Being Exposed By the Beatitudes

Context in Luke's Gospel

If you remember where we're at in the gospel according to Luke, we've gone through a series of events. These are all things that have happened historically that Luke has recorded in order to show Theophilus the things that have taken place concerning Jesus.

Luke has a specific purpose in telling Theophilus about what happened with Christ. He wants to give Theophilus assurance of what has happened with Christ, which gives kind of the indication that maybe Theophilus is a new believer. He has been taught certain things, but he is fresh in the faith and needs an understanding of what took place in order for him to have certainty in what he believes.

That's the same concept for us today. That's the reason why we're studying the gospel of Luke—so that we would have certainty of the things concerning Jesus: his life, his death, his burial, his resurrection, his time upon the earth for 40 days, and his ascension.

This life of Jesus is such an important concept to us because it gives eternal life to us. How can you know that you actually have eternal life in Jesus Christ? One of the ways to have that certainty is for us to study the gospel of Luke.

The Early Excitement Around Jesus

We've gone through the initial stages of Jesus's life—even when Jesus wasn't born yet, he was still in his mother's womb. We had seen all of the excitement concerning Jesus. There was this huge focus upon the person of Jesus and so much excitement about Jesus even though he hadn't been born yet.

It was excitement over what he could do, but it was also very specifically excitement over who he is and the ability to have him. That was a very important concept for the people who were waiting. So there was this excitement that was around Jesus—he hadn't even done anything yet.

Then when Jesus came upon the scene, he started doing things. He started doing all sorts of magnificent things. But there was this weird tension that existed, almost this contradiction, where Jesus was willing to do signs in Capernaum, but he was not willing to do signs in Nazareth—and he's from Nazareth.

You would think that in his own hometown that would be the place where he would do signs. Often throughout the gospels he says that there is an evil and wicked generation that is seeking after signs. That kind of a generation is not the people he's going to show signs to because that kind of a generation only cares about the sign. They don't even care about what the sign signifies.

A sign is something that points to something else. Those of you who can drive—one of the things that you have to figure out is the signs. The signs point you to places. Signs were a very important thing. In the ancient world, the signs pointed to where you're supposed to go, what you're supposed to do.

We have seen on very numerous occasions various types of miracles: a guy whose hand had been withered—something that is not fixable in the first century—Jesus miraculously fixed it to where he had a normal functioning hand. There was a leper who was cured of leprosy. There was a paralytic who was cured of his paralysis.

All of those that we've studied, in the context though, were not indicators of the fact that Jesus is going to be your miracle worker. They were indicators—they were proofs—that Jesus is going to be your Savior. Remember, this is a gospel.

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said:

Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn 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 who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

—Luke 6:20-26 (ESV)

Loving Enemies and the Golden Rule

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. And give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

—Luke 6:27-36 (ESV)

The True Indicators of Faith

Then he talks about the fact that the fathers of the Jews—or the fathers ultimately of the Jews that are going to persecute the first-century Christians—did the same things to God's prophets. This is how the true, genuine people of God have always been treated.

He says that what carries you through all of that experience is when you are in heaven and you receive your reward. That's most likely the specific reward of being fully satisfied, having your sorrow turned to laughter because of the presence of Jesus.

Eternal Perspective Over Temporary Pleasures

But really the question that we have there is: What is more valuable to you? Is what is experienced here more valuable to you than what you could experience then with Christ? Put it in an eternal perspective.

Because all of those moments—what Hebrews calls the passing pleasures of sin, those temporary experiences of sin—all of the various different sinful experiences that you can have with drunkenness, with fornication, with all of the horrific immorality that you could find on the internet, all of the vain and pointless experiences of this life—all of those temporary experiences that you will not be able to do in hell for all of eternity, by the way, nor are you going to be able to do them in heaven—because those are either sinful or insignificant compared to the glory of the enjoyment of Christ.

Think about how short your life is now in comparison to how infinitely long eternity is, and what you could be experiencing with Christ in eternity versus what you could be experiencing in hell—in significant, atrocious, inexhaustible, horrific pain.

With eternity in mind, begin to ask that question: Is what you experience in hell worth it? Those moments of temporary sinful pleasure that all of us are currently experiencing to one degree or another—are those actually worth it?

Wouldn't you rather, one year, 20 years, 20,000 years into eternity future in the heavenly kingdom of Christ, be experiencing that kind of eternal, permanent, quality enjoyment and satisfaction? Wouldn't you rather be experiencing that than any of those temporary passing pleasures—or 10, 20,000 years in hell?

You're not going to remember any of it—long gone, completely pushed out of your mind by the flame that never dies, the worm that never dies, the constant weeping. You can't even recall those memories because you have to focus on the joy in that day—leap for joy. Your reward is great in heaven.

Live among the blessed: the poor, hungry, sad, and horrifically treated by the enemies of Jesus Christ.