[CatherineTorpey]

A reminder that Bible in the Middle will NOT meet this Sunday.

Our Rev. Darrell Hamilton will be preaching on “They Call Me, Mr. Tibbs!”: A Gospel According to Sir Sidney Poitier.

His text is Luke 6:27-38

Below, I’ve pasted Luke 6:12-38 as translated by David Bentley Hart. You’ll recognize this as the text from last week, because last week’s reading was Luke 6:17-21.

What I wrote last week never uploaded properly, so I’ll repeat what I mentioned then, which is that these sayings of Jesus “Blessed are those who…” are called the “Beatitudes,” because the Latin translation renders them “Beati qui….” This sermon by Jesus is called the “Sermon on the Plain,” because Luke makes it clear that Jesus was in a flat, low place. It is quite reminiscent of the “Sermon on the Mount,” which is found in Matthew. It might have been the same occasion, which Matthew places on a mount, or it might have been a different occasion where Jesus repeated many of the things he’d said at other times.

In this translation, Hart uses the word “blissful” instead of the more traditional “blessed,” because he says that the Greek word in the original document is “makarios” (Jacqui mentioned this specifically last week in her sermon) — and that that word originally had a connotation of divine or heavenly bliss.

12 Now it happened that in those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God.

13 And when day came he summoned his disciples, and chose twelve from among them whom he also named Apostles:
14 Simon (whom he also named Peter), and
Andrew his brother, and
James and
John, and
Philip and
bar-Tholomaus, 15 and
Matthew and
Thomas,
James the son of Alphaeus and
Simon—the one called Zealot—and
Judas the son of James, 16 And
Judas Iscariot, who turned traitor.

17 And descending with them he stood upon a level place, along with a large crowd of his disciples, and a great multitude of the people from all of Judaea and Jerusalem and the coastal country of Tyre and Sidon, 18 Who came to hear him and to be cured of their diseases; and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed. 19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, because power went forth from him and healed all.

20 And he, raising his eyes to his disciples, said:
“How blissful the destitute, for yours is the Kingdom of God;
21 How blissful those who are now hungry, for you shall feast;
how blissful those now weeping, for you shall laugh;
22 How blissful you when men hate you and when they exclude you and reproach you and reject your name as something wicked, for the Son of Man’s sake:
23 On that day, rejoice and leap about; for look: Your reward in Heaven is great; for their fathers accordingly did the same things to the prophets.

24“But alas for you who are rich, for you have your comfort.
Alas for you who are now replete, for you will be hungry.
25 Alas for those now laughing, for you will mourn and lament.
26 Alas for you when all men speak well of you, for in like fashion their fathers did the same things to the false prophets.

27But to you who listen I say,
Love your enemies, do well by those who hate you,
28 Bless those cursing you, pray for those reviling you.
29 To him who strikes you on the cheek turn the other also, and from him who takes your cloak do not withhold your tunic as well.
30 Give to everyone who asks and do not ask back from the one taking your things.
31 And just as you wish men should do to you, do likewise to them.
32 And if you love those who love you, what is your thanks? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 For even if you do good to those who do good to you, what is your thanks? Even sinners do the same.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what thanks have you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order that they may receive an equal return.

35 But love your enemies and do good and lend without despairing of it; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
36 Become compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. 37And do not judge, and you surely shall not be judged, and do not condemn, and you surely shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.

38 Give, and you shall be given: Into your lap they will pour a goodly measure, pressed down, shaken together, and spilling over; for in whatever measure you measure it shall in turn be meted out to you.”

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