Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, 

For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

 

- Matthew 5:1–10 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . . My study Bible states that in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, it is God Incarnate who is speaking to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain is a place where divine action enters into human history; this is the place where God reveals Himself to human beings (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  Additionally, to be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  My study Bible tells us that St. Matthew using the expression that Jesus opened His mouth emphasizes that this teaching is "one way," that in fact He has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are not there to discuss or to debate, but to listen.

 

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  To be blessed in the sense that Jesus uses it here in the Beatitudes indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  My study Bible explains that in Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor, and the faithful among God's people.  Those who are poor in spirit are those who have the heart of the poor; that is, the same attitude as the poor, and complete dependence upon God.

 

 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Those who mourn, my study Bible explains, sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All of these are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible adds that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is distinguished from ungodly sorrow, a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).

 

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  Meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is an imitation of Christ, my study Bible says, who is the one who told us, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  My study Bible further explains that the meek are those who are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  It notes that meekness is not passive weakness, but rather strength directed and under control.  The earth that will be is to be inherited by the meek is not power or possession in this world, but it is the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

 

 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  My study Bible tells us that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  It says that they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  

 

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  What does it mean to be merciful?  Mercy is love set in motion, according to my study Bible; that is, love expressed in action.   It says that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us God's Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all.

 

 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."   According to my study Bible, to be pure is to be unmixed with anything else, unadulterated.  The pure in heart are those therefore who are completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who achieve purity practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and live in temperance.  This level of spirituality, it says, is attained by few, but all may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will truly see God everywhere.  

 

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than to shed His own blood.  In this sense He is our sacrifice shared in communion, and reveals Himself as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  According to my study Bible, the Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ.  Therefore, peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible declares that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown which awaits the righteous. 

 

My study Bible tells us that the sense of blessedness conveyed in the Beatitudes indicates a heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In our every day lives, we think of our blessings as all the things we might possess, or perhaps our talents, or health.  But these are the blessings of the Kingdom that Jesus is telling us about, and the Kingdom does not necessarily operate as does the world and our material lives.  In fact, it is these blessings of the Kingdom that may color and add light, or illumine, our experiences of the world.  The things we might think of or experience as loss might not feel as loss according to the Beatitudes of the Kingdom, the blessings we may very well experience, that don't necessarily make worldly sense.  This is akin to the "peace that passes understanding" found in Philippians 4:6-7.  That's a peace that doesn't necessarily correspond to worldly understanding of peace, and may even be found in the midst of tribulation and difficult circumstances.  It is a sense in which these beatitudes, or blessings of the Kingdom, transcend not only circumstances but even time, for they come from Christ's eternal kingdom.  These blessings are not simply transcendent, but they are also transformational.  Like Christ's presence, they transfigure whatever they touch.  A sad circumstance, like the illness of a parent, or the struggles of a child, can be transfigured through our perception of such blessings. When we practice mercy, we find an added dimension to life, another meaning layered over whatever we are experiencing, a giftedness of blessing even in a sad or difficult circumstance.  When we learn meekness, or perhaps we should say the particular kind of "meekness" implied here, we grow in learning both humility, and to perceive capabilities inherent in a perhaps limited circumstance that we didn't see before.  We give up manipulation when we are not able to change something, but in exchange find some grace that allows us to change and accept God's plans wherever we are.  To be poor in spirit is to accept God's kingdom and dominion, authority and power, as the fullest expression of authority we know, reaching into the places of grace and transcending everything else.  We are meant to live for this kind of life, this kind of blessedness as our experience, for this is what it is to "walk with God," and to know Christ in our lives.  Let us consider what it is to be poor in this sense, to exchange our fullest dependence upon the riches of the world, and accept instead the great grace of the blessedness of God, which remains even when all else is gone (Matthew 5:19-20).  There are many wealthy people who can tell us how hollow and empty such a life can be in and of itself; but with God all things are blessed.  

 

 

 

 

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God

 

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  

 

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

"Blessed are you poor,

 For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled. 

 Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

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.

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.

 

"But woe to you who are rich,

 For you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

- Luke 6:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that Jesus went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. 

 

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  My study Bible comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  But instead, according to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus, as the Son of Man, Jesus prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).  He spent all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles.  According to St. Theophylact, this teaches us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  

And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.  My study Bible comments that the titles disciples and apostles are often used interchangeably for the twelve.  In the Greek of the New Testament, the word translated as disciple literally means "learner," and the word from which we derive apostle means "one sent out" (as on a mission).  The names of the Twelve aren't identical in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here, as in St. Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4), the names are given in pairs, perhaps suggesting who might have traveled together on their first missionary journey -- as Mark reports they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  Let us note the great amount of followers Jesus' ministry has now amassed to itself.  They come not just from Galilee, where His ministry began, but also from all Judea and Jerusalem, and even from the Gentile region of Tyre of Sidon.  Jesus stands on a level place, ready to deliver what is known as the Sermon on the Plain.  

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said . . .   Here Jesus begins what is known as the Sermon on the Plain.  It is similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), although it is not as extensive.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years. Note that He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, directing this Sermon toward them.  This is His gospel which those who are chosen as apostles will be sent out to deliver to the world.

 

"Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  My study Bible explains that blessed in this context indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, it says, "poor" means both the materially poor, and the faithful among God's people.  So, the poor in spirit are those with the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and retain a sense of dependence upon God. 

 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blesses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  These, my study Bible says, are the people who see the presence of God and God's kingdom as the most important thing in life.  This means they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food. 

 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   Those who weep are those who sorrow over the sufferings of the world, and also their own sins which contribute.  All of these shall laugh in the joy of God (John 15:11), both in this age and in the one to come.  My study Bible says that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  It's to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10). 

 

"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.  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."   Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs, my study Bible says.  It notes that Christians accept persecution joyfully, knowing that the rewards of the Kingdom far outweigh any sufferings on earth.  See Acts 5:40-41.

 

 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.  Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  Here Luke, in contrast to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount, reports four "woes" not found in that account.  Woe, my study Bible comments, is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  Those who prize the vices listed here, according to St. Cyril of Alexandria, are liable to the "utmost misery"; however, they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy toward others.  

This portion of Christ's Sermon on the Plain, taken in its entirety, gives us a certain perspective on what can be called repentance within the Christian tradition.  Jesus gives us a perspective on our lives which challenges a conventional worldly perspective, asking us to have deeper insights, and particular ways of looking at life beyond the surfaces of what we know and see.  In this sense, in repentance as "change of mind" (as the Greek word for repentance used in the Gospels literally means), we are asked to take on the mind of Christianity.  The promises Christ makes are the promises of the Kingdom, the way of being in the world but not of it that Christ preaches to us.  The poor may be those who are materially poor, but it is far better understood in the mind of the Church that those who are "poor" in this sense are those with the perspective of the poor, primarily understanding their dependence upon God, and also practicing gratitude for the good things of life we have.  Regardless of what we have and don't have in life, the things that we have come to realize or the things we think we lack, or are disappointed at in life, ours is indeed the kingdom of God.  For the kingdom of God is for those who truly want it.  We may be hungry for all kinds of things, but God is present to fill us with the things of God and the Kingdom, and to help to guide us in our lives for what we need and the life Christ has for us.  We weep over the sadness and injustice in the world, but there is joy in Christ, and joy in the things we are capable of doing and the love God can teach us, with which we can be filled.  If we suffer for the sake of our faith in Christ, consider how many may live without a fulfilling sense of mission or purpose, or who suffer needlessly and senselessly for what gives no lasting reward.  Christ's "woes" are a way of teaching us what it is we can work for, even slave for, but which can disappear into meaninglessness, or be unfulfilling in a deeper sense.  Life in the Kingdom even as we live in this world, is about pursuing the beauty of God's life for us, the identity Christ gives us, the image of life and values we are capable of grasping that teach wisdom and a fitting purpose, no matter where we find ourselves in life on worldly terms.  If we can but grasp it, this is the gospel message given for our lives and for love of humankind.

 

 

 

 

 

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, 

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

 For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

 

- Matthew 5:1-12 

 

 In our recent readings in St. Mark's Gospel, the setting has been Jesus' final week of His earthly life, iin Jerusalem.  He had made His Triumphal Entry into the city, cleansed the temple, and spent His days disputing and sparring with the religious leaders as He taught in the temple.  Most recently, after one question, Jesus told the scribe who had asked Him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  On Saturday, we read Jesus then responded again and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly. Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who  desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.   Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  Today the lectionary takes us to the Sermon on the Mount (found in St. Matthew's Gospel), from which the readings will come for this week, no doubt in preparation for Lent which begins next week.  My study Bible comments on these verses that in the Old Testament, there were only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, is speaking to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain, as my study Bible explains it, is a place where divine action enters human history; it is the place where God reveals Himself to humankind (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Samuel 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  There were early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, who sat while the people stood.  St. Matthew mentions that Jesus opened his mouth in order to emphasize that his teaching is "one way," my study Bible says. That is, Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are not there to discuss or debate, but to listen. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with what are called the Beatitudes, after these beginning statements regarding those who are blessed.  (Beatitude comes from the Latin word meaning "blessed.")  In this context, my study Bible explains, blessed indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.  To be poor in spirit is to have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and to be totally dependent upon God. 

 

 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  My study Bible says that those who mourn sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible says that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is importantly distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible explains that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek, it says, are God-controlled and they have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  Meekness is not passive weakness, but strength directed and under control.  The earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but rather the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  My study Bible says that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence of God  and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  It says they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  My study Bible defines mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  It says that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all. 

 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  "Pure," according to my study Bible, means unmixed with anything else.  The pure in heart are those completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who are pure in this sense practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and live in temperance.  My study Bible says that this level of spirituality is attained by few, but all people may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, it tells us, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will see God everywhere.  

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  By so doing, He revealed Himself to us as our Reconciler, the Prince of peace who brings us into communion with God (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ, my study Bible says.  So peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, then, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible declares that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, it notes, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown awaiting the righteous.

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  My study Bible claims that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek word meaning to be exceedingly glad literally means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  Sometimes this word is translated as to "exult."  See Acts 5:40-41.

Among all the other seemingly paradoxical statements we read in the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps the most strange, to our modern ears, is to hear that not only are we blessed when we're reviled and persecuted, or have evil slander directed against us -- all for Christ's sake.  We're to rejoice and be exceedingly glad because our reward in heaven is great; moreover, so the prophets before were persecuted.  Clearly this would have been meaningful to His direct audience, as for the Jews, the prophets were the greatest representatives of God sent into the world, so often to speak God's truth to power and face the consequences for doing so.   From the Gospels it is clear that Christ's first disciples were those guided to Him by John the Baptist, while John himself is considered to be the greatest of all the Old Testament type prophets.  We can see this heroic continuity in those who've been sent exemplified in Christ's parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Mark 12:1-12), which was given in Wednesday's reading last week.  There, servant after servant is sent by God to the vinedressers, only to be killed, and finally the owner sends his beloved Son.  It is into this known continuity that Jesus' listeners are given these words, Christ speaking of the prophets as images to imitate.  But most stunning of all is His assertion that now, we are to rejoice if this persecution comes for His sake.  For there He is placing Himself as central to the narrative of salvation, if you will.  He is placing Himself firmly in the place of the beloved Son sent to us all by God the Father.  He declares Himself worthy of such suffering and sacrifice, because He can offer us that eternal life, that place where our reward is great in heaven.  Noteworthy also, is remarking upon Christ's statement, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  We frequently read in Christ's teaching a sort of reciprocal principle at work within our communion with God and with our fellow believers and neighbors.  Further along in the Sermon on the Mount, after He gives us the Our Father, or the Lord's Prayer, He teaches, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15).  Both Christ's teaching on the practice of mercy and on forgiveness sound similar notes of reciprocal action within our communion with God and neighbor, and they are indeed related to one another.  We need to practice mercy and forgiveness in order to realize and receive these ourselves.  Perhaps, however, we need to understand suffering for Christ's sake within this same type of context.  For to suffer for His sake is to live His teachings and to be persecuted in some way for doing so.  To be merciful, and yet be made to suffer for it, even slandered for it, is a sense in which we're to understand that Christ's repayment for such a heroic dedication to His word will be ever greater, reciprocal in the greatest degree.  Moreover, to suffer for the sake of Christ's word and teachings is to do so in imitation of Him, for it is He who will pay the highest price for doing so, and out of love for us.   The modern cynical expression, "No good deed goes unpunished" may have a lot of truth in it for those who have experienced persecution for living the Lord's words and teachings.  But to suffer for Christ's sake is also to express our love for Him in return for the love we know first (1 John 4:19).   Let us consider how the practice of Christ's love and compassion might also mean that we suffer for His sake -- and then ponder His words that we need to rejoice and be exceedingly glad in the times when this is so!

 

 

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets

 

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:  Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  

"Blessed are you poor, 

For yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh. 

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.

 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.

 

But woe to you who are rich,

For you have received your consolation.

 Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.  

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets."

 

- Luke 6:12–26 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened on the second Sabbath after the first that He went through the grainfields.  And His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them, rubbing them in their hands.  And some of the Pharisees said to them, "Why are you doing what it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?"  But Jesus answering them said, "Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:  how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?"  And He said to them, "The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."  Now it happened on another Sabbath, also, that He entered the synagogue and taught.  And a man was there whose right hand was withered.  So the scribes and Pharisees watched Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, that they might find an accusation against Him.  But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Arise and stand here."  And he arose and stood.  Then Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one thing:  Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?"  And when He had looked around at them all, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  And he did so, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.  

 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: . . .   Jesus, as the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father, my study Bible says.  It cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that as the Son of Man, Jesus prays as the Advocate for humanity  (see 1 John 2:1).  Jesus spent all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles.   Citing Theophylact, my study Bible says that this teaches us that before choosing a candidate for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  Disciples and apostles are frequently used interchangeably for these twelve.  The Greek word translated as disciple means literally "learner."  Apostle means "one sent out." 

Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor.    The names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here these names are given in pairs, suggesting possibly who traveled together on the first missionary journey.  Mark reports that they were sent out two by two (Mark 6:7).  

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.  The sermon that follows these verses is called the Sermon on the Plain, we're told that Jesus stood on a level place.  .  It's similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount (found at Matthew 5 - 7), but not as extensive.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over the period of three years in His public ministry.  It adds that, in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  But God Incarnate speaks to His disciples and a great multitude face to face.  The power that went out of Him affirms His holiness. 

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."   Blessed in the context of this sermon (and the Sermon on the Mount) indicates a heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than our conventional sense of earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, my study Bible explains, "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.   In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus addresses this to the "poor in spirit," meaning all those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and a total dependence upon God. 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses those who "hunger and thirst for righteousness."  My study Bible says that these see  God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  They have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's desire for food (see Matthew 6:33). 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   Those who weep do so over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  Laughter comes from the comfort of the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible notes that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This type of sorrow is distinguished from ungodly sorrow; which would be a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

"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.  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."    My study Bible comments that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Luke 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Those who are treated in the ways described here do so as was done to the prophets, and Christ as well.  Those who suffer persecution in this sense walk the same road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  See Acts 5:40-41.

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.  Woe to you who are full for you shall hunger.   Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.  Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  Luke gives us four "woes" that are not found in the Sermon on the Mount.  My study Bible says that woe is an indication not simply of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18-19; Revelation 12:12).  It remarks that those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery," according to St. Cyril of Alexandria.  But they find hope when they sacrifice earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.  

We might be puzzled by the "woes" that are included here in the Sermon on the Plain.  In a modern context, it's not often that we think of Jesus as one who assigns "woes" to people.  This is especially true because the things named as part of these woes are overwhelmingly seen as things that are highly desirable and good, notable signs of success which perhaps all would like to pursue.  Wealth, fullness, laughter, and particularly perhaps those who are spoken of in a positive light, with renown or great publicity all seem to define success.  These are the people we tend to define as stars, upheld to others for their admiration, and constantly courting public opinion.  But clearly Jesus frowns on these as goals worth dedicating our whole lives to as if they are the fullness of life and its sole purpose.  In fact, if that's all we do, forgetful of Christ's words and the important things we should be pursuing, then our laughter is hollow and temporary, our consolation only of this world and not for life beyond, we'll be starving for things of more real substance, and mourning what we could have pursued, and missed doing.  For again, as in yesterday's reading and commentary, we go back to what righteousness is, right-relatedness.  If all we do is pursue these goals, if these are our highest good, then where are we in terms of our capacity to love others and do good for community?  Where is God in such a set of goals?  As "every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17), then how we pursue those gifts, how we use them or think of them, is certainly the purview of the Author of the gift.  If all things come from above, then what is our role in placing gratitude to God first before all else, and seeking God's way to live in the world?  Jesus adds, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets."  In the developed world, our capacity for the pursuit of all the things Jesus names becomes magnified and enhanced through every facet of what we call progress, every new development of technology and consumer goods.  But perhaps nothing is as magnified over and above the past as our capacity for the seeking of publicity, the hope that "all men speak well" of us, flatter us.  Giant social media networks like Facebook are driven by this desire, and those who have designed and engineered that know this very well, a system that goes by Likes, and Subscribes, and online Friends.  This great desire for a favorable image or outcome from the opinions of others drives its power to deceive through the failure to accept that it's God's opinion that matters most, takes priority in our choices and decisions.  We are so fixed in the idea of image as merely that which is reflected in the sight of others, rather than in the eye of God, that we run a risk of emptiness that never gets filled.  Indeed, studies have shown a depression correlated with social media use, the envy of what one sees crafted through photos and other posting coming to seem like the grass that is always greener somewhere else.  But needing to please God has to take on a different sort of priority, regardless of the rewards one might seek in a social context.  John's Gospel gives us a picture of the members of the ruling Council:  "many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).   The heretofore unprecedented levels of interactions available to us through modern technology make each of us hyper-aware of that "audience" available through the screen.  It leads us to focus a certain way, to think of ourselves within a particular sort of community that hasn't existed previous to recent times.  But God still calls to us, and perhaps that applause or approval we seek today is more fleeting than ever.  And yet there are also gatekeepers; we stand in constant awareness of the possibility that we will be censured, cancelled, shunned, and literally censored as well depending on how we serve that desired image and what it demands from us today.  Let us be attentive to the woes that Christ names, for it is an empty and merciless life defined only by  this kind of mutual praise, without the substance and grace that comes from the only God. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, 

For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:1–10 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

 

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  My study Bible informs us that in the Old Testament, there were only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  But here, God Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  Here Jesus will give us the Sermon on the Mount, over the following two chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel.  According to my study Bible, the mountain is a place where divine action enters human history, the place where God chooses to reveal God to human beings (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority (this tradition is still evident in the Church with the Bishop's chair).  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  That Matthew tells us Jesus opened his mouth emphasizes that this teaching is "one-way."  In other words, Christ has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples (and we, of course) are there not to discuss or to debate, but to listen.  At the Transfiguration, the Father's voice will say to the disciples present, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (Matthew 17:5).

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  In Greek, this word translated as blessed indicates a kind of contentment.  My study Bible suggests that it indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  It describes properties or graces extended by God in response to faithfulness.   In Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor, and the faithful among God's people, my study Bible says.  So the poor in spirit, it notes, are those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  My study Bible tells us that those who mourn are the ones who sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and also their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All of those who mourn in these ways are comforted by the power of God -- both in this world and in the age to come.  Holy sorrow, we are told, is a part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action.  It is the firstfruit, my study Bible adds, of infinite joy.  This is to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).   

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible describes meekness as used here by Jesus to mean an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  It says it's an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  This is not passive weakness, as one might imagine from a more material perspective, but rather it is strength which is directed and under control.  In the letter to the Philippians, St. Paul writes, "I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (Philippians 4:12).  My study Bible adds that the earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are the one who see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life, according to my study Bible.  They have what my study Bible calls a desperate craving for what is right before God; this is compared here to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God" (Psalm 42:1).  

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."   My study Bible describes mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  God shows mercy upon us in taking our sufferings, to grant us the Kingdom; and this sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  So, therefore, in view of God's mercy to all, we are in turn expected to be, like God, merciful to all.  

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  My study Bible explains that "pure" means unmixed with anything else.  So, the pure in heart are those completely devoted to the worship and service of God, and accept no compromises.  With the aid of the Holy Spirit, it notes, those who achieve purity practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and they live in temperance.  This level of spirituality is attained by few, but everyone may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, my study Bible explains, and a person holds to this desire, then that person will indeed see God everywhere.  

 

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He finds no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  In this sacrificial sense of the "food" of the Eucharist He gives us, we find Him revealed as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:5; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ, my study Bible notes.  So, therefore, peacemakers share God's peace with those who are around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  So, through God's grace, peacemakers become sons of God themselves. 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible tells us that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world and they give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Similarly to Jesus, it notes, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).   Christ's kingdom is the crown which awaits the righteousness.  

In today's reading, we can note the various elements of sacrifice named in these Beatitudes, or blessings of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 4:17).  These blessings are qualities of life that pertain to the Kingdom and our participation in it; they are ways in which our lives are built up with the particular blessings of God, linked to God's grace for us.  (There is, by the way, another important Greek word often translated as to "bless," but it means to praise.)   If we look at these Beatitudes, we see first of all Jesus naming the poor in spirit as those who are indeed blessed.  In our modern cultural context, particularly perhaps in Western countries, we can look at the word "poor" and wonder how we can associate this with the colloquial understanding of blessing.  But this type of disconnection is exemplary, because it tells us of an adjustment necessary in our understanding.  This sense of the Kingdom is a different set of values, a different way to see things, and asks us to understand something profound and true.  My study Bible, as noted above, gives us the sense of poor within the context of Jewish spiritual history, as those who are utterly dependent upon God.  But in that kind of poverty, that sense of dependency upon God, there is a great reward:  the kingdom of heaven.  To be "poor in spirit" then, does not necessarily mean being materially impoverished, but it does indicate a great shifting of values, where treasure is something different from sheer material accumulation in life.  What becomes most precious is our communion with God, and this in turn defines how we see life.  Jesus goes on to speak of mourning, which follows a sense of loss -- so it is another kind of indication of sacrifice.  But what is mourned is a way of life, a way of being, that is so much less than the comfort of God.  It implies, similarly to the phrase "poor in spirit," that we enter into a different state of seeing; our sins don't make us happy, the suffering of others becomes something we share, and we seek a different life -- that of the kingdom of heaven, a different way to live in this world.  To be meek in a worldly sense is often to suffer or to undergo the seeming loss or sacrifice of not gaining by conquering or "lording it over" others.    But here Jesus says it is these, and the implication seems to be of endurance, who will inherit the earth.  If we hunger and thirst, it doesn't sound like something appealing.  But note that this is a hunger and a thirst for righteousness, and we will be blessed by being filled with that for which we hunger and thirst, the righteousness of reconciliation with God, walking in faithfulness.  To be merciful in some way implies we give something up, we don't exact perfect "justice" in the sense of an eye for an eye.  But we receive mercy in return, which is priceless.  To be pure in heart takes effort.  We are born into a world that surrounds us with faulty thinking, sinful behavior, imperfect understanding, with desires that tempt us and form our perspective in all kinds of ways.  But to become pure in heart is a way of following God on a journey toward something, weeding out the things that get in the way of our pursuit, casting off the things that adulterate the heart.  It is a lifetime journey, but the reward is the most tremendous sight any human being could behold.  To see God is something unthinkable in any other way, impossible otherwise.  To be a peacemaker is difficult; it may require the sacrifice not only of not getting our own way, so to speak, but of learning to reconcile, and the creative effort it takes to do so respectably and with dignity.  But to be sons of God (both male and female, as inheritors) is an honor far beyond any other.  Finally we have what is clearly a kind of sacrifice indicated:  "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Imagine being persecuted for righteousness' sake.  One is doing the right thing, and by the standards of God, no less -- and yet one is persecuted.  This is clearly indicative of the martyrs who would come, but also includes anyone who has suffered any form of persecution for righteousness' sake.  It's a sacrifice of comfort, acceptance, social standing and any possible number of things, but for righteousness' sake.  That is, for doing or supporting what is truly right and just in the sight of God, for being faithful to God.  What this leads us to believe is something Jesus affirms elsewhere, that to be a part of the kingdom of heaven is to be blessed beyond all known measure.  Jesus says of John the Baptist, "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Matthew 11:11).  This is truly a high standard indeed!  If we are to understand sacrifice properly, we have to understand its true meaning here.  No sacrifice is without benefit.  A sacrifice in the ancient world was one which was a communal meal.  In some sense, then, Jesus is teaching us that any of the potential things we forego in order to participate in this kingdom return to us blessings far beyond the value we know, and that to make these kinds of "sacrifices" as described here is to participate in the ultimate blessing, the kingdom of heaven.  Moreover, even on the individual level, none of this is lost or unknown to God, to Christ who loves us:  "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:12).  In each of the ways Jesus speaks of about what it is to be blessed in this way of the kingdom of heaven, whatever suffering or "doing without" which is implied here is all by way of a kind of investment.  The rewards reaped are far greater than what we cast off or forego.  In the same sense should we think of Christ's sacrifice for all:  to destroy death itself would be to have those whom He loves with Him for an eternity, to offer us the eternal life that is in Him.  May we value what He offers to us as highly as He values us.

 

 

 

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  

 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:11-16 

 

 Yesterday we read that Jesus, seeing the multitudes who now follow Him, went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

 

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  My study Bible comments that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek for be exceedingly glad means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See Acts 5:40-41.)

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."  Salt and light are illustrations of the role of disciples in society.  My study Bible explains that because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its ability to give flavor, salt had religious and sacrificial significance (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with another meant to be bound together in loyalty.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are therefore preservers of God's covenant, and they thereby give true flavor to the world.   As for light, we know that God is the true and uncreated Light.  My study Bible says that in the Old Testament light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalms 119:105), and Israel in contrast to other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9, 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  Light is also necessary for clear vision and also for life itself.  Faith is reliant upon this divine light, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  In many Eastern Orthodox parishes, the Easter Liturgy begins with a candle presented together with the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  My study Bible says that Christian virtues have both a personal and a public function, as our virtue can bring others to glorify the Father.  

What does it mean to let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven?  This could be a confusing question as my study Bible explains it, because in our present time various "virtuous acts" mean different things to different people.  What is popularly called "virtue signaling" is precisely such seeming activity, and yet it is not at all universally seen as a light which leads people to glorify God.  What that might be telling us is that we have the wrong end of the stick, and our usual way of thinking will not really suffice to answer the question.  What would lead people to glorify our Father in heaven in our own good works?  What leads people to God?  If we look at the question this way, it's not just a matter of persuasion or the appearance of good acts that please people.  This is something different.  This is Jesus calling upon us for truly positive acts of living our faith, and that will cause people to glorify God.  How do we let God's light shine through us?  There are surprising ways to look at this question, because in our modern age, we approach such a question, and such a statement by Christ, as if it were merely directed to individuals and individual behavior.  But what if it's not?  What if, as would be much more commonly perceived and understood in Christ's time, Jesus is speaking not to address people as individuals, but as a community?  If we look at Christians as whole communities from the time of the earliest Church, we see a number of social innovations we could really call letting God's light shine through this community.  Following out of Christ's teachings of the kingdom of God, Christian communities built institutions like hospitals.  Following out of the need for literacy to spread the gospel message in the Scriptures, educational institutions evolved out of monasteries, places where literacy could be learned and books copied.  The social changes that came about in societies that became overwhelmingly, and eventually officially, Christian meant that human life was considered to be far more sacred than it was in pagan societies, which did not formerly frown on infanticide, for example.  The widespread practice of baptism in and of itself taught whole peoples the importance of the soul, the salvation of the human person, and over the centuries such teachings made a great deal of difference indeed in the evolution of structures of justice, medical care, and whole fields of science for human welfare.  If we look at such an evolution over time, and what happens when the light of God shines through whole peoples, we begin to focus on the beauty and truth and goodness that is possible to develop as a cultural history and inheritance.  In Churches we find architecture and art that speaks to a whole history of the beauty of that light, even the seeing the truth and goodness of Creator through the goodness and beauty of creation itself.  The art of mosaic and icon depict creation and creatures as windows through which Creator shines, vehicles of God's mercy and light.  These are not things we take lightly, but they may often -- in a modern world -- be things which we take entirely too much for granted.  In the beauty of music and poetry and hymnody we find the light of God shining through human creativity in honor of Creator, and the astonishing creativity that adds beauty to the lives of all who may participate and hear -- not reserved only for elites or the elect but found in Churches and services that were meant to include even the "least of these" in the society.  Taken on such a scale and over such a perspective, we might find that the light of God shining through a faithful community takes on a transfiguring role in the world and in the society, until we take it all for granted and forget where it came from and how it started.  Let us consider how the light of God shining through human communities has contributed to the world, and how it may yet move us forward into new "light" for a future age.  For these aspects of beauty and goodness can only be understood if we remember that we glorify God through them, that to see the beauty of creation is to illumine the glory of the Creator.  When such perception dies, so does the care of society and community, and so plummets the value of human life and the things that make for our real social good.  Have you a way to glorify Creator by strengthening community?  Can you contribute to beauty for the love of the world?  How does the light of Christ lead you to give to others, to community, to do works of great beauty, of compassion?  For in the One who brought us the light, we find the image of One who saves for the sake of all, and who glorifies God. 

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

    "Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    Blessed are those who mourn,

    For they shall be comforted.

    Blessed are the meek,

    For they shall inherit the earth.

    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    For they shall be filled.

    Blessed are the merciful,

    For they shall obtain mercy.

    Blessed are the pure in heart, 

    For they shall see God.

    Blessed are the peacemakers,

    For they shall be called sons of God.

    Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

     For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

- Matthew 5:1-10 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.   

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:. . .  In the Old Testament, my study Bible tells us, there are only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, god Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain, my study Bible explains, is a place where divine action enters human history.  It is the place in which God reveals God to man (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  The traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority is to do so seated.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  Matthew mentions that Jesus opened His mouth to emphasize that this teaching goes "one-way."  That is, that Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are there not in order to discuss or to debate, but to listen.  

 

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Blessed in this context is an indication of a heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness or prosperity, my study Bible explains.  The material things commonly called blessings are not what is emphasized here in Christ's teaching of the Beatitudes.  In Hebrew, the word for "poor" can mean both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.  Those who are poor in spirit are those who have the heart of the poor.  That is, the same attitude as the poor, who are totally dependent upon God.  

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Those who mourn are those who sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All of these, my study Bible tells us, are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  Holy sorrow is also part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action.  It is the firstfruit of the joy of God.  This kind of sorrow must be distinguished (discerned) from ungodly sorrow, which is sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthains 7:10).  

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible comments that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek are God-controlled and they have mastery over their passions, most particularly anger.  Meekness, my study Bible continues, is not passive weakness, but it is strength which is directed and under control.  The earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but rather the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  That is, they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, which my study Bible says is comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  What is mercy?  My study Bible describes it as love set in motion, expressed in action.  God's mercy in Christ, who took our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom, sets us free from captivity to the evil one. In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all.  

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  To be "pure" means to be unmixed, unadulterated with anything else.  Those who are pure in heart, therefore, are completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the aid of the Holy Spirit, those who achieve this type of purity practice all virtue, they have no conscious evil in themselves, and they live in temperance.  My study Bible explains that this level of spirituality is attained by few, but all people may strive for it. When the soul's only desire is God, it notes, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will indeed see God everywhere.  

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."   As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  This kind of peace means reconciliation to God.  Therefore, in so doing, Christ reveals Himself to us as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  My study Bible adds that the Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ.  so, therefore, peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, then, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Children of God are those who uphold truth, who refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and who give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, my study Bible notes, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is that crown which awaits the righteous.

Today's reading gives us what are called the Beatitudes.  A beatitude is defined as a "supreme blessedness" according to the Oxford English Dictionary.  That is, in this case, a kind of blessedness that passes an ordinary worldly or earthly understanding.  This is not about accumulating worldly goods, nor counting up our good fortune, even seemingly immaterial things like how many friends we have or how lucky we are to have good family members.  This kind of blessedness is a heavenly blessedness here on earth.  It is a blessedness that surpasses worldly experience and surroundings, and is conferred through the blessings of the kingdom of heaven, which is with us, among us, and within us (Luke 17:20-21).  These blessings confer a state of blessedness upon believers who participate in the kingdom of God even in this world through Christ and the blessedness He brings to us through all that He has done, through His Incarnation, the sacraments of the Church, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and all the ways in which we inherit this Kingdom which He has brought to us, and in which we may participate, even becoming sons and heirs, and more -- even to the extent that we also may become "like Him, like God."  Through this blessedness that Jesus describes, we are those who, through faith and faithful living, may fulfill our creation in that God created humankind in God's own image and likeness.  Jesus Christ is the supreme example brought into the world as Son incarnate as a human being in order to prepare the way for us.  His humanity was itself touched by divinity so that we in turn may also become "sons" -- meaning both heirs, and also to become "like God" -- through His life, suffering, death, and Resurrection.  This is what the Cross means for us, and we should consider these Beatitudes, these blessings Jesus lays out for us, as the supreme crowning blessings of Christianity.  Let us remember, even in the midst of these blessings we are to ponder in Christ's great Sermon on the Mount, that -- as we are wont to remind our readers on this blog -- "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  What this implies is that the blessings of the kingdom of God, the Beatitudes which Christ has just named in the beginning of this great sermon, are the weapons which act against these unseen enemies as described by St. Paul.  We seek this blessedness in order to secure a Kingdom in this world which is not of this world, but which may nonetheless dwell within the world, and particularly within and among us who are faithful to it.  Many of my readers understand the persecutions that faithful Christians undergo, in particular at this time in the world, building upon those of the past.  Especially in the time of distress, we are to remember what we are to be about.  We seek this Kingdom in which we seek Christ's peace, reconciliation with God, a remembrance of our living prayer each day in our lives, our reliance upon God to give us the perspective of true peace within ourselves, so that we may see clearly where we are going and where Christ leads us in our worldly lives.  For even when our worldly life is in turmoil, it is to God's blessings we must turn at all times.  Let us count these blessings even in the midst of persecutions, and let us find His way for us now.   Note that this list of Beatitudes that Jesus gives us to start this sermon begin and end with a reminder of our belonging to the kingdom of heaven.  He starts with the poor in spirit, and finishes with those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake -- and to both He adds, "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Let us remember to Whom we belong at all times, no matter what comes in our lives, where we are, who we are with, for God is present to us and with us always.