Some thoughts from a pretty wise Scottish guy...

So I've been studying in Luke for a while now, a little at a time. I've been using a commentary-type book by William Barclay. [If you've seen me hashtag "WBarclay", this is why.] Yesterday had some really good stuff, so I thought I'd share!

"The End of the World's Values"
Luke 6:20-26
"To talk like that is to put an end to the world's values altogether."

Jesus takes all of the norms and accepted standards, and then flips them upside-down... Jesus says 'happy', the world says 'wretched'; the world says 'happy', Jesus says 'wretched'.

The key is in vs 24: "Woe to you who are rich because you have all the comfort you are going to get." Ol' Will says that in that verse, the word Jesus used for 'have' means literally having received payment in full of an account.

"What Jesus is saying is this, 'If you set your heart and bend your whole energies to obtain the things which the world values, you will get them--but that is all you will ever get.'...But if on the other hand you set your heart and bend all your energies to be utterly loyal to God and true to Christ, you will run into all kinds of trouble; you may by the world's standards look unhappy, but much of your payment is still to come; and it will be joy eternal."
Read 2 Corinthians 4:17. It will probably sound familiar!
           [Not in any way should eternal glories and rewards for ourselves be our motivation for following Christ, but what I really feel like is being said here is that 'This may seem undoable, impossible, and like it will last forever BUT there is hope for something much bigger, better, and greater than what you're dealing with now!' I can remember a couple different times in my life when what I was going through seemed far too big to conquer, far too scary to face, and far too impossible to overcome. And the very clear and precise words my heart heard from what I knew had to be the very lips of the Father were these:

"Just hold on a little bit longer." 

And with those words, Peace flooded my heart, and Hope--instead of dread, fear, or worry--for the future came in quantities that were more than sufficient. Those are some of the most clear, most precious words that I've had the joy of hearing and believing.]

Back to Barclay...
"If you take the world's way, you must abandon the values of Christ. If you take Christ's way, you must abandon the values of the world....The challenge of the beatitudes is-will you be happy in the world's way, or in Christ's way?"

We all have that same choice, you know. Before deciding (or even if you already have), take a minute to reflect on which cost is probably greater, but in the end (and in the present, too!) will be so much more than worth it.

Love you all! Thanks for reading :)