We have learned over the past two years just how far our droplets spread, particularly via a cough or sneeze. A friend recently said to me, now-a-days hearing someone sneeze is as terrifying as hearing a twig snap in a horror movie. It used to be that when someone sneezed, instead of repulsion, we would turn to them and say, “God bless you.” Now, I always thought that the reason we said this blessing is because during the plague any sign of illness meant a possibly fatal future. But I recently learned that to say “God bless you” after one sneezes was actually a papal edict. In 590CE Pope Gregory the Great commanded that Christians respond to a sneeze with a blessing. Not only to wish upon them God’s divine intervention but because there was concern that sneezing allowed evil spirits to enter your body and therefore a blessing from God protected you. Culturally, in part because it is a learned behaviour and in part because it is a conformity, for the most part we still tend to say “God Bless you” or at least “bless you” when someone sneezes. So in someways sneezes are blessings not curses because they are one of the few ways our secular society expresses blessings to others, even if, we are currently living in a era similar to that of the plague where a sneeze is looked upon with suspicion. Perhaps for those of us within the church the idea of blessing others is not foreign or uncommon but today we hear some versions of blessings that may make us, even churchgoers, uncomfortable-as if someone has just sneezed in our face- because these blessings may serve more as a bane than blessing to us.
Today we continue to hear some bold words by Jesus. A couple weeks ago we talked about how the people of Nazareth transformed from amazement to anger pretty quickly following some of Jesus’ words. Well, the passage that is often seen as Luke’s version of the beatitudes, would have likely had a similar affect. We continue to see this incredible juxtaposition of amazement and anger as Jesus makes his way through the countryside. We see reservations and hostility paired with acceptance and openness. There is power, real genuine, personified power behind his words and we know that not everyone appreciates his power.
Now, just before this passage Jesus has called his disciples, named his twelve apostles (which means “one’s sent out”), healed lepers, paralytics, and a man with a withered hand and now it appears that Jesus is garnering quite a following. As oppose to the mountain in Matthew’s version, our passage opens with Jesus coming down to a level place. From the very start Jesus levels the playing field. And as a result Jesus is surrounded by a great multitude of people who come from all over. I believe that this is the first time in Luke where people who are not Hebrew are coming to Jesus. Yes, people were coming from Judea and Jerusalem but the passage also says from Tyre and Sidon- towns that are on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, now in modern day Lebanese. Most of the time when these gentile towns appeared in the Old Testament it was not good. Most prophets predicted that the inhabitants of these towns would be overthrown which does come to fruition but not by Israelites but by other gentile kings. So for me, that tiny little mention of Tyre and Sidon, points to the universal appeal and breadth of Jesus and God; because it does not say that only Jesus healed the Hebrews but everyone came to be healed of their diseases and everyone who was troubled with unclean spirits were cured. All in the crowd tried to touch him because of the power that came from him. By coming down to a level place and by healing any and all who have come to be healed by him, Jesus points to the fact that he has come for the many not the few. But his words of blessing do tend to narrow this calling, and playing field, a little.
Jesus looks to his disciples and begins to express blessings. This relates to the fact that a multitude of people were coming to Jesus because people clearly perceived the saving power of God at work in and through Jesus. I wonder, where people perceive the saving power of God at work in and through Jesus today? Perhaps Jesus’ blessings help us answer that question. While they are often called Luke’s version of the beatitudes it should be pointed out that most scholars call Luke’s text more primitive than Matthew’s. In part because there are only four in comparison to Matthew’s five but also because they are very straightforward. Scholars Kendall McCabe and Marion Soards point out that in this passage, “Jesus talks of real poverty, of real hunger, of actual weeping, and of being hated and excluded. In relation to these terrible experiences Jesus speaks of the will and the work of God to overturn these situations. Poverty, hunger, sorrow and oppression are contrary to God’s purposes and Jesus’ promise is that these realities will not prevail.” Perhaps this is where we need to perceive the saving power of God at work in and through Jesus today. Where does the work of God overturn situations of poverty, hunger, sadness and hatred? It is my hope that the church can be one of those places- but historically that has not always been the case. Even though blessings, and blessing others is not a foreign idea for us, how often do we reserve that blessing or does it just come out as a learned behaviour?
Luke’s version of the beatitudes also differs from Matthew’s because on the heels of his blessings come words of woe. These are clear warnings to the rich, the full, those who laugh and those of whom others speak well. Basically these are warnings to people who have privilege. So what does that mean for us? Theologian Sarah Heinrich points out the danger a preacher might have in talking about these blessings and woes. The danger is that we might imply that it is better to be poor, hungry, sad or hated rather than rich, well-fed, joyful and loved. She asks, “Does God only love us when we are miserable?” In relation to other stories of Jesus, particularly in Luke, where he befriends the rich, like Zacchaeus, I think these woes and perhaps blessings relate to our loyalties more than our actual status. Where do our loyalties lie? Do they lie with wealth or food or pleasure or ego? Or do they lie with the Lord? Perhaps these blessings and woes are a call to faithfulness toward God. While this may sound like I am trying to soften these woes, the truth is, either way they should make us very uncomfortable. We are a people of privilege. We are a people of comfort. And the truth is, yes we need to pay attention to these blessings and woes and figure out where we lie, or where our loyalties lie, but that these words are supposed to bring hope to those who are suffering. To say to them God sees you, loves you, and is intent on helping you thrive. The woes are meant to be a call to attention for those of us in places of privilege to be attentive and generous to our neighbours- to be the embodiment of God who sees them, loves them and is intent on helping others thrive. We are to bless others. It is not an easy task- I know. Next week Jesus’ words will push the boundaries of our comfort levels even more as he talks of love, mercy and forgiveness towards not only friends but enemies.
News flash: blessing others is not merely a wish for well being after one sneezes. It is about being present to the needs of others- or perhaps recognizing when we are in need. Where there are gaps -be it economic gaps, educational gaps, health gaps, equality gaps, we are meant to overturn them so that the saving power of God can be at work in and through Jesus and can be recognized today. And drawing back on the fact that Jesus came down to a level place, to be within this multitude of people, some of whom were people who didn’t even celebrate his religion or customs means we should not withhold blessings either. Jesus did not withhold healing, therefore we too should not restrict our blessings. Rather the best way to show our faithfulness, our loyalty, is to bless all- whether they sneeze or not. Amen