Duality in Ministry

 FOR THE Sixth Sunday in Epiphany, we read a story passed along to the early Church by two communities of faith. While each had their own view, the teaching of this particular witness has special import for those who are downhearted...

 

 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all.
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
 “But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation.
 “Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. “Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
                                                                (Luke 6:17–26)

 

 

The geographic location of this passage and that of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew (Chapters 5–7) are seemingly not the same. However, because one sermon focused singularly behind the two witnesses, both writings which are often described as the "Beatitudes" began with blessings and ended with a parable.

 Many biblical authorities thereby argue, that the “level place” here in Luke was also on the “mountainside” mentioned in Matthew. These opinion that if it were a plain, such as Jesus often used for his teaching near the sea, different descriptive words would probably have been used. In opposition to this, I hold that the sermon was very likely delivered by Jesus in several places… at least once on the mountain and again on the plain. The differences between the two that we receive today in scripture therefore lay on the emphasis placed in each telling by the writers.

 In this sermon, for example, Jesus’ teachings kept a balance between two extreme viewpoints… one is strong and legalistic; while the other is softly commonplace. This more pronounced duality is probably attributable to the author. Likely being a physician, Luke clearly distinguished between those possessed mentally and spiritually by demons… and those whose illness was physical. Luke’s account of the blessings first appear to us as physical negatives… afterward being of the spiritually “blessed” refers to the distinctive religious joy received by a person because of the provided share in the salvation of the Kingdom of God”.

 

  The poor thus described those who were utterly dependent on God.  Take note that the assurance given in the present tense at the time, uplifted those poor who believed. The earthly poor rejoiced at the Good News even amid their destitution and persecution, because they were already able to access some of the rewards. Each of the woeful categories, which included hunger, weeping, mourning, existed in reality without a sense of the spiritual. They each contrasted quickly, however, with the spiritual joy forecast in fulfillment of the gospel. The idea of laughter, for example, was thus highlighted greatly in persecution. Those who shared the rejection of Jesus as the “Son of Man” actually were invited to relive the experience promised by the prophets. Vindication, recognition and blessings from the Lord resulted.

 The woes in both structure and content thus form a dialectic contrast. Woe comes to the “rich” not because they were wealthy, but because they chose present gratification over future blessing. Consequently, “when all men speak well of you”, all persons should carefully note, lest we distort the basic concepts of honor and praise. False prophets still plague God’s people.

 Thus we echo the blessings upon the Church. "May the Peace of God that surpasses all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ our Lord."

 

 

 

 

 

Did You Hear Someone?

FOR THE Fifth Sunday in Epiphany, we hear about Jesus speaking to a group of people from a boat moored near the shore. The event contains a description of the calling of some of his disciples. We read…

While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had ceased speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a great shoal of fish; and as their nets were breaking, they beckoned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; henceforth you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.  (Luke 5:1-15)

 

After historically encountering and calling several disciples previously and making a Messianic announcement at his home, Jesus furthered his enlistment of apostolic leadership. Alongside the shores of Lake Gennesaret, he went fishing with those whose labors had come to nothing. In this account, having a bountiful message… the future of the Church was set.

 As was known by the writer of this gospel who fully echoed the Gospel According to Saint Mark into his witness, he told of this dramatic event. This telling was similar to Mark 1:16–20 written about a decade earlier, and also mimics Matthew 4:19–22. This text contains special interpersonal dialog. Biblical scholars have drawn varying conclusions about the relationship of the accounts. I offer to you that their focusing on exacting timeline formations, can deflect our attention from more important matters.  Rather, we should note that Luke focused on Peter, showing the total abandonment of the disciples’ possessions.

 Note that Jesus singled out Simon, to use his boat to teach from. From that boat, his voice carried across the water to the crowd. We note that his initial purpose was to teach! However, the contrast between wooing listeners and the fishermen's nets strikes us. Afterward, our Lord’s command to cast out nets seemed unreasonable, but in desperation Simon does what Jesus says.

Luke described the miraculous gathering of fish. This reads similar to Jesus uncanny ability to direct Peter to a fish with a coin in its mouth. Peter is overcome by awe. Here the gospel reads that he knelt and addressed Jesus as “Lord”. Luke shows us thereby that to receive grace a sinful person must repent. After the catch and the declaration about catching people, though not explained… the disciples followed Jesus. Luke’s revealing that the fisherman left everything was not stated in Matthew and Mark. This addition to the telling, heightened the condition laid upon discipleship as Jesus taught later. This statement leads us to reason that Luke dealt here with a wavering in discipleship during later times of persecution.

 What does this mean for we as modern people of faith? As a modern, we must personally hear the note declared in a turbulent sea of Church and state, I offer to you the lesson taught here is that the man Jesus that stood on that boat so long ago, prophetically stated that the Church would endure to the point of being overwhelmed by the world around it. However, it would not sink… but the faithful people that opens the nave of their lives to God, would go through formation, reformation and hard nights of low return on laborious evangelical investments. But, we must clearly take from this lesson that the promise given to Peter and those with him holds yet today. Remember! They were spoken by the eternal Son of God… and are yet eternal. So let out the gospel nets... let’s fish!

 

 

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