The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

​Before the 1979 prayer book, you may remember that we used to call today Septuagesima. Next Sunday used to be Sexagesima. And the Sunday right before Lent was called Quinquagesima.

With the 1979 prayer book, all of that was dropped, and we carried the season after the Epiphany all the way through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.

That’s unfortunate, because it’s so easy to come right up to Ash Wednesday without having prepared for Lent. So I urge you to take some time during the next few weeks to think about what you’re going to do for Lent. What will you take on? What small sacrifices will you make?

So in the old days we called today Septuagesima. But today we might call this Sunday Beatitude Sunday. We heard many beatitudes in the scripture readings today. Jeremiah said “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.”

And the Psalm for today is one big beatitude. “Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!  Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and they meditate on his law day and night.

We’re right in the middle of our Adult Forum study of the Beatitudes of Jesus as found in Matthew, and now, lo and behold, the Gospel for today is the Beatitudes as they’re found in the Gospel according to St. Luke.

The Beatitudes in Luke are similar to those in Matthew, but not identical. In Luke, Jesus says “Blessed are you who are poor,” not poor in spirit. Likewise, in Luke, Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are hungry now,” whereas in Matthew, he says “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”  Matthew has a greater list of Beatitudes, including the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, and peacemakers. 

That there are two different sets of Beatitudes shouldn’t be a cause of concern, for they’re not in conflict with one another, and it’s likely that Jesus used the literary form of the beatitude frequently in his teaching. 

What is very different in Luke’s version is the section of woes. “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...” This part of Jesus’ beatitudes echo what we heard in Jeremiah. “Thus says the Lord: cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength.”  Or again in the Psalm for today, “It is not so with the wicked; for they are like chaff which the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.”

Why would Jesus say that being poor, or hungry, or sad, or hated is a good thing?  These things are painful, not joyful. No one desires any of them, and when we’re in any of those conditions, we don’t say to ourselves, “How blessed I am to be poor, hungry, sad, or hated.”  No, when we’re in these conditions, we desire to get out of them.

Why does our Lord equate these conditions with blessedness?  It’s because when we lack any of the basic necessities of life, we know we’re in need, that we have an emptiness within us we’re unable to fill. The same is true emotionally when we’re sad or in mourning; there’s a lack of well-being and an emotional void. Likewise, when we don’t have the goodwill of others, it’s painful and we realize we lack their friendship and fellowship.

All of these conditions are needy conditions. All of them, therefore, point out that we’re not in control. For persons of faith, they can lead us to the knowledge of our need for God. Likewise, when we have great riches, when we’re full, content, we can get the idea that we have no need for God.

A very successful businessman decided he wanted to develop his spirituality. He went to a famous spiritual teacher to learn from him. The teacher lived as a hermit high upon a mountain, and the businessman had to spend a great deal of money and effort just to travel to see the teacher.

Finally, he arrived, and the teacher graciously invited him to tea. When the tea was ready, the teacher began to pour the tea into his visitor’s cup. He filled the cup, but continued to pour. The tea flowed over the cup and into the saucer, onto the table, and then onto the floor. Yet the teacher kept pouring.

The man at last shouted, “The cup is full, and the tea is everywhere. Why are you continuing to pour?”

The teacher stopped pouring, replaced the tea pot on the stove, and sat down. He said, “You’re that cup. You’re full to overflowing. Until your cup is empty, there’s nothing I can teach you.”

Are you in need in any way? As painful as that may be, you’re blessed, for that need can lead you to rely upon God. Do you feel an emptiness in your life?  You’re blessed, for that emptiness is a place God wants to fill. It’s not automatic, however. God will not fill that void if he’s not wanted. But if he is wanted, our gracious Lord wants nothing more than to enter our lives and make them whole.

True blessedness then is ours. For no matter what the need is, no matter how painful and basic it is, it’s bearable, for our Lord is with us and carries us through every trial. May he grant you and me the grace to recognize our need and fill that emptiness with his loving presence.