The Kingdom in Paradox (Lk. 6:20-26)
Hear
James Salisbury and I are currently training for the OKC Memorial 1/2 Marathon in April. In long distance running there is a strategy known as the 80/20 rule. This strategy recommends that 80% of your runs and training is done at a moderate to low level with only 20% above the moderate level. It’s called going slow to go fast. Conversely, our minds tell us, if you want to go fast, you train fast. For many runners, the 80/20 rule is one of the hardest strategies to accept because of its counter-intuitiveness.
Arguably the world’s greatest marathoner ever is Eliud (Elliot) Kipchoge. Kipchoge is the first man ever to finish a marathon in under two hours. Runner’s World magazine did a piece on Kipchoge and they shared some of his training secrets.
Here’s what they learned.
The first thing that jumps out is how relatively ‘boring’ Kipchoge’s training is. There is a monotony; an abundance of what we might describe as ‘staple’ runs – no bells or whistles, no fancy stuff; he just runs, and accumulates hours and hours of low-intensity training.
And consistency is key. We need to avoid the temptation of tinkering, and rather earn our physiological adaptations through disciplined repetition.
Such repetition goes hand in hand with the second key principle: don’t overdo it. Especially the intensity elements of training. Kipchoge racks up 13 sessions a week, two a day every day except for Sunday, when he takes the afternoon off. But of those 13, 10 are slow, easy runs – so slow that many club runners would be able to tag along; they range between 4:00 and 5:00 per kilometre.
But compare that to his marathon pace of 2:55, and you’ll appreciate just how easy those runs are.
What this means is that Kipchoge gets better at running fast mostly by running slowly.[1]
Talk about an upside down strategy. This is so counter-intuitive, but it has been proven to work!
Can I tell you something else, though?
This isn’t just for marathoners. This is also for kingdom-builders.
Let me explain.
Grab your Bibles and open them to Luke six verse twenty.
Luke 6:20–26 NKJV
20 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.
Today we will break down the four contrasting groups Jesus refers to in this section of Luke’s gospel.
Poor vs Rich
Hungry vs Filled
Weepers vs Laughers
Hated vs Respected
From this section until the end of chapter six, Jesus focuses on what has become referred to as the “Upside Down Kingdom”. Jesus flips on its head all that we value in this life, the traditions we hold dear, what we believe about how a person should behave in certain situations, and who is to be the model of a life to emulate.
Those who are blessed in God’s kingdom are those we pity in this world, and those to be pitied in God’s kingdom are really those to whom we would consider to be blessed in our world.
If you want to go fast, go slow.
If you want to live a life that is reflective of God’s economy, you suffer here.
Poor vs Rich
Let’s begin with the first contrasting set: Poor vs Rich.
Luke 6:20 NKJV
20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
Luke 6:24 NKJV
24 “But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.
In the same way that Christ has not come for those who are well, but the sick - so had He come for the poor instead of for the rich. (Lk. 4:18; 5:31).
I think that it’s safe to assume that we all know there is an ever-increasing wealth gap in our country. Several things are to be factored in when we talk about this gap, i.e. age, race, education, and gender to name a few examples. But, economic disparity is nothing new.
One day while Jesus and His disciples were at the home of a leper named Simon, who John tells us was the father of Judas Iscariot, a woman breaks open an alabaster box with this expensive oil in it and anoints Jesus. Judas is beside himself when he sees what this woman has done. He starts yelling, “What in the world are you doing? Jesus, why are You allowing her to do this? Don’t you know how much money we could’ve gotten for that oil? Think of how many poor people we could’ve helped.” Jesus defends the woman and tells Judas,
Matthew 26:11 NKJV
11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.
Luke tells us that while Jesus was on level ground He looked at His disciples and referred to them as “you poor.” In what way are they poor? In Matthew’s, Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about the “poor in spirit”, but here in Luke’s, Sermon on the Plain, Jesus doesn’t qualify the disciple’s poverty. He just calls them poor. A lot of hair splitting has been done to explain what Jesus means here, but I don’t think it’s necessary. In regards to the disciples, their poverty is both economic and spiritual. Furthermore, because they have chosen to follow Jesus they will also find themselves socially impoverished as well.
The late Tim Keller, in his masterful sermon, Blessed Are the Poor, says that this is precisely why the poor are poor, because they have no friends.
To put it bluntly, what Jesus has invited this group of disciples to join Him in suffering.
Leon Morris hits the nail on the head.
He is not blessing poverty in itself: that can as easily be a curse as a blessing (cf. Prov. 30:8–9). Nor is he (as some hold) pronouncing a blessing on one social class above all others (‘the gospel canonizes no sociological state’, Talbert), and this for something they did not choose and would escape if they could. He is speaking of his disciples. They are poor and they know that they are without resource. They rely on God and they must rely on him, for they have nothing of their own on which to rely.[2]
It is precisely for this reason that Peter wants to know, “What’s in It for Me?”
In Luke eighteen Jesus is questioned by a rich young ruler about what he needs to do in order to have eternal life. Great question!
Well, Jesus tells the rich man to keep the “neighborly” commandments,
Don’t commit adultery.
Don’t murder.
Don’t steal.
Don’t lie.
Honor your parents.
To justify himself, the rich guy tells Jesus, “Oh! I’m good on all of that. I’m straight.” To which Jesus says, “Not so fast. Here’s the last thing you need to do. Sell everything you own and give it to the poor.”
“What?!” says the rich man.
“You got to be joking? I can’t do that.” And he walks away very sad because he can’t let go of his wealth. Jesus’ emotional response matches the rich man’s emotions. Jesus is very sad for him because this world’s wealth had such a grip on his heart.
The disciples couldn’t make sense of what they had just witnessed. Imagine the global astonishment if an icon of wealth and power, such as an Elon Musk, a Jeff Bezos, or perhaps a political figure of Donald Trump's stature, or even a cultural giant like Oprah Winfrey, were publicly refused entry to the most coveted venue or society.
We’d all think, "If they, with all their resources and connections, cannot cross that threshold, what hope is there for the rest of us?" The logical, disheartening conclusion would be to "simply give up and go home."
What the disciples thought about salvation and its connection to divine blessing were completely uprooted. If the man who seemed to possess all the advantages the world could offer was denied entry, their logical conclusion was revealed in their desperate question to Jesus: “Who, then, can possibly be saved?” This was not rhetoric. It was a sincere concern, fearing that if the most advantaged among them could not attain it, salvation must be utterly, hopelessly beyond the reach of ordinary men.
Luke 18:28–30 NKJV
28 Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
The poor are not the ones to be pitied, the rich are. Again, you poor in this section refers specifically to the disciples of Jesus. It refers to those who have given up all that this world values in order to pursue God and His kingdom.
It’s a paradox.
If you want to go fast, go slow.
Hungry vs Filled, Weepers vs Laughers
Ok, let’s quickly look at the next two contrasting sets: Hungry vs Filled and Weepers vs Laughers.
Luke 6:21 NKJV
21 Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
Luke 6:25 NKJV
25 Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep.
Something to keep in mind here is that we are not dealing with a different group from the poor and rich. These are the same people. Even when we get down to the Hated vs Respected, this is all one group.
When you are poor, economically, it’s really hard to feed yourself. Your poverty often prevents you from meeting your most basic needs like eating. When you’re poor and you can’t feed yourself or your children this creates a great sense of desperation and helplessness which can lead to a state of depression and, overwhelmed by your poverty you break down and cry.
The rich don’t know this level of grief and pain. They have everything they could ever need or want. Not only can they feed themselves but they have the best of what is edible and they enjoy life.
In the Magnificat, Mary sings these words,
Luke 1:53 NKJV
53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
The Psalmist tells us that
Psalm 146:7 NKJV
7 [Yahweh] executes justice for the oppressed, [Yahweh] gives food to the hungry. The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.
And the prophet Isaiah records Yahweh’s invitation for His people.
Isaiah 55:1 NKJV
1 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.
The Apostle Paul, speaking by inspiration of the Holy Spirit assures us,
Philippians 4:19 NKJV
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
And for this very reason Jesus says,
Matthew 6:31–33 NKJV
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Because the disciples had chosen to follow Jesus, the Savior who came to suffer, the One Who
2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
they had subjected themselves to physical, biological, and societal suffering. Jesus wasn’t/isn’t asking them/us to something He hasn’t experienced and furthermore, something He hasn’t conquered and provided for.
Passages of scripture like this from Luke’s Gospel flies in the face of the Prosperity message. They have no framework for this kind of Christianity. And yet, scripture is filled with the promise of the Believer’s suffering, not merely for the sake of having a hard life, but rather for the perfecting of our souls that we might actually look like Christ and live like Christ in this world.
Philippians 1:29 NKJV
29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
Hated vs Respected
This brings us to the final sub-category of the poor: the Hated vs the Respected.
Luke 6:22–23 NKJV
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.
Luke 6:26 NKJV
26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
I want to shoot straight with you church. What I’m about to say is going to sting for some of you so prepare yourself.
In verses twenty-two and twenty-three, Jesus declares a blessing for those disciples of His who are hated, ostracized, reviled, and defamed “for the Son of Man’s sake” - because of Him. He says that this is a time to rejoice.
The Holy Spirit of God, speaking through the Apostle Peter, using the life of Jesus as a backdrop, says something similar.
1 Peter 4:12–14 NKJV
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
Here’s what I want to say. Some folks in the church are waiting on a blessing for being hated by the world and the hate they are receiving has nothing to do with Jesus. It has nothing to do with the Gospel. It has nothing to do with being righteous or with the truth of God’s Word. For many folks in the church, the source of the hatred they are experiencing is because they are hateful.
They think that they are being persecuted for righteousness’ sake and really, they’re just spitting into the wind. They’re returning evil with evil and tagging a Bible verse on it to throw people off of their self-righteous scent.
They aren’t being hated because of godliness, they are being hated because of hypocrisy. They are demanding things from others - things like mercy, grace, love, forgiveness and generosity - that they aren’t fully committed to themselves.
Here’s some tough encouragement from scripture that challenges the people of God to live paradoxically in the kingdom.
1 Peter 3:14–17 NKJV
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
How then do we suffer for the Son of Man’s sake in this world as Jesus stated? Or, as Peter describes, for the name of Christ and righteousness?
1. Lead with Love.
Galatians 5:6 MSG
6 For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.
This is why we are reminded by Paul that,
Romans 12:9 NIV
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Next week Pastor Mike will preach on Luke 6:27ff where we are told to love our enemies. The world says, if we are attacked then we should strike back, but Christ says, “Go slow to go fast.”
Love your enemies.
Do good to those who hate you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who are spiteful toward you.
Give without expectation of return.
Be merciful just as the Father is merciful to you.
2. Give life.
When Jesus was trying to cut through Samaria on His way to Jerusalem, the Samaritans refused to grant Him and His disciples entry. Because the Samaritans were so mean and unkind to Jesus and His disciples, James and John, feeling justified to strike back, suggested to Jesus that they just call down fire on these guys and wipe them out.
Luke 9:55–56 NIV
55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.
56 Then he and his disciples went to another village.
The NKJV of this story adds these words,
Luke 9:55–56 NKJV
55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.
56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.
This may not have been part of the original writings, but I think it fits well with the character of Christ. Here’s what David Garland says on these additional words,
If it is not original, it is a perceptive commentary on the text. Those who resort to vendettas against enemies, whether by swords or by divine fire, reflect the vengeful spirit of Satan, not the merciful spirit of Christ.[3]
Bring life into the spaces where you go.
3. Remember your calling and stay committed.
1 Peter 2:20–23 NKJV
20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Whocommitted no sin,Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Church, we are ambassadors of the Kingdom of God ruled by the Savior who suffered, bled and died for crimes He had not committed knowing that the joy ahead of Him far exceeded the temporary pain and injustice He experienced at the time. We, like those disciples on the plain in Luke’s gospel, because we have agreed to follow Jesus in building His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, we have been called to suffer with Him and there is great blessing in this calling.
Respond
One of the clearest and most unmistakable signs of our faithfulness to Christ is our reputation outside the walls of this church. And one of the best ways to give a glorifying testimony about Jesus is in the way we respond to hardship and ill-treatment.
What has it cost you to follow Christ?
What price have you paid for your faithfulness?
James 2:5 NKJV
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
If you want to go fast, go slow.
If you want to live a life that is reflective of God’s economy, you endure the blessing of suffering here.
Let me share these words of Jesus as a final reminder of our calling.
Jesus told His disciples and He speaks this to us today,
John 15:18–21 NKJV
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
Tre Clark
Britton Christian Church
3/1/2026
[1] What is 80/20 training? https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/motivation/a27718661/what-is-80-20-running/.
[2] Morris, Leon. 1988. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 3. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
[3] David Garland, Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: Luke, 415.
