Thursday 10 January 2013

Thursday - Weeping and Laughter

Prayer:   Holy God,  You are a God of compassion.   Almighty God,  You are a God of love.   Holy Creator,  You are a God who  brings peace and justice into our world when our human ways create wrongs.    We praise Your Holy Name.  Amen.

Read  St. Luke 6:  25b

St Luke 6: 21  “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh”
St Luke 6: 25b  “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep”  (NIV, Zondervan)

These two verses are more about just crying tears.    These two verses are about when one gets to the end of one’s rope and there is no more rope.  Or when there seems to be no more choices in one’s life.    Or when life gets rough and there is seemingly no way to survive.       The blessed will weep now but laugh with God in heaven later.      But what about those who laugh now?  Woe to you who laugh now.   St Luke states that they will mourn and weep later.   

The type of laughter that Jesus uses isn’t the “ha ha ha” laughter from the belly in response to a good joke or amusing story but the satirical laughter of a group of people who  are pointing at someone else’s  discomforture.

Now the woe makes perfect sense doesn’t it.  Jesus is saying that if we laugh at other people  when they are in need that God is extremely displeased.    That is a big woe!

When you listen to the News this week or read the newspaper,  be aware of how easily people laugh or point fingers when other people are in need.     Then ask God how you can help those people who are in need.

Prayer:   Great God,  we are Your people and we delight in living in Your presence.  If we are to stand today,  let us stand with joy and be the light of Your love.  If we are to sit today,  let us sit with compassion and pray for others.  If we are to be Your voice today,  let us use our voices filled with Your wisdom so that Your kingdom is advanced.    In every deed and task we do today O Lord,  we give You our thanks and praise. In Jesus’ Name we ask this.  But in all things,  may Your will be done.  Amen.

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