Luke 6:20 - Blessed are you who are poor

Luke 6:20 (NRSV)

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

    for yours is the kingdom of God.

Immediately before this, Jesus has been healing this crowd he stands on a level playing field with.  A great multitude of people  and a great crowd of disciples.

To the crowd he acted.

And to the disciples now he speaks. 

And connects both.

He shows the crowd they are blessed.

He tells the disciples what that blessedness means.

No one...

NO one...

NO ONE...

Would have called the poor blessed.

But Jesus expects his disciples to see them that way.

Expects his followers to see how the poor - those who we see as having nothing - instead are emblematic of God's kingdom.

Those with nothing are instead the inheritors of everything.

And blessedness is meant to be shared. 

For Jesus hearers this wasn't just radical.

It was unheard of. It was impossible. It was against everything they thought they knew.

And I'm guessing times haven't changed so much.

Show us how to share your blessings, Lord, and see your blessedness in the face of those who would surprise us. Amen