SERMON, EPIPHANY 6C, LUKE 6:17-26

Luke is a beautiful subversive. You've heard me mention this before. Everything from the Magnificat, to the shepherds to John and on and on, Luke's gospel is filled with images of upheaval, reversal and inclusion. These are all subversive thoughts because they go against how we think things should be done. We want stability. We want order. We want defined places. Luke tells us otherwise.

But this upheaval, reversal and inclusion isn't a political revolution or, in the case of Luke's original audience, an end to the imperial order. Instead, it's a statement of fact about God's kingdom. Luke is pointing out, again, that God uses the least of the least to proclaim the kingdom, and that that kingdom is already here. Remember, we are living in the last days. We are living in the kingdom. And what does God's kingdom look like?

It looks like a place where we are united with each other, where the outcast are welcome, where enemies are friends and where love reigns supreme. We have it within us to make that happen, because we are members of the kingdom of God and God is with us.

Over in Chapter 17, Jesus is met by the Pharisees and asked about the kingdom of God and when it would come. Jesus tells them that it won't come with things that can be seen. Instead, Jesus tells them that "the kingdom of God is among you." The word "among" can also be translated as "within." Jesus is telling us that the kingdom of God is within us, and it is here right now.

How does all of this apply to today's gospel of the sermon on the level place? For starters, this is one of those passages that specifically talks about upheaval, reversal and inclusion. I was in Bozeman last Wednesday for a town meeting with the Bishop in which he addressed the issues facing the church. One of the things he said went something like this: "Each of us is pretty sure that Jesus died for my sins, but we oftentimes aren't to sure if Jesus died for the sins of that person over there . . . or the person we don't much care for." Jesus died for the the sins of the whole world. That's pretty inclusive. And you see this when Luke writes that people from all Judea, Jerusalem and Tyre and Sidon were there; and that Jesus healed them ALL.

After this introduction, Jesus begins the so-called sermon. "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." Boy, doesn't this fly in the face of the prosperity gospel that is so popular today? If you've forgotten, that's the message that basically says, "You'll know if God loves you or if you are saved because God will bless you with riches." God is with everybody, but the poor need to be reminded that they are part of God's kingdom, that they haven't been abandoned.

And it goes on from there. "Blessed are you who are hungry. Blessed are you who weep. Woe to you who are full. Woe to you who are laughing."

It's important to recognize that these blessings and woes are not contingencies. You aren't being asked to sell all your possessions and become poor so that you may enter the kingdom of God. Nor are you being punished for being wealthy, full or laughing. In keeping with Luke's theme of upheaval and leveling, though, those who are low will be brought up and those who are well-off will be brought down.

Let me say this again: these blessings and woes are not contingencies. They are a statement of fact of what the kingdom of God looks like. If the kingdom of God is here right now, if the kingdom of God is among us, if the kingdom of God is within us, then this is what it looks like.

It looks like those who are rich spread their wealth to help the poor know they haven't been abandoned. It looks like those who have plenty to eat distribute food to the hungry so that everyone eats. It looks like those in good spirits lend a shoulder to those who weep so that we all can laugh eventually.

Presiding Bishop Katharine recently got in trouble with some ultra-conservatives (again) for working at making the Millennium Development Goals a greater part of the mission of the Episcopal Church. Apparently some think that feeding, clothing, healing, etc. is some sort of new, innovative interpretation of the gospel because it doesn't overtly ask if people have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior. But doing those things is exactly what Jesus asked us to do, and it is completely orthodox.

We do these things because the kingdom of God is within us and it is our job to see that everyone is included. When we give up some of our food for others, the hungry will be fed and the full may be a little hungry. When we give up some of our wealth, we might be a little poorer but more will survive. When we share our joy, others might laugh and we might weep.

Luke's message of upheaval, reversal and inclusion isn't about some future event when God will smite the well-off and establish a new world order. God's kingdom is here right now, among us, and within us; and this portion of the sermon simply states what things will look like if we actually live like that is the case.