Truly blessed or unfortunate?

Luke 6 : 20 - 26

Blessed are you who are poor.....who hunger now....who weep now...when men hate you and reject your name.....because of the Son of Man

When I try to share the gospel with relatives who are well off, I find a response that makes the gospel seem like just another option in their world of so many choices. Often it is not so much outright rejection (or maybe they are too 'polite' to me). It is rather a "well.....that sounds good...but...." type of response. I think this in itself is evidence of the woes that Jesus proclaimed is the lot of the wealthy. It is not easy for those whose lives are so full of the good things of this world to choose the way of Christ. And perhaps it is good that people are at least honest with themselves and do not just accept the gospel as just another insurance policy (what more one with no annual premiums!)

But this does not mean that the materially poor will easily accept the gospel either. I know of a couple of financially needy persons who have grown a kind of callus around their hearts. They are gradually embittered by life, by the seeming unfairness and just cannot envisage that the promises of the gospel are for them. They are 'full' of other things, of self pity and the victim identity. Often its the attitude of "that's all there is in life...". They may even receive aid from Christians but never be open enough to know the God we Christians worship.

I think both the materially rich and the materially poor would have to come to a point of true spiritual need in order to receive and live in light of the blessings Jesus proclaims.

My spiritual needs brought me to the Lord. I may not be wealthy but have always been materially comfortable. And so I am truly thankful that my life of always having enough materially from a young age did not block me from the gospel. The Lord sought me out and found his way into my heart and my life when I admitted my spiritual poverty.