God in Jesus Teaches

2.16.2025

The Beatitudes: God’s favor and God’s grief

[Sixth Sunday after Epiphany]

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Psalm 1

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

Luke 6:17-26

Holy and beloved siblings in Christ,

Peace and grace to you from God in the name of Jesus.

Blessed are we! Woe to them! This is the refrain we often encounter on social media, where self-congratulatory and judgmental messages are rampant. Perhaps it's our human nature to compete and compare. When we feel fulfilled and content, we tend to proclaim, 'We are blessed.' However, when we see others behaving contrary to our values, we don't just think 'woe to them,' but often go further by cursing them.

As people of faith, how have we been influenced by the surrounding culture and the various interpretations of the Beatitudes? Or have we, perhaps, lost sight of the core teachings from God through Jesus?

As Jesus gazed into the eyes of his disciples and imparted these profound truths about humanity in this concise teaching of blessings and woes, some probably appreciated the teaching right away, some began to wonder if they were in trouble, and some might have felt sorrowful. It wasn't by chance that Jesus chose to teach the Beatitudes to his disciples.

By this time in Luke 6, Jesus had already gained deep insights into their thoughts, concerns, and their misperceptions about poor and rich, hungry and full, sad and happy, persecuted and admired.

The Greek word for "woe" in the Bible is used to express grief, distress, sorrow, warning, or lamentation. On the contrary, the Greek word for "bless" here in Luke is used to express a gift for the wellbeing of another and a divine’s act in favor of the one being blessed.

Therefore, in the ministry of Jesus, “woe to you” conveys divine grief over those who fail to recognize the true misery of their human condition. And “blessed are you” conveys divine favor to those who are abused, oppressed, vulnerable, and marginalized. When we are favored by God, God rejoices, and so do we. When we are in woe, God grieves, and so should we.

The Beatitudes certainly are timeless teachings. They can resonate with people differently based on their background, values, and life experiences. For those less familiar with Christian teachings, the Beatitudes might spark curiosity and lead them to seek a deeper understanding of their meaning and significance.

And this journey, seeking a deeper understanding, can uncover profound insights into the human condition that they might not have previously realized. To the people of faith like you and me, it is still very powerful for us to dive in from time to time or at least once a year before entering the season of Lent. It offers us opportunities for repentance as we self-examine and re-evaluate our relationship with God and God’s people. By doing so, Lent becomes truly a lenten journey.

In our faith journey, we celebrate when we experience the Spirit of God moving around us and the light of hope is actualized and becomes tangible in our lives together, that is a blessing from God.

How about when someone is in woe and grieving? It is much harder to embrace the grieving process especially when someone acts against God’s love and compassion because it makes people uncomfortable. As a result, people suppress it, deny its existence, grieve alone, or leave their faith community. We tend to rush to end grieving by thinking that's the way it has to be because we have to move on.

Does God grieve? There are instances in the Bible where God expresses grief. One significant example is found in Genesis 6:5-6, where God is grieved by the wickedness of humanity before the flood. Another example is in Isaiah 63:9-10, where God's grief is mentioned in relation to the disobedience of the people of Israel. Did God deny or hide the faults of God’s own creation? No, God continues watching over them and being merciful to them.

God in Jesus continues experiencing grief, particularly in response to human sin and disobedience. One of the most notable instances is found in the Gospel of Luke 19:41-44, when Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. He grieves for the city's future suffering and its people's unwillingness to recognize the peace he offers. Jesus also shows his grief at the death of his friend Lazarus. The shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35, simply states, "Jesus wept." This verse demonstrates his deep compassion and empathy for those who were mourning Lazarus' death.

Before entering Lent in two weeks, I invite you to view the Beatitudes as a mirror through which we see our dual natures as sinners and saints. While celebrating the assurance of God’s favor as saints, we should take our time to grieve our fallen humanity as God grieves. The grief that should be followed is the light of Hope. No one should journey grieving alone; with God and the people of God, all lives are transformed.

There is a beautiful poem I would like to share with you:

Saints walk with grace,

Their hearts aglow,

Sinners chase shadows,

Wherever they go.

Yet in the twilight,

Both paths may blend,

For each soul seeks light,

Until the very end.

Being human is full of blessing and woe. We can't fight against being sinners - only God in Jesus can. Neither should we deny what we are as redeemed saints and nor should we sugar coat our sinful nature to the point that we forget the true purpose of repentance. May we always walk in God's favor and receive His blessings in abundance. May God's grief over the sins of humanity move us to seek forgiveness and change our ways. Indeed, blessed are we for remembering we are children of God, the little light of Christ; woe to us for forgetting we are an extension of God's love and mercy.

Amen.