Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”
NL Daily Devotion for Monday, February 3, 2025
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
I don’t want to hear this. It makes me scared. Scared that if I’m enjoying my life (which I really, really am) it means that one day I’ll have it all snatched away and I’ll have to pay dearly on behalf of those whose lives are profoundly challenged by poverty, war, sickness, abuse, and other kinds of trauma. I live a very small life. No one in the United States would call me rich. But the majority of people in the majority of the world would say I am. So I have to own it. Own that my having hot running water and air conditioning and access to fresh food and medical care puts me in a minority. Own that my having these things also means I’m complicit in systems that give me these benefits at the expense of others. Own that if I asked Jesus what more I should do, he might say to me, “Sell everything that you have, give it to the poor, and follow me.” Yikes.
So what hope do I take from this passage?
Simply this: Jesus’ reign is one of justice and equity, and that I am responsible to help bring that reign about. There are things I can do to change systems. There are things I can do to reduce my complicity and lower my impact. And I can trust that I’m responsible for the footwork and God’s responsible for the outcome. Falling into despair and self-recrimination isn’t the answer. (Hiding in justification and denial isn’t either).
God, please direct me to people who can help me take actions to make the world more just in the here and now, and let me turn over the future to you. Amen.
