From The Lectionary

In the readings at church today, Jesus, in Luke's Gospel, turns the world upside down speaking the glorious words of the Beatitudes:

Then he looked up at 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 will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors 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 will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.

‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. Luke 6:20-26

My friends, that's how Jesus describes life in the Kingdom of God. Can't you see why there were those who wanted to kill him? His words are the very opposite of what we, in our worldly ways, think of as success in life.


The Old Testament reading today, from Jeremiah, speaks to us of hearts. In my previous post, I joked about hearts at the very end:

Of course I could be wrong, because I tend to lead with my heart, then follow with my mind. Some folks seem to have no hearts. I can't think what keeps them alive.

Perhaps those final words had been better left unsaid, because some folks took them seriously and personally and were offended by them. For that I am sorry.

The reading today from Jeremiah brought me up short:

The heart is devious above all else;
it is perverse—
who can understand it?
I the Lord test the mind
and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their doings. Jeremiah 17:9-10

Plainly, judging hearts is best left to God.