| April 3, 2002 |
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| ". . . Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name ass evil, for the Son of man's sake." Luke 6:20-22 I love to go horseback riding when I have the opportunity. I love riding through the back trails in the woods and looking at all of God's wonderful creation. On occasion, I will stop to take in the awesome beauty surrounding me. When I want to stop my horse, all I need to do is gently pull back on her reigns and say "Whoa!" Maybe something does get lost in the translation, but a trained horse will stop when they hear "Whoa!" Now, I think of God's church. Do we stop and listen to Jesus' "Woes" and take them to heart? "Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation." Jesus is not condemning wealth, money, or resources. His condemnation is in the trust we often put in our riches. The rich young ruler went away sorrowfully because he "had great wealth." He cared more for his "belongings" than he cared for "belonging." "Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger." No, it is not wrong to eat. It is not even a sin to enjoy good food. But it is sinful to "live to eat" rather than "eating to live." Many are becoming gluttons. Affluence brings with it the temptation to over-indulge. Beware! "Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep." Is Jesus condemning a funny bone? It is doubtful. But He does remind us that life is serious business. We are not simply here to "eat, drink, and be merry." There must be time to mourn. One can rejoice in the Lord without childish levity. Christianity is solemn commitment. "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets." Even Jesus made enemies. When everybody thinks you are "simply marvelous" you must be doing something wrong. God did not put us on planet earth to win popularity contests. We are here to serve, love and worship. Not everybody appreciates that. Satan hates it! May I close in saying, to the rich, the stuffed, the laughing, and the ever-popular, Jesus reminds us to remember who put us here, why we are here, and where we are going. "WOE" to us if we miss it! May God bless you with a wonderful day. Love in my Savior, Sandy |