“Hey friend, you’ve got a little something in your teeth…” This is truly one of my greatest fears when out in public, especially after eating, as my top right incisor turns inward and forms a nook that bits of spinach and spices love to dig in and stay. It had been three hours since I’d eaten, so I was mortified! How many people had noticed the stuck food but said nothing to help me? “You are truly a friend,” I replied, “Thank you so much!” I had noticed that she had been picking at her teeth earlier, perhaps to give me a clue that I should also check my teeth, but I didn’t take the hint. What she was kindly doing was checking herself before calling attention to the food in my teeth, and I was appreciative! No telling how many people had noticed my problem but either didn’t want to possibly embarrass me or were enjoying a laugh at my expense. And honestly, I get it. The last thing I want to do when I see someone with something out of place - food in their teeth, needing to blow their nose or a skirt caught in a shirttail - is to call it out. I’d honestly rather just pretend like nothing is wrong, keep on moving and hope that never happens to me.
In today’s reading from Luke, Jesus is giving instructions to His followers that are truly blowing their minds, as He seems to have a fresh take on everything! The Galileans are used to religious leaders and pious Jews calling out their weaknesses and judging them with no self-examination of their own failures and tendencies. Jesus calls this out, encouraging everyone to check themselves before helping another with the food in their teeth.
Read Luke 6:17-49
“Power was coming out of Him and healing them all.” (v 19) People were coming from everywhere to hear from and touch Jesus. His very presence was infusing hope and healing into a hopeless and hurting generation. Jesus used this opportunity, when the crowd was at its largest, to share His most well-known sermon, often referred to as The Sermon on the Mount, in which He turns everything the people and religious leaders have known to be true about God and religion on its head!
Upside Down Logic
First Jesus highlights what blessings and woes the people and religious leaders could expect moving forward. His fresh take on those who are blessed seemed contradictory at first, until He described the woes. He looked His disciples right in the eye and said that they were blessed (happy, content) if they were poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God. In fact, the kingdom of God was right there, drawn near in the person of Jesus! The poor and humble in spirit were the ones He had come to rescue, redeem and save! Continuing the “humble and lowly” theme, Jesus said that the hungry would be filled, those who are weak would laugh with joy, and those who are hated, excluded, slandered, even considered evil because of Him would be blessed, because their reward in heaven would be great! He went on to say that these blessed ones are in good company, because this was exactly how the prophets were treated! And then came the woes - on the rich, because they already had what comforts them, on the full, because they will always hunger for something that lasts, on the laughing, because under that mask they are really mourning and weeping. And lastly, on the ones who are spoken well of, respected and feared, because this was how the false prophets were viewed. Ultimately, things never turned out well for them in the end!
If the above was their reality, if it is our reality, then we are to view those who curse and mistreat us as enemies, not only ours, but God’s enemies. How are we to treat our enemies? As our heavenly Father does! “He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil…your Father also is merciful,” (vv 35-36) not giving them what they deserve. Jesus’ fresh take on enemies? Love them! Do what is good to those who hate you. Bless and pray for them; give to them generously, expecting nothing in return.
Forgive. Be Generous. Don’t Judge or Condemn
Jesus had been demonstrating that as the Son of God, He had been given authority and power to forgive sins. Through His upcoming death, burial and resurrection, Jesus would prove once and for all that He was more powerful than sin, death, hell and the grave. Therefore, because his listeners were being forgiven everything they deserved because of their sinfulness, they could freely forgive anyone who sins against them. The same was true with generosity. As the giver of all good gifts, God had given them everything to enjoy. They could afford to be generous to others.
Lastly, Jesus describes an interaction between fellow Jews, in which one was quick to see the weakness and failings of the other, while blind to his own shortcomings and need for help. Jesus says, “First, take the beam out of your own eye, then go help your brother with the splinter in his.” Knowing that we humans tend to exaggerate the faults of others while minimizing our own, Jesus was exhorting His listeners and us to allow that instinctive impulse to judge others to check that we are seeing things clearly in ourselves. If I refuse to acknowledge or even deal with my character flaws and deficiencies, I’m probably not the best one to point out others’ shortcomings.
But be assured this form of no judgement is not the same as tolerance. We are to help one another fight against the sin that so easily entangles us (Heb 12:1) but not before we check ourselves. When our character is shaped through confronting our own failures first, we are much more likely to have wisdom to gently and humbly help others see clearly, similar to my friend who gently helped me with the food in my teeth!
Roots and Foundations
Next Jesus draws his listeners’ attention to trees and houses, their roots and foundations. Trees are identified by the fruit they produce, and so are people. Our mouths speak from the overflow of our hearts. Houses built on firm foundations can withstand the storms of this life; houses built on shifting sand are sure to collapse and crumble. People do too! If we hear the gospel message and trust in the One who authored it - the firm foundation of God - then we are able to stand firm when suffering, persecution or temptation comes our way. However, if we hear Christ’s message but continue to bank on our own abilities, our position in the community, our wealth or our family - foundations that are shifty, unreliable and inclined to fail - we will also crumble and collapse when faced with hard things.
“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me against the Rock of Ages.” - CS Spurgeon
Big Picture Questions for Today:
Do you tend to quickly help others with the speck of dust in their eye, while having a plank sticking out of your own? Are you tempted to adopt a laissez-faire attitude? To just ignore loving your brothers and sisters well, so as not to judge?
Are you generous with the good gifts God has given you? Do you share those gifts with the church, to build it up?
What kind of fruit are you producing during this season of your life?
Pray that you will trust the gospel message and the One who authored it, and be able to stand firm on the foundation of Christ when suffering, persecution or temptation comes your way.
