Listen

“But how terrible for you who are rich, because you have already received your comfort.

How terrible for you who have plenty now, because you will be hungry.

How terrible for you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep.

How terrible for you when all speak well of you. Their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets.”

Luke 6:24-26

Think

It’s hard to hear these words from Jesus: It’s terrible if you are rich! It’s terrible if you have plenty to eat! It’s terrible if you’re laughing, and it’s terrible if people say good things about you! Yikes! This feels kind of prickly, Jesus. You don’t mean ME, do you??

Luke is very concerned with outcomes. The gospel of Matthew, for example, is very concerned about people’s righteousness, or spirituality. Luke, however, is concerned with how that spirituality is playing out. Are you rich while other people are poor? Is your belly full while others are starving? Are we comfortable while others struggle for freedom? Are we so complacent that we don’t even recognize the systems that are oppressing people and causing poverty? It’s hard to not allow this to prick my heart (I mean, I am writing this from my nice laptop in my nice warm house as my spouse unloads groceries from the car).

So, how do we grapple with being a Christian with “plenty”? What do you think?

Erin Spengeman Hutchison

Pray

God, we have enough. More than enough.

Help me to share, give, and learn so that I can advocate for others and journey with my family, my church, and my community on your path.

Amen.

Go

As you go today, choose the loving path of God, remembering that God will guide you.