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When God reigns, the poor and oppressed will be filled and joyful while the rich and powerful (those content, laughing, and well-respected now) will mourn and weep. The picture is one of reciprocal reality—as long as the rich prosper, the poor will suffer because the rich are the ones who benefit from oppressing the poor. As soon as the rich no longer exploit the poor, the poor will experience comfort. The two fates are interrelated; Jesus is calling out and convicting the oppressor so that the suffering of the oppressed might end. Jesus’s ministry and message indicate that the reign of God that reverses fortunes is not a future dream (only an eschatological goal) but a present reality—one toward which followers of Jesus should strive in their current circumstances.
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