The Sermons of Jesus, Part 31

Today I finally start on the woes of the Sermon on the Plain. I think there is some resistance in the spirit world to me telling the words of Jesus on this matter.

“24 But woe unto you who are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! For ye shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

This is heavy! And again there is some hyperbole in it, that inescapable Semitic figure of speech. But the hyperbole is understated here, not as blatant as we would like. Jesus is not saying that it is impossible for a rich person to get into a close relationship with God. Rather He points out that the love of luxury and comfort is a distraction from such a relationship. People who are living large are already filled with their own selves and don’t make room for God. The next verse is an expansion on the first woe. Because if you have abundant food, and someone else is hungry, you are egoistic enough to ignore God.

Those who laugh now are the ones who put partying and distraction ahead of a relationship with their Creator. Often they will mock someone who is sober and reverent, even mocking God Himself. Don’t respond to the mockery. They shall receive what is coming to them.

The last woe is the one that I fear the most. As I try to do the things God leads me to do, many people say nice things about me. For some reason I am more comfortable with slander and reviling than with praise. I think it comes from my recognition that I am prone to arrogance. Those who knew me at high school can attest to that. But I have learned through humiliation, how to be humble under praise. To God be the glory! I am nothing but a servant.

I realize that this is a short one. I could expand and expound upon Jesus’s words here for pages and pages. But it is sufficient to let Him speak for Himself.

Ol’ Fuzzy is not employable and was denied for disability benefits. The only thing I have is the blogs. But I don’t qualify for ads on the blogs until September. If you like the scribbles I post, please help me keep it going. You can leave me a gratuity by dropping a buck or two in Ol' Fuzzy's Tip Jar. This is a PayPal account I opened on Wednesday, April 5, 2017.