Who is really happy?

Who is really happy?
Luke 6:17-26
A study of the kingdom of the heavens
Spring 2008

Big Idea  The gospel (good news) of the kingdom is that no one is beyond blessing or happiness, because the rule of God from the heavens is available to all. The condition of life sought for by human beings through the ages (a.k.a. “happiness”) is attained in the quietly transforming friendship of Jesus.
-Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy

Context for Jesus’ “Happy” Teaching
Societal views of happiness in Jesus’ day:
• You are blessed if you live a righteous life
• Your blessedness will be evidenced by your life circumstances
• “God helps those who help themselves.”

Context for Jesus’ “Happy” Teaching
Events leading up to Luke 6:17-26…
• Jesus was born to outcastes, lived in an outcaste area, & called outcastes to follow Him
• Resisted the devil’s works-based path to power & happiness
• Various controversial clashes with religious leaders over righteousness

Luke 6:17-26
“After coming down with them, He stood on a level place with a large crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those tormented by unclean spirits were made well. The whole crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming out from Him and healing them all. Then looking up at His disciples, He said: Blessed are you who are poor, because the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are hungry now, because you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you, insult you, and slander your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! Take note—your reward is great in heaven, because this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, because you have received your comfort. Woe to you who are full now, because you will be hungry. Woe to you Other mss omit who are laughing now, because you will mourn and weep. Woe to you Other mss omit when all people speak well of you, because this is the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets.”

What is Jesus NOT teaching?
These are NOT cause & effect or how-to become blessed statements such as…
– “The kingdom of God is yours BECAUSE you are poor. Woe to you BECAUSE you are rich.”

Jesus is NOT inaugurating some poor, hungry, whining, outcaste, downcaste, wimpy form of righteousness

What IS Jesus teaching?
“The Beatitudes are not teachings on how to be blessed. They are not instructions to do anything. They do not indicate conditions that are especially pleasing to God or good for human beings… They are explanations and illustrations, drawn from the immediate setting, of the present availability of the kingdom through personal relationship to Jesus. They single out cases that provide proof that, in him, the rule of God from the heavens truly is available in life circumstances that are beyond all human hope.”
-Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy

What IS Jesus teaching?
Even those of you who have been written off & told you are cursed by your society (poor, hungry, weeping, outcaste, etc.) are blessed if you accept the rule of God & embrace the quietly transforming friendship of Jesus…

Those who are self-reliant, self-satisfied, & self-centered are cursed…because they reject the rule of God & friendship of Jesus.