Today’s Reading: Luke 6:20-31

Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,
“God blesses you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.
God blesses you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now, for in due time you will laugh.” – Luke 6:20-21

I love the poetic element of this comparison of opposites, and I enjoy soaking in the beauty of the truth behind each line. It is good to be reminded this morning of how God has the power to turn our situation around. Your present circumstances may represent the many needs and deficits in your life, but you can cling to the hope of tomorrow — a day when you will be satisfied and a time when you will laugh again.

What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. – Luke 6:22-23a

In the moment of persecution, it is hard to see the blessings; in the moment you are being bullied or slandered, it is difficult to see past the pain to the promise. When we are grieving a loss or experiencing heartbreak over the death of a loved one, it seems like we will never overcome our loneliness. But in the midst of it all, Jesus is encouraging us to be happy — to leap for joy!

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

It is not always easy to react in the opposite way of what we are feeling, but this promise that our present troubles are temporary encourages us to hang on to God’s promise. We make a choice to cling to the hope of a better day.

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus taught the people using several different opposites: Poor or rich, hungry or prosperous, laughter or sorrow. He also surprised the crowd by telling them to love their enemies, to celebrate persecution, and to forgive rather than judge. He compared a tree that bears bad fruit with a tree that bears good fruit, and he compared the house built on rock to the house built on sand.

As you read through this passage, look for the opposites or the stark contrasts Jesus describes. Then, as you go through your day, recognize the crazy opposite moments God puts before you – moments when you could have reacted to the rude woman at the store but you chose kindness, or moments when you could have been in a hurry but you chose to slow down and greet someone, or moments when you chose to laugh instead of cry.

“What sorrow awaits you who are rich,
for you have your only happiness now.
What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,
for a time of awful hunger awaits you.
What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,
for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.
What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” – Luke 6:24-31

God, prepare us for what may lie ahead of us today that requires us to react in the opposite way than we would typically respond. Fill us with your Spirit so that our natural response to the enemy’s attacks is in alignment with who you have created us to be. May today’s OPPOSITES ATTRACT others to you!

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. – Galatians 5:16-18