Luke 6:20-26

20 Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

Reflection: As Jesus prepares his disciples for their lives, he underlines how things in the kingdom work. Paradoxically he equates poverty, hunger and weeping with eventual blessing in God's kingdom. Usually we only equate blessing with immediate happiness, but Jesus tells us that some things we only be made right when God's kingdom comes in it fullness. Jesus is preparing the disciples for the persecution they will face for being associated with Him and His name. He is hoping that when they undergo these trials they will remember these words he taught them.

It is similar in the book of James when he says in 4:2,

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Notice the assumption is not if but when they face trials. The trials will be of many different kinds. The purpose of the trial is to test our faith. The result is that our faith is strengthened and matures through perseverance. Finally, in what almost seems like a paradox as well, James says to consider it pure joy when we face trials. Consider means to make a choice. When we go through trials we need to choose how we will react and as we persevere through them the result is pure joy. Paradox for sure but proven when we apply it to our lives in the various trials we go through from small to big. So remember if you are going through a trial that one day in God's kingdom you will be rewarded. For now you can be sure it will mature your faith until Jesus comes back.

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