Blessed Are the Unlikely
In the Gospel we will hear on Sunday, Jesus is being followed by a large crowd. He goes up to a place where the people can better see him and hear him. He speaks, not with rules but with blessings for unlikely circumstances; being poor in spirit, grieving, showing gentleness, mercy and participating in peacemaking. In short, he honors those who endure rejection for doing what is right. These are not the people our culture usually puts forward as examples of success. But Jesus places them at the center of God’s reign. These blessings are known as the Beatitudes.
Paul echoes this same truth when he writes to the church in Corinth. God, he says, chooses what the world overlooks, dismisses, or calls weak. God works through the unlikely to reveal divine wisdom and strength. Together, these voices offer a clear message for the season of Epiphany: God’s kingdom does not operate by the world’s measurements.
This is not some sort of sentimental encouragement. It is a challenge to how we understand power, value and worth. We live in a society that often celebrates confidence, productivity, wealth, and visibility. We are trained to admire those who rise quickly and command attention. But Jesus blesses those who are hungry for righteousness, those who carry sorrow, those who refuse to meet violence with more violence, and those who remain faithful even when it costs them something.
This upside-down blessing shows the heart of God. God does not build the kingdom by rewarding dominance. God builds it by restoring dignity. The Beatitudes do not glorify suffering, but they do proclaim that suffering does not disqualify a person from God’s love or calling. In fact, it is often in places of vulnerability that God’s transforming work becomes visible.
For us as Christians, this is both comfort and responsibility. It reminds us that we do not have to become impressive before we are useful to God. Our doubts, limitations, and imperfect faith do not place us outside of God’s reach. But it also confronts us with a question: if God chooses the unlikely, are we willing to make space for voices and experiences that challenge our comfort?
Epiphany invites us to see clearly. And clear vision often reveals uncomfortable truths. We may discover that we have absorbed the world’s values more deeply than we realize. We may notice how easily we prioritize efficiency over compassion, familiarity over hospitality, and safety over courageous love. Jesus’ blessings firmly disrupt these habits.
At Trinity Church, this call takes shape in everyday ways. Our witness is not measured only by attendance numbers or visible success. It is seen in how we care for one another, how we welcome newcomers, how we listen across differences, and how we respond to the needs of our neighbors. It is seen when we choose patience over frustration, generosity over scarcity, and hope over cynicism.
The beauty of this Epiphany message is that it does not depend on extraordinary circumstances. It is lived out in ordinary moments. A quiet act of kindness. A willingness to speak truth with humility. A decision to show up when it would be easier to stay away. These are the places where God’s kingdom quietly takes root.
Paul reminds us that this is not our own achievement. God’s wisdom does not come from human cleverness. It comes from the love of Christ, a love that gives itself away for the sake of the world. This love redefines what strength looks like. It teaches us that faithfulness matters more than recognition, and that grace, not perfection, is the foundation of Christian life.
As the Epiphany season continues, the invitation that is before us is not just to admire Jesus’ teaching, but to allow it to reshape our imagination. What if blessing is not about getting ahead, but about becoming more fully human? What if success is not measured by what we accumulate, but by how deeply we love? What if God’s greatest work is happening not in loud places in the middle of everything, but in out of the way communities quietly choosing faithfulness?
There are many ways to step into this calling at Trinity, through worship, study, prayer, service, and parish life. Each act of participation becomes part of God’s unfolding story among us. No gift is too small. No offering of time or care is insignificant in God’s economy.
As you move through the coming days, it may be worth pausing to ask: Where might God be blessing something unlikely in my own life? What part of myself have I dismissed that God may be inviting me to offer? And how might I live this week in a way that reflects the surprising grace of God’s kingdom?
Blessed are the unlikely. Not because they are extraordinary, but because God delights in doing extraordinary things through ordinary willing people.
Kevin+
