Epiphany 6C, 2025

Text: Luke 6:17-26

Title: In-Betweens

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Linus and Snoopy are standing in the rain. Linus says to Snoopy, “So you’re getting a little wet.  Don’t look so depressed.  Remember it rains on the just and the unjust.”  To which Snoopy thinks, “But why us in-betweens?”

Is that you?  Do you consider yourself an “in-between”?  Sure you’re not perfect, but you’re not a horrible person either.

What do you do with the blessings and the woes in today’s gospel? 

Are you poor or are you rich?  You’d probably say, “I’m middle-class.  I’m not poor, but there are plenty of folks who are more wealthy than I.  I’m an in-between.”

Are you hungry or are you full?  You’d probably say, “I’ve never had to go hungry, I could stand to lose a few pounds, but I’m trying to cut back on certain foods. I’m an in-between.”

Do you weep or do you laugh?  You’d probably say, “It depends.  There are times that I’m sad, perhaps even a little depressed. But other times I’m happy when I’m enjoying life with my friends and family.  I’m an in-between.”

Do people hate you or speak well of you? You’d probably say, “It depends on the person.  Generally, people like me, but there are some folks I don’t get along with.  I’m an in-between.”

If you are an in-between, what do you do with Jesus’ words?

You see the problem, don’t you.

If you don’t see yourself as needy, you don’t need Jesus and His blessings.

If you don’t see yourself as satisfied, you don’t need Jesus and His rebukes.

Is there a Jesus for the middle class?

The answer, of course, is yes, but to get you there, Jesus must first get you out of the land of in-between.

Reading the Bible can be difficult because there never seems to be much grey area, very little nuance.  People are either wise or foolish.  Actions are either good or evil.  People either go to heaven or hell.

One of the reasons why purgatory was invented was to provide some middle ground for the folks who weren’t completely saints or sinners.

There’s this view that as a Christian you start out down here, and then you progress in your sanctification, you keep getting better and better and better, until perhaps you reach the point where you are no longer sinning, at least not as a conscious choice.

That picture of the Christian life ignores the way that life works.  Rarely is the Christian life a progression towards holiness.  More often it’s a roller coaster in which you seem to be doing better one day and the next day you’re back to your old bad habits.

John Kleinig would say that the Christian maturity doesn’t mean that you become a better person.  Christian maturity means learning more and more to depend and rely on Jesus, realizing how much you need Him because you can’t do the right thing on your own.

As a Christian, you are both saint and sinner at the same time.

You are a forgiven child of God, born again in Holy Baptism.  Jesus lives in you.  You are righteous and holy in God’s sight.

There will be times that you do wonderful, kind, and generous things.  You will love God and be devoted to Him in prayer, in worship, and in tithing.  You will talk about Him to your friends and neighbors.  You will put yourself last, and love and serve those in need around you.

But there will be other times that you do mean and evil things.  You will forget God and trust in yourself.  You will be silent when you should speak up.  You will put yourself first and the needs of other last.

That’s because you are still a sinful person. As long as you have human flesh and blood you will rebel against the Holy Spirit.

You feel that tension all the time as you struggle against sin.

And so when that old evil Adam in you rears his ugly head, you repent and confess your sins, and you look to Jesus for forgiveness. 

And when that new child of God rears her beautiful head, you give thanks and praise God for the good that He’s allowed you to do.

So what does that mean for Jesus’ sermon?

You may be neither exceedingly wealthy nor abjectly poor.  But there will still be times where one or the other is more pressing in your mind.

When bills and debts pile up, when you find that a certain lifestyle is out of reach, you remember that, even though there are things that you can’t have in this life, but in the end you will have heavenly riches beyond your imagination.

When life is good, when you get your raise or your bonus or your investments pay off, be warned not to set your heart on your wealth.  It can go as quickly as it has come, and in the end you can’t take any of it with you, so use it to do some good with while you can.

When you’re sad, disappointed, or in mourning, look to Jesus as your source of joy.  Know that He will never fail you, that He has conquered even death itself by His resurrection.  Remember the joy that Easter brings and that no one can take away from you.

When everything is laughs and smiles and parties, remember that one day the party will end.  Read the book of Ecclesiastes.

When you are insulted and abused for the sake of Christ, remember that you are not alone.  That’s how the prophets and apostles were treated.  Ultimately, Jesus Himself was treated this way.

He became poor.

He became hungry.

He became sad.

He became hated. 

For you.

So that you could become rich.

So that you could become full.

So that you could become joyful.

So that you could become loved.

Not in the way of the now of this life, where none of these good things last, but in the way of the coming Kingdom of God, that we experience a small taste of here in the place, and will receive in its fullness on the last day.

On that day there will be no more in-betweens. Just in or out.  Sheep or goats.

Those who are in and not in just to make up for a bad life here and now.  Those who are in will be in because Jesus is their all.

He’s not just a supplement, a little bit of help to get you over the finish line.

Jesus is your everything.

You are just, you are righteous, you are holy, you are blessed because of Jesus.

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