“Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.25 Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.” Luke 6:20-31 NKJV
God of Goodness,
Your disciples are learning as they go as we do. They are being warned as they go as we are. They are being encouraged in their discipleship as we are. Blessings – and woes. Then Jesus turns to those gathered round who can hear to speak. There was a great great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon and many of them had been healed (Luke 6:17-19). He speaks directly in verses 27 to 31, challenging them to treat others as they would like others to treat them. To be king, generous, forgiving and merciful.
Some are following Him but to those looking he still gives the challenge. And what a challenge it is. It would be hard every time something happens, every time we speak, every time we do something if we had to stop and think about being in the other person’s shoes. Then doing the best for them not us! How much easier if we are not just close to Jesus but have His Spirit in us gently teaching leading and correction. But as the writer of Romans says, we can never get it all right (Romans 7:15-20.
So we join together with the writer of Romans to say, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25).
Worship Tuesday 20th October 2026
Imagery from Moses Exodus 33:22. Jesus protects us from the wrath of God and delivers us into His love.
A wonderful Saviour is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Saviour to me;
He’s hiding my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of his love
And covers me there with his hand,
And covers me there with his hand.
A wonderful Saviour is Jesus my Lord;
He taketh my burdens away,
He’s holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved;
He giveth me strength as my day.
Chorus
When clothed in his brightness, transported I rise
To meet him in clouds of the sky,
His perfect salvation, his wonderful love,
I’ll shout with the millions on high.
Chorus
Verse not sung.
With numberless blessings each moment he crowns
And fills with his fullness divine;
I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God
For such a Redeemer is mine.
Lyrics: Fanny Crosby