Luke 6-12-26

We'll be in Luke 6 at page 862 of the Church Bibles.

A number of years ago, I read a really moving account of a couple that adopted two little

! Russian boys from an orphanage out there. And the way they tell the story, it's incredibly

moving. But they describe at the start about how their first visit, the orphanage was overcrowded

and filthy. And there was this awful smell in the air. And I guess if you were to imagine

what an orphanage would be like, those things are no real surprise. The thing that they said

though that surprised them was the silence. All of these little children, the whole place

was absolutely jam-packed and there was not a peep of noise. It was so unnatural.

The reality is if no one ever comes when you cry, why would you bother? You learn pretty

quickly that it's a waste of time. Physically and emotionally, these boys had an awful life.

The most moving part of the book, however, for me was when they told the story of how they

brought the boys home for the first time. And they went in and they cleaned them up and

dressed them in nice new clothes and brought them out. And they went to get into the car to take them

to the airport. And as the car drove away from the orphanage, the boys fell apart, started screaming,

trying to get out the door. They wanted to go back to the orphanage.

There was a whole new life available to them. There was a whole vast array of opportunities open before them.

But because it was unknown, it was too much for them. It was frightening and it terrified them and they wanted to go back.

They wanted what was familiar, even if it was awful. They wanted that rather than stepping into the unknown.

We have our own versions of the same thing.

Maybe we're in a rut and we're unhappy, but we won't step out of the rut because the rut is familiar and we know it and we know how to operate in that system.

And the thought of stepping out of it into any alternative,

well, we're fearful of the unknown.

And this can especially be the case when it comes to following the Lord Jesus.

Perhaps we have experienced the struggles that our sin brings in life.

We know that we don't have all the answers.

We know that we aren't in control of our life.

Our appetites seem to always get the better of us.

We know that we need help.

We may even believe that Jesus is God's son and that we can be reconciled to God through his death and resurrection.

Perhaps we even know intellectually that that would be the answer to many of our problems.

But we won't take the step to put our faith in him because we're scared of what that will mean for our lives.

That's what Jesus requires of us.

It is that we let go of the control that we want to have of our lives.

It's like we say we take our hands off the steering wheel of our lives and we allow him into the driver's seat so he can take it wherever it goes.

And that's too much for us.

And so we don't take the step.

And it's not just in coming into the Christian faith.

Many of us profess faith in Christ but we still kind of keep him at arm's length.

We fit him in around the rest of our lives.

We look back or hold on to our old life because it's familiar.

Sure it was destructive.

We know that it wasn't the right way to live.

We know that it didn't honor God and it was rebellious in the world that he has created.

But our old life is familiar.

We knew how to operate back there.

And we aren't sure if we give ourselves fully to Christ.

If we surrender every single corner of our lives to him.

Well will that actually do us any good?

The truth is we're afraid to be truly Christian.

So what do we need in these situations?

What do we need when that is the case?

What do those newly adopted boys need when fear took hold in their hearts?

They needed to know that they were being given a new life.

They needed to know that they were in the hands of parents who would protect them.

And they needed to know that those parents would care for them no matter what lay ahead in their lives.

And that is what is happening in our section of Luke 6 this evening.

For two weeks if you've been here on these Sunday evenings we've seen the reluctance of the religious establishment of the day to accept that Jesus is God's King who is bringing in his kingdom.

The old religious order, old Israel has rejected Jesus and the new era of joy and blessing that he has brought in.

And this evening as we come to verse 12 in Luke chapter 6 Jesus shows us what he will do about this.

Luke 6 · chapter mention

And what this new thing will mean for those who follow him.

I have come to do a new thing, you remember, new wine, old wineskins, all that kind of thing.

I've come to bring the kingdom of joy and blessing.

And there's this group that keep resisting, that keep trying to trip him up, that keep trying to resist him.

And he says, well, here's what's going to happen.

And it starts first of all, point number one, with renewal.

Renewal.

He chooses his new people.

Verse 12.

Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Now these men aren't simply a dozen of Jesus' closest friends.

Nor, as verse 17 tells us, are they the only people who were following Jesus at this early stage.

No.

Out of this large crowd, men and women, who had resolved that they are going to follow Jesus,

he chooses these 12 to be apostles.

Apostle means sent one.

That is, one who has been sent with the authority to speak and act for someone else.

Like an ambassador.

The authority to speak and act on behalf of their country.

That kind of thing.

But the fact that there are 12 is key to what Jesus is doing here.

Some people have pointed out that there are differences in the list of names across the gospel writers.

But that is because the number is more important than the names.

By ordaining 12, Jesus is making a really emphatic statement that he is establishing a new people of God.

In fact, the emphasis that Luke puts on Jesus' prayer, that is his wholehearted dependence on the Father before he makes this choice,

makes clear that this is God's work.

It is God establishing a new Israel.

So just as the old Israel was founded on 12 sons of Jacob, 12 tribes,

here the new Israel, the new people of God in Christ, will be founded on these 12 apostles.

There is, of course, continuity between old and new.

And the New Testament church is often referred to in the language of Old Testament Israel.

Think of the 12 tribes of Israel.

He uses that language in Luke 22.

Peter talks about a holy nation and a royal priesthood.

Those are Old Testament categories.

But there is also discontinuity with the broken, stiff-necked old Israel.

And these men will be the founders of the new people of God.

This is a foundational moment.

The last words we heard last time, if you look at verse 11,

they were the Pharisees plotting to get rid of Jesus.

And these men are going to carry on his mission after his death.

The church in every generation stands on the shoulders of these men.

Every gospel-preaching church in the world is built on this foundation.

The International Presbyterian Church, you and me here this evening,

we are here because Christ chose this group and built his church on their ministry.

So it's really important.

We're reading the Gospels and we see the opposition of the old Israel.

We recognize that that does not bring about the end of God's plan.

Jesus here is bringing renewal.

So he calls forth a new Israel, the church that will triumph in history

as the gospel spreads to every corner of the earth.

But, as we said at the start,

leaving the rotten orphanage for the promise of a new life

was distressing for those boys.

And being called to the new life that these men have been given here

would have been equally unsettling.

I can imagine that as Jesus called them to him,

as he called them together and he said,

you're going to be my apostles,

that there was more than a little bit of uncertainty.

Is he sure he's picked the right people?

I imagine that there was fear.

I imagine as they looked into the future with all of the unknown

that was ahead of them, that they were fearful.

So what do they need?

Well, first of all, they need to be reminded exactly who it is

that is calling them.

That's our second point.

If he starts with renewal, he then moves to reminder.

Reminder, he shows his power.

So in verses 12 to 16, we see again the humanity of Jesus.

He's laboring in prayer with his father.

He's choosing the 12.

But in 17 to 19, we see the compassion and power of the great king

as he moves among the people.

Verse 18,

And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.

And all the crowd sought to touch him,

for power came out of him and healed them all.

Since the start of chapter 5, this is a familiar picture.

We've consistently seen Jesus demonstrate his power and authority.

From the beginning of chapter 5, there was calling, cleansing, healing,

forgiving, providing, healing.

The Son of Man is unmistakably in the midst of these people.

But he has just called and commissioned this group of 12 men

to be the foundation of the new people of God.

And so what he's doing here is he moves among the vast crowds,

continuing to show compassion and to heal the broken and the sick.

He gives them a tangible reminder,

a very tangible reminder of who it is that has called them to be apostles.

The one who has chosen them is the one with the power to push back the powers of darkness.

The one who has chosen them has all authority in heaven and on earth,

and he can be trusted.

He's calling them to do something radical,

and he's giving them a demonstration of his power

so that they can know that he will be with them.

Again, I think this is very important,

because we feel the weakness of the church in our day.

We can easily ask the question,

is God's plan really on track?

He has promised that he will disciple the nations,

that the gospel will advance,

that the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

Well, we're not really seeing that.

Is his plan really on track

when we live in a nation

that treats the weakest in society the way we do?

Is he really building his church

where the state church embraces all kinds of things

that are contrary to his word?

Well, if we belong to the people of God through faith in Christ,

we belong to the one who has all power and authority,

and he can be trusted.

There are circumstances in our lives

where I think we wonder whether the Lord knows

or whether the Lord cares about what is happening to us.

And if you were to push us

and we were to be dead honest,

we would say,

I don't really think I can trust the Lord with this situation.

The reason that I know that's the case

is because we so often take matters into our own hands.

When things are difficult,

when opposition comes our way,

when we don't get what we want in life,

so often we try and manipulate the situation

so that we do.

And what does that say except that we don't trust the Lord?

When our mental health is deteriorating,

when our bodies are breaking,

when our lives are in turmoil,

and we wonder,

is this maybe a bit beyond him?

Now, of course, if we were asked that question,

we would say,

no, of course, God is almighty.

He's sovereign.

But in our heart of hearts,

we wonder,

is our situation beyond him

or has he forgotten us?

Well, look again.

Verse 18,

those who were troubled with unclean spirits,

those who were emotionally tormented,

all the crowd,

power came out from him,

healed them all.

Do you need this reminder this evening?

You know, don't you,

that the Jesus of the Gospels

is the same Jesus

who is exalted to the Father's right hand in heaven,

and he is the same Jesus

who is present with us here

by his Holy Spirit.

This Jesus is building his church.

He has compassion on his people.

He has the power to change your life.

So whatever is going on,

here's the reminder

that you need to trust him.

You can trust him.

So Christ is making all things new

through his church,

and he is the son of man

who has the power to carry out this plan.

But Jesus doesn't stop there.

He doesn't just remind his apostles of his power.

He also offers reassurance

for the life that they have chosen.

That's our third point,

and that's the main thrust

of what we're looking at.

He starts with renewal.

He moves to reminder.

And then thirdly,

we have reassurance.

He makes his promise.

Luke's Beatitudes here,

when we come to verse 20,

they seem to be more specific

to the immediate context than Matthew.

So Matthew says,

blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

It's a general truth,

but these statements here

are addressed to this group

that are standing right in front of Jesus.

So verse 20,

blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

These men and women

have left everything to follow Jesus.

We saw in chapter 5

how some of these apostles

literally walked away

from their family fishing business

to follow Jesus in faith.

And what he does here

is assure them

that they've made the right call.

You don't think that there were times

when the radical nature

of the call on their lives

that Jesus gives,

there weren't times

when they went,

you know,

the fishing business

was pretty tidy.

It's a fair bit easier than this.

We knew what we were doing back there.

Jesus says,

you are poor

because you have left

everything to follow me.

And I want to reassure you

that you possess

the kingdom of God

as a result.

He'll move to reassurance

about the future

with his next breath,

but he starts with the fact

that even in the midst

of their struggles,

they are full citizens

of the kingdom of God.

Again,

do you need to hear that this evening?

The sacrifices

that you have made

to follow Jesus,

whatever they have cost you

in material terms

are worth it

because you have gained

the kingdom of God

which is beyond price.

Some people preach this

as an exhortation

to material poverty.

Only the poor receive the kingdom,

but it's actually a reassurance

that the cost

of following Jesus

is worth it.

It's worth it.

He calls us to take up

our cross and follow him.

He calls us, yes,

to give up everything,

to lay all that we have

at his feet.

All that I have is yours,

Lord Jesus.

My time,

my money,

my family,

my life,

my health,

everything.

It is yours.

Do with it what you will.

And whatever that costs us

in material terms,

he says here,

you can gladly let it go

because you have been given

one thing that ultimately matters

and that is the kingdom of God

and you cannot lose that

and it is worth

far more than anything

that you can have here.

It is a great reassurance.

And it is a great reassurance

that actually liberates us

to sit loose

to whatever we have

in material terms,

to live with open hands

and to be generous.

We're going to get to more

of that next week,

Lord willing.

Here's the thing.

Life is gained

in God's kingdom

by giving it away.

Blessed are you

who are poor

for yours is the kingdom of God.

But this reassurance

isn't just in the present.

It reaches forward as well.

Look at verse 21.

Blessed are you

who are hungry now

for you shall be satisfied.

Blessed are you

who weep now

for you shall laugh.

Blessed are you

when people hate you

and when they exclude you

and revile you

and spurn your name as evil

on account of the Son of Man.

You're hungry now

because you've considered

following me

to be of greater value

and worth

than your basic needs.

You're weeping now

because you have heeded

the call to follow me

and life as a follower

of Jesus is cross-shaped

so it inevitably

is marked by hardship

and grief.

You are hated,

you are rejected,

you are repulsive

to some people

and your good name

is maligned

all because you have chosen

to leave everything

to follow me

and I want to reassure you

that you are not just

blessed now

because of this.

It's not just

that you're a citizen

of the kingdom of God

but a day is coming

when your hunger

will turn to satisfaction.

A day is coming

when your tears

will become tears

of laughter

and all the hatred

that people have directed

at you

will give way

to vindication

and you will rejoice.

Do you hear this?

Are you hungry

because you lost everything

when you came to Christ?

I know that's true

for some of us.

Are things tight for you

because obedience to Christ

caused you to lose your job?

Do you have little

available to you

because you've chosen

to be so generous

to others

for the sake

of the gospel?

God sees it

and a day is coming

when you will be satisfied.

Weeping

verse 21

weeping over our sin

weeping over the sins

of our nation

weeping for the unborn

and the trafficked

weeping over the lost

weeping over those

members of our family

who face nothing

but a lost eternity

weeping because of disease

in our world

and divorce

and death

and all of these

awful things

there have been times

in my life

when I've wondered

if I would ever laugh again.

God sees it all

and a day is coming

when all of that sorrow

will turn to joy.

One author has said

the people

who laugh loudest

and longest

will be the ones

who suffered most

for their faith.

Eternity

will be full

of the laughter

and joy

of Christian martyrs.

Opposition

22

when people hate you

and when they exclude you

and revile you

and spurn your name

as evil

on account of the Son of Man.

When you are maligned

for your Christian faith

you took a stand

because God's word

required you

to take a stand

and

it destroyed your reputation.

It torpedoed you

professionally.

However personal

however nasty

however destructive

that gets

Jesus says

rejoice.

Really rejoice

actually

verse 23

leap for joy

kind of rejoicing.

You have to be a very strange person

to act like this.

People turning on you

people sullying your name

people telling the world

through social media

that you aren't just annoying

but you're actually wicked.

Who rejoices at that?

We were all told

from childhood

sticks and stones

may break my bones

but names will never hurt me.

That's nonsense

and we all know that.

We all remember

things that people

have said to us

many years ago

that have stayed with us.

I certainly feel that way.

I can't remember

there's loads of

punches on the nose

I don't remember at all.

That's why it's so big.

But it's true isn't it?

Sticks and stones

could break our bones

but names

particularly when it's lies

particularly when we've done

the right thing

devastates us.

So how do you rejoice?

Well you're either

a sociopath

where you know

that God sees it all

and he is keeping score.

and one day

it will end

and you will receive

a heavenly reward

that you couldn't ever

imagine

when you were going

through it all.

When you were going

through it all.

After all

if you're reviled

for following Jesus

for being obedient

to his word

you're on the right track

because as it was

for him

so it is

for his followers

and all of that

opposition

is on the clock

and one day

it will all cease.

So

we're reassured

we're reassured

in the present

we're reassured

about the future

but we're also reassured

about those who have not

made the sacrifices

that we've made.

This often plays out

again if we're honest

this plays out

in our minds.

I can get it

that the future

is going to be great

but

is it possible

that it could be great

now

as well as in the future?

Is it possible

to have the good life

now

and the good life

then?

Well Jesus is clear

verse 24

but woe to you

who are rich

for you have received

your consolation.

Woe to you

who are full now

for you shall be hungry.

Woe to you

who laugh now

for you shall mourn

and weep.

Woe to you

when all people

speak well of you

for so their fathers

did to the false prophets.

The sense of the word

woe here

is like

alas

or

how awful

how awful

to you

who are full now.

Jesus is pointing here

to those

who have chosen

present comfort

and prosperity

who have chosen

the good life

according

to this world

over the kingdom

of God.

And it's a reassurance

to the disciples

because as they

look at those

who haven't chosen

to follow Christ

but whose lives

seem much better

than theirs

they don't go hungry.

They don't weep

over the brokenness

of the world

because they never

have to experience

any of it.

And they're always laughing

and they're always

having people

tell them

how great they are.

And we hear that.

We hear that description

and we think

oh that would be nice.

But Jesus says

no

actually

it would be tragic.

And reassuring

these disciples

there is a warning

for those

who think

that that is

the right path

for life.

he says

how awful

it would be

to live that way

because it is

the worst trade

that you can possibly make

because it is so

short sighted.

The fleeting pleasures

that this life offers

even in their most

extravagant forms

are precisely that.

They're fleeting.

So

you better enjoy

whatever it is now

because the pleasure

in the moment

is all there is.

But know

that the hunger

and the weeping

they are coming.

That's what Jesus says.

Not only that

I think worst of all

the sense of profound

regret over rejecting

Jesus' offer of life

in him

the life that is

truly life

that will haunt you

for eternity

which is a very long time.

How awful indeed.

I suppose the obvious

thing to say is

so don't go there.

Don't go there.

Choose Christ instead.

Put your faith

in Christ.

Give your life

up to him

and you will receive

the kingdom

and you will receive

the blessing of new life

that changes

your present experience

because it reassures you

about a glorious future.

It changes your

present experience

because it assures you

of a glorious future.

Well in their fear

and uncertainty

those little boys

needed to know

that they had a new life

that they were in safe hands

and that their future

was secure

and Jesus shows us here

that it is the same for us.

If you've put your faith in him

he has called you

into his new people.

We have received the kingdom.

We are citizens

of God's kingdom

now.

and he has the power

to care for us

and we can live with joy

in the midst

of all of the trials

because our future

is secure

and that future

will be

unimaginably wonderful.

Let's pray.