.
Do we realize that regardless of our political positions, passages like Luke 6 as a core teaching of Jesus MUST inform our perspectives and our actions? The church’s role is not optional as Jesus calls us to give and to give generously, to choose mercy and refrain from condemnation.
The relevance continues: we read “love your enemies” and we have to ask:
· What does this teaching say about how to react when a person slanders you and turns your friends against you?
· How does it speak to you about whether or not you should sue your co-worker who stole from you and your small business?
More broadly I think this teaching should impact us in other ways:
· Should a follower of Jesus CALLED to love enemies be feeding their mind and heart the tenets / principles of retaliation and violence through such media forms as violent video gaming, violent movies, OR entertainment like popular shows such as Revenge where such principles are inherent even in the title of the show?
· I think we need to ask “What does ‘loving our enemies’ have to say about our views and votes related to war and gun control?”
Once again, regardless of one’s political affiliation or viewpoint, a follower of Jesus MUST consider how His words about loving enemies and choosing NOT to retaliate inform our perspectives and actions.
Both sides of the spectrum and everything in between. And it continues even with Jesus’ challenging words about practices that bear fruit from the heart.
Having our hearts transformed so we can embody the teachings of Jesus in our “Christian” lifestyle asks us to do what we struggle as humans so greatly today: surrender and trust!
These aren’t a given in the human psyche. We like power and control, not submission and obedience another authority. Yet surrender and trust is exactly what it takes to overflow with the fruit of practicing these unexpected teachings of Jesus.
Yes these teachings are incredibly relevant to us today and Jesus calls us to practice them with urgency for the sake of the world he loves! The suffering on earth is too great for us to miss the OPPORTUNITY to be part of bringing God’s healing and wholeness.
WE:
There must be a better way forward. And thankfully, my friends, there is! These unexpected ways taught by Jesus are THE way forward to a world free of pain, suffering, violence, marginalization, poverty, and the like. Can you imagine it with me?
The IMPACT of living the unexpected, better way of Jesus, where out of the overflow of our hearts transformed and empowered by Jesus, WE – His followers - demonstrate that it truly is…:
[CG: bottom third slide please, one line at a time as I read them slowly. Thanks.]
…better to give than to receive
…better to forgive and understand than to condemn
and judge
…better to give and trust than to hoard and control
…better to suffer violence than to inflict violence
…better to serve to be served
…better to seek and rescue what is lost or threatened than pride oneself as being safe and secure and superior
…better to save than to condemn
…better to love than anything else.
(Brian McLaren)
Unexpected teaching in Jesus’ day. Unexpected still in our day. Better in every day!
Jesus calls His followers to live in unexpected ways.
To… corporate confession and communion
CORPORATE CONFESSION:
Leader: Jesus you have called us to live in unexpected ways that stand against our selfishness and the messages of the world we live in.
People: So together we come humbly asking for your grace.
Leader: Forgive us for withholding generosity instead of giving liberally.
People: Lord have mercy on us.
Leader: Forgive us for judging and condemning instead of pursuing understanding and offering forgiveness.
People: Lord have mercy on us.
Leader: Forgive us for enacting revenge and inflicting violence instead of suffering violence and extending grace.
People: Lord have mercy on us.
Leader: Forgive us for choosing to be served rather than serve, choosing to remain safe rather than seek and rescue the lost and broken.
People: Lord have mercy on us.
Leader: Forgive us for lacking in love more than anything else.
People: Lord have mercy on us.
Leader then invites the congregation to a moment of silent reflection, followed by an assurance of pardon that leads into the celebration of communion.