How many of you feel blessed? Do you count your blessings? What do you usually name?
Family. Home. Job. Friends. Nation. Health. Warm bed. Dog. Cat. Horse, LIzard…
Food on the table. Internet, books, clothes, comfort, insurance, car, 2 eyes…
Garden, snowblower, dishwasher, firewood, education…
Things that some people have…and some people don’t.
That is one way to talk about blessings. Some people are “blessed” with wondrous things….and others are not.
But we can also talk about blessing a different way. This kind of blessing is something someone says to you — words that pronounce God’s presence and love and care for you. Words that name you “favored of God”.
At the end of the service…you will hear the benediction — may the Lord bless and keep you….make his face shine upon you…look upon you with favor and give you peace. We are blessing you…sending you out as God’s beloved ones.
That blessing we use each Sunday comes from the Old Testament…it was the blessing God told Moses and Aaron give the Israelites as they were entering the promised land. And throughout the Old Testament, these kind of blessings were conferred — declaring God’s presence and protection. But they are only conferred upon the “chosen” ones. Not everyone was blessed, willy nilly. These blessings were for the few…the favorites. And once given, they could not be given to someone else. I think of the story of Jacob and Esau. They were twin brothers…but Esau was the oldest…and the one who was supposed to receive his father’s blessing. Jacob tricked his blind father into giving it to him. And when Esau showed up…the blessing could not be undone. He begged his father — “is there not a blessing left for me?”…but there was not. Blessings were limited…there were not enough for everyone.
But Jesus declares that God’s blessing — God’s presence and care and love — is not just for the privileged few…the deserving…after all. But God’s blessing and love and delight is for us all. We are all God’s favorites…the ones God blesses. You remember how Jesus took the children in his arms and “blessed them”. Jesus held them…called them God’s beloved ones, when the disciples wanted to send them away because they were a nuisance. Really.. I think.that is actually what Jesus is doing here, as well. Blessing people…that we tend to dismiss.
I like the way Nadia Bolz-Weber says it:
“… maybe Jesus is actually just blessing people, especially the people who never seem to receive blessings otherwise. I mean, come on, doesn’t that just sound like something Jesus would do? Extravagantly throwing around blessings as though they grew on trees?
Because I like to imagine Jesus here standing among us saying —
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the agnostics. Blessed are they who doubt. Those who aren’t sure, who can still be surprised. Blessed are they who are spiritually impoverished and therefore not so certain about everything that they no longer take in new information. Blessed are those who have nothing to offer. Blessed are they for whom nothing seems to be working. Blessed are the pre-schoolers who cut in line at communion. Blessed are the poor in spirit. You are of heaven and Jesus blesses you
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.Blessed are they for whom death is not an abstraction. Blessed are they who have buried their loved ones, for whom tears are as real as an ocean. Blessed are they who have loved enough to know what loss feels like. Blessed are the mothers of the miscarried. Blessed are they who don’t have the luxury of taking things for granted any more. Blessed are they who can’t fall apart because they have to keep it together for everyone else. Blessed are the motherless, the alone, the ones from whom so much has been taken. Blessed are those who “still aren’t over it yet” Blessed are they who laughed again when for so long they thought they never would. …Blessed are those who mourn. You are of heaven and Jesus blesses you
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who no one else notices. The kids who sit alone at middle-school lunch tables. The laundry guys at the hospital. The sex-workers and the night shift street sweepers. Blessed are the losers and the babies and the parts of ourselves that are so small. The parts of ourselves that don’t want to make eye contact with in a world that only loves the winners. Blessed are the forgotten. Blessed are the closeted. Blessed are the unemployed, the unimpressive, the underrepresented. Blessed are the teens who have to figure out ways to hide the new cuts on their arms. Blessed are the meek. You are of heaven and Jesus blesses you.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the wrongly accused, the ones who never catch a break, the ones for whom life is hard – for they are those with whom Jesus chose to surround himself. Blessed are those without documentation. Blessed are the ones without lobbyists. Blessed are foster kids and trophy kids and special ed kids and every other kid who just wants to feel safe and loved and never does. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are they who know there has to be more than this. Because they are right.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are those who make terrible business decisions for the sake of people. Blessed are the burnt-out social workers and the overworked teachers and the pro-bono case takers. Blessed are the kids who step between the bullies and the weak. Blessed are they who delete hateful, homophobic comments off their friend’s Facebook page. Blessed are the ones who have received such real grace that they are no longer in the position of ever deciding who the “deserving poor” are. Blessed is everyone who has ever forgiven me when I didn’t deserve it. Blessed are the merciful for they totally get it.”
Yes, This is Jesus…declaring God’s blessing on all of us who hurt and struggle and question. This is Jesus …declaring God’s presence and care and love, not for those who feel it, who have lists of things to be grateful for…but for those who sometimes feel invisible and wonder if they matter. This is Jesus…declaring that God’s blessing — God’s presence and care and love..God’s favor….is not only for the chosen few…but it IS for all God’s beloved children.
This morning…we will take the bread and wine…and we will be blessed. And everyone is included. No exceptions. Because Jesus…Jesus extravagantly throws out blessings. This morning…Jesus blesses YOU. This morning…you are seen, known, and declared holy and beloved. This morning, may you know how thoroughly God delights in you — You are God’s favorite. Blessed are you. Amen.
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