Looking at Life through a Biblical Lens by Robert C. Tannehill

Author:Robert C. Tannehill [Tannehill, Robert C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781725298514
Publisher: Resource Publications
Published: 2021-07-02T18:35:29+00:00

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 in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.” Luke 6:20–23 NRSV

Is there a beatitude for us? I ask because these beatitudes in Luke are not for us. They are for the poor, hungry, and oppressed, not for those with bank accounts, regular meals, and respectable positions in society. Luke’s beatitudes are followed by a series of woes for a contrasting group: the rich and well fed, those enjoying themselves because of their affluence. Most of us fit more easily into that group.

When church people refer to Jesus’ beatitudes, they are likely thinking of Matthew’s version. The beatitudes in Luke are less familiar. Some of Matthew’s beatitudes are similar to Luke, but Matthew says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” and “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” We may think that we can deal with these words more comfortably than with the blunt and disturbing beatitudes and woes in Luke.

I am certainly not poor, but I have had some encounters with poverty both locally and in other countries. I twice went to Bolivia with groups doing short-term building projects—building a school and houses. I learned how different our lives are from the lives of the ordinary poor. (I say “ordinary poor” to refer to the masses of people who live a subsistence life, having just enough to eat most of the time, living in meager shelters, with few chances of anything better.) During the first trip to Bolivia, our team was divided into small groups that were invited into the homes of people in the neighborhood for a meal. This experience gave me a sharp impression of the difference between our lives and the lives of those living at a subsistence level.

The small yard was enclosed by a barbed wire fence to keep wandering pigs out. There were chickens in the yard. The small house consisted of one room. It contained a bed and a kitchen. The table for eating was like a door on sawhorses. The tabletop leaned against a wall when not needed, providing a little free space in the cramped room.

The house was unfinished, and there were other unfinished buildings in the neighborhood. Mortgages are not available to people with no assets. They build until the cash runs out and then wait, hoping to collect enough money to continue.

The family in this house invited us for a meal of simple food. The main dish was made from cassava root. It looked like mashed potatoes and had a bland taste. It is a staple in their diet.

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