Manifestation: Teacher Jesus

This week we take on part of Luke's Sermon on the Plain (likely the same event as the one found in Matthew and more commonly called the sermon on the Mount). For this week, we focus on the Blessings and the Woes found in Luke 6:17-26, though I intentionally used a different translation of the text that doesn't use the more familiar language (I used the Common English Bible to set up the sermon this week; see the text here).

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Over the last few weeks following our celebration of Jesus’ birth, we have been focusing on the manifestation of Jesus - on Jesus being revealed to the world as the Son of God. We have had heavenly pronouncements, visitors from far off lands, miracles, and earthly proclamations. We have heard that Jesus is a powerful teacher and healer whose fame is growing as he travels the region. We have seen his prophetic claim to be the Messiah, the one foretold by scripture to come from God and turn the world around. And in between the stories that we have read in worship, Jesus can be found healing those on the margins of society or arguing with the religious leaders about the best ways to follow scripture. And on at least one occasion he does both at the same time - healing a man on the Sabbath and then arguing with religious leaders about whether or not that is appropriate.

But until today, we have not directly seen his teaching ourselves. It has been suggested in the stories we have heard, and we have been able to make some guesses based on what we have read. But it is in today’s text that we finally get to see what it is Jesus is teaching that was causing his fame to spread. And what we find is a message that is just as challenging to us today as it was to the people of his time.