Friday after the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on September 13, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 6:20-26 (NKJV)
6:20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”
Devotion
In St. Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, he includes a list of “woes.” In addition to the blessings the Lord God gives to all those who cling to Him in faith, Jesus also pronounces curses upon those who reject the blessings of the Lord God. Our Lord Jesus preaches the Law to warn those who would remain comfortably in their sins and unbelief. These woes point out who is most susceptible to rejecting the blessings of the Lord God: those who believe they have all they need and do not need anything from Him.
The rich take comfort in their possessions. They make mammon their god. One can serve either the Lord or mammon; he cannot serve both. Those who have plenty to eat often do not realize what it means to be hungry. They forget what need is, and therefore grow selfish. The Lord also warns those who laugh. Who would not rather laugh than cry? But our Lord here is pointing toward humility, for when we know our sins we are driven to sorrow and contrition. Fame is also a trap. When people continually bolster us in our sinfulness, we will never learn to repent.
Therefore, our Lord warns us to not let these things lead us away from the one true Lord. He warns us to not let these things lead us away from repentance and shame over our sins. For in doing so, we become puffed up with pride and reject the blessings that our Lord gives to all those who humble themselves before Him.
Collect: O Lord, we beseech Thee, let Thy continual pity cleanse and defend Thy Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without Thy succor, preserve it evermore by Thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
