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 

 

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.  My study Bible tells us that in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain is a place where divine action enters human history, the place where God reveals Himself to humankind (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.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  

 

 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  According to my study Bible, Matthew mentioning that Jesus opened his mouth emphasizes this teaching is "one-way," that Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are there not to discuss or debate, but to listen.

 

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  To be blessed in this context is meant to indicate heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  My study Bible notes that in Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor and also the faithful among God's people.  The poor in spirit therefore 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 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, it says, are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  What is understood as holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and it is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is to be 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 in imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  It says that the meek are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  Additionally, we are to understand that 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 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 God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  My study Bible describes this as a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33, also Psalm 42:1).

 

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  What is mercy?  My study Bible describes mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  It explains 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 are in turn meant to be merciful to all.  

 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  In this context, my study Bible tells us, "pure" means to be unmixed with anything else, unadulterated.  The pure in heart 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 are described as practicing all virtue, having no conscious evil in themselves, and living in temperance.  This is a level of spirituality which is attained by few, but all people may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is for God, my study Bible says, and a person's will holds this desire, then that person will truly see God everywhere.  

 

 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As He is the source of peace, my study Bible explains that Christ found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  In so doing, Christ reveals Himself to us as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ.  So, peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in Christ's work.  By God's grace, my study Bible tells us, 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 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).  Like Jesus, my study Bible says, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown awaiting the righteous.  

 

 In today's reading we begin what is known as the Sermon on the Mount, which is perhaps the most significant single Scripture passage in which we receive the gospel message of Jesus in "one place," so to speak.  That is, in a single sermon.  The Sermon on the Plain, found in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 6:17-49), is perhaps the other passage of Scripture in which we find a similar grouping of lessons and teachings on Christ's gospel.  But the Sermon on the Mount is perhaps what we'd call a landmark in New Testament Scripture.  It is the place where Jesus addresses the multitudes and presents His gospel in a fullness not found in a record of a single sermon elsewhere.  Of course, we do not take a single passage of Scripture and expect it to give us the fullness of Christ, His message, and ministry, nor the complete understanding of the Church as to what that means for us and for our spiritual lives and practice of our faith.  However, it's notable that the Sermon on the Mount is given to us so relatively soon in St. Matthew's Gospel, as Jesus has just begun His public ministry, and He's become famous in a rather short period of time.  It's also "early" in St. Matthew's Gospel as a whole.  Here in today's passage we begin with the Beatitudes.  It's possible that these are among the most famous and most quoted teachings of Jesus that we know.  As my study Bible points out, it's important to understand that He's setting out for us what are the blessings of the Kingdom, and what is that "blessed" life He's speaking about.  So often we think about blessings in material terms, but that is not at all the message of these Beatitudes, these blessings that Jesus is teaching us about.  Like so much of the whole of the Bible, and possibly in particular the Old Testament that has come before the New, Jesus' blessings stand the worldly sense of life on its head.  What's exalted on worldly terms is humbled in Christ's terms of blessings, and what is humble in the world's terms is exalted in Christ's teaching.  Jesus teaches that those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness' sake are all blessed in His sight, and He gives us the reasons why all of this is true.  We notice how these beatitudes begin and end with the reward of the kingdom of heaven.  As my study Bible puts it, citizenship and belonging in this Kingdom is the crown for those who enter and dwell there.  Lest we misperceive this message, the kingdom of heaven isn't simply an afterlife or a world we might experience after we live our worldly lives.  The kingdom of heaven is one which dwells within us (Luke 17:21).  It's one that grows and expands, and with surprising results and capabilities (Matthew 13:31-32).  It is one that pervades all things and changes their quality (Matthew 13:33).  Additionally, it's a tremendous treasure that's worth the price of everything, and surpasses everything else in quality and preciousness (Matthew 13:44-46).  Moreover, it's one of ultimate discernment, and judgment -- casting all things into their proper places, separating the bad from the good (Matthew 13:47-50).  And, ultimately, the kingdom of heaven is the greatest collection of treasure of all time (Matthew 13:52).  How do we reach and and dwell within this kingdom?  By practicing all the things He says, cultivating all of these qualities He names in today's reading.  We live in a world with tremendous emphasis on the material.  Perhaps in our age we face a great deal more of this emphasis than ever in the past.  Social media tends to amplify the emphasis placed on image, and especially our image within the socially desirable qualities or achievements that are most valued or correspond to social rank.  But Jesus stands all of this on its head, elevating what it is to be poor in spirit, to be meek, to be a peacemaker, to be humble, pure in heart, to deeply desire righteousness before all else, even to be persecuted for one's righteousness.  Those things are a high price to pay within a culture that values material image, status, and social power to the extent that ours does.  But in Christ's words and teachings, the pearl of greatest price -- of highest value -- is life in this kingdom.  And so we find what is worthy of our sacrifice of what's needed in the social order in order to gain what the heart's desire would claim as exaltation and joy that cannot be found otherwise.  This is our choice, and it's the wisdom of life, even our greatest prize.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me

 

 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  

 

Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  

 

- Matthew 11:1-6 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been preparing the twelve disciples, now chosen as apostles, for their first mission (see the readings from  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught them, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  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."

 

  Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.  And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  According to Church Fathers, my study Bible teaches, John the Baptist asks this question in order to guide his own disciples to Jesus.  Undoubtedly, it notes, John's own faith was also strengthened through Christ's response (in the verses that follow). 

 

 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:  The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   According to my study Bible, Isaiah prophesied that these signs would accompany the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 35:5; 61:1).  Jesus performed these miracles in the presence of John's disciples (Luke 7:21) so they could see with their own eyes works that only the Messiah could do.  

 

 As we have been reading through Christ's instructions to the Twelve just prior to their first apostolic mission, we have been considering His statements that indicate what His power does, how it works and manifests in the world, as He has shared this power with them for the mission upon which He sends them out.  Here there is another reminder, this time to the disciples of St. John the Baptist, of what His power does.  Not only does He speak directly of the miracles and signs that appear in His ministry which were prophesied to accompany the Messiah, but He adds another note that speaks of how this power works.  He says, "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."  This seems to be a continuation of something which He taught to the apostles in yesterday's reading.  He taught them, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.  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."  Here in today's reading, He teaches John's disciples a similar teaching about the blessings conferred through His ministry, but in this instance He frames it in terms of those who do not take offense at Him.  Even these who are not yet among His disciples, but who are not opposed or offended at His explosive and surprising ministry are blessed, in Christ's words.  It reminds us again of the two-edged sword He described in yesterday's reading, and what a polarizing figure He is.  He will teach, "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad" (Matthew 12:30), describing this central quality of Christ once again, and reminding us that there are "two ways."  In St. Mark's chapter 9, the disciples find others casting out demons in His name.  Using language also found in yesterday's reading, Jesus taught them, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward" (Mark 9:39-41).  From His words, we understand that people's responses to Christ are so strong, that simply being without offense at Him is enough that His work and power create a blessing.  If we look around today, we can see a lot of people who are "offended" at Jesus Christ and His words, for all kinds of reasons.  We might suppose it was ever thus, in one way and another, for one reason and another, anywhere His word is preached.  Nevertheless, it remains true, blessed are those not offended because of Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

Blessed are you

 

 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 cast your 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.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: . . .  My study Bible cites St. Ambrose of Milan, who comments that Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  Instead, as the Son of Man, He prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).   Moreover, according to Theophylact, Jesus spent all night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles in order to teach 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.  The twelve are called interchangeably both disciples and apostles.  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.   My study Bible comments that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, because many people had more than one name.  The names here and in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4) are given in pairs, suggesting who might have traveled together on the first missionary journey, as 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.  Note that for the sermon He will give here, Jesus stood on a level place.  For that reason, the sermon in the verses that follow is called the Sermon on the Plain.  It is also noteworthy that, in addition to all those from Judea and Jerusalem (and, we presume, Galilee), there are also people present from the Gentile regions of the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon.  Although the Sermon on the Plain is not as extension as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), it is similar in content.  My study Bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years.  

Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:  "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."  In the Sermon on the Mount, He teaches, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," meaning those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  This can also clearly mean those oppressed or excluded because of their faith and humility.  Blessed in the context of Christ's teaching means heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than a worldly kind of happiness or simply material prosperity.  In Hebrew, my study Bible comments, "poor" means both the materially poor and also the faithful among God's people. 

 

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Again we remember the kind of blessings Jesus refers to here.  In the Sermon on the Mount, it's reported that He taught, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."   

 

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."    In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ speaks of the blessedness of those who mourn.  That is, according to my study Bible, those who sorrow over the suffering 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).  

 

"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and cast your 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 those who would be 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).  Luke Jesus, there will be those who, in response, hate, exclude, and cast one's name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake (see also John 15:18-20).  It adds that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  

"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 reports four "woes" which are not found in Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount.  My study Bible comments that woe 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 which are listed here are liable to the "utmost misery"; however, according to St. Cyril of Alexandria, they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others.

 

 In giving us both the blessings and the woes that accompany the kingdom of God and His gospel, Jesus teaches us about the centrality of this Kingdom to our lives.  He's saying that we have both blessings within it, and woes that come without it, and He offers us a perspective that teaches quite clearly that being a part of this Kingdom is worth every sacrifice and any worldly suffering it might entail.  The blessings of this Kingdom come despite nominal worldly hardship because of it, in Christ's framework of Beatitudes here.  We are blessed although among the poor, because ours is the kingdom of God.  We are blessed when we hunger, for we shall be filled.  When we weep we are nonetheless blessed because we shall laugh.  And when we are hated by others, and excluded, and our name is slandered as evil -- all for the Son of Man's sake -- we are also blessed!  In fact, we are to rejoice, and leap for joy, because our reward is great in heaven, and in so suffering we join the ranks of the prophets of the past.  He asks us to celebrate this blessedness even in the midst of worldly suffering because of our faith.  On the other hand, there are woes here for those who reject the Kingdom, and who reap a worldly harvest at the same time (even possibly because of that rejection).  The rich will receive no other consolation; those who are full (in contrast to the hungry faithful) shall hunger.  Those who laugh now shall mourn and weep.  And those whose reputation is great and flattered shall suffer the same fate as the false prophets.  It might be safe to say that we all know those who seem to have a good life possibly because they reject living the values that Christ teaches -- and also those who nominally follow Christ in an outward fashion.  But consider what it means to truly accept the things He posits here.  Can we rejoice when we're reviled for His sake?  Are we really capable of understanding, contrary to the plethora of suggestions in the world that having all things immediately at our fingertips is a guarantee of a great life, that a deferred consolation might really be far better than the things with which we could gratify ourselves right now?  These are not easy teachings, but they nevertheless make a great deal of sense with a little spiritual experience.   Some have learned by sharing the bitter experience of letting oneself down with, say, easy money gained through a cheap cheat of someone we care about.  Another common path to this knowledge through experience is in finding a purely outward fix through indulgence and forgetfulness in whatever vice we choose, rather than really grappling with and struggling with an inner problem.  These remain common experiences in a modern world -- and the true "fix" to the problems that deeply ail us remains still in the spiritual struggle that is there within us.  There are all kinds of ways of losing ourselves within the worldly framework of what looks good on the surface.  For example,  popularity and flattery, getting the big house or car or boat even through not-so-honest or decent ways of conducting our business, or a high lifestyle that seeks to ignore the question of integrity and even the inner struggle with our own troubles.  These dilemmas remain with us and become magnified with greater worldly wealth and temptation.  There are myriad books in any marketplace to testify to such struggles, and self-help programs, medications, and therapies that continue to proliferate in an effort to offer solutions.  But so much in the end comes down to facing the true fact that it is the intangible that gives us reward, the struggle that gives us substance, and the love of God that is the comfort that answers our deepest needs for consolation.  In the end, it is the love and mercy of the Kingdom that become reliable -- despite worldly loss -- because those are the things that stay with us while everything else can fluctuate.  Those are the needs we still have when everything else is transcended.  Witness the enduring problems in the headlines of people who have too much too fast, of the wealthy and famous, the anxieties that can accompany worldly achievement.  Let us consider the Kingdom, and Christ's teaching.  For whatever we have in life, a real need remains for what is of true substance, and the spiritual life the one place to seek the answers we haven't  managed to find.  There are times when we make a choice between this inner struggle of working out our salvation and some sort of worldly plan for "success."  Let us cherish the value of the one over the other, and know that all things may be added to the one we are to seek first. 

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 was 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.  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.  According to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus, being the Son of God, does not pray as if to obtain grace or revelation from the Father.  Rather, as the Son of Man, He prays as the Advocate for humanity (see 1 John 2:1).   Theophan comments that, as Jesus spent all night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles, it teaches us that before a candidate is chosen for any spiritual ministry, we should pray that God will reveal to us the one suited for the task.  Out of His disciples, He chooses twelve He also named apostles:  disciple means "learner," and apostle means "one sent out."  My study bible tells us that the names of the Twelve are not the same in all lists, as many people had more than one name.  Here, in Luke's Gospel, for example, Levi is now Matthew.  These names, as in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 10:1-4), are given in pairs, suggesting who might have traveled together on the first missionary journey, as Mark says 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.  Jesus stood on a level place to deliver the sermon that follows, for this reason it is often called the Sermon on the Plain.  Note that Jesus had gone to a mountain to pray before choosing the twelve disciples He also named apostles; here the text tells us that He came down with them to a great multitude of people from everywhere inside Israel (including all Judea and Jerusalem) and from nominally Gentile regions of Tyre and Sidon.  Jesus' great 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."  Here Jesus begins what is known as the Sermon on the Plain, directed at all of His disciples, and by inference, all we who would be His disciples.  It is not as extensive, but similar in content to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 - 7.   My study bible comments that Jesus repeated many of His teachings over a period of three years.  Blessed, in this context, does not indicate an earthly happiness or prosperity, but rather heavenly, spiritual exaltation.  In Hebrew, poor means both the materially poor, and also those who are faithful among God's people.  In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus refers this teaching to the "poor in spirit" -- that is, those who have teh heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  

"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled."  Let us note that these are spiritual teachings, and not promises of prosperity and abundant food, but rather allusions to the deep desire for the things of God, the bread and wine of Christ and His true substance.  All of these teachings follow upon the mention of the "poor," those who are aware of their deep needs.

"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh."   In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks of those who mourn (Matthew 5:4).  My study bible says that they are those who have 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).  Christ shares His joy with us in this world and in the age to come, a joy that comes from the fulfillment of one's place in the economy of God, the salvation story of all, God's grace at work in one's life (John 15:11; 16:20-24).

"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 (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, the Son of Man, and like the prophets, they will suffer antipathy and exclusion, even being called evil.  Those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the 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 reports four "woes" which are not found in Matthew's Sermon on the Mount.  Woe, according to my study bible, is an indication not merely of sorrow, but of unspeakable destruction (Isaiah 5:18-24; Amos 5:18; Revelation 12:12).  Similarly to "blessed" in this context, "woe" has a deeper spiritual meaning beyond its worldly connotations.  My study bible cites St. Cyril of Alexandria, who comments that those who prize the vices listed here are liable to the "utmost misery"; but they find hope when they sacrifice their earthly blessings in showing mercy to others (see also Matthew 6:19-21).

Jesus' Sermon on the Plain tells us deep truths about the ways in which we live our lives, and the realities we deal with as His disciples and followers.  But it also echoes the truths found in other prophetic verses in the Bible, most especially in the songs of women we encounter.  Luke reports the song of Mary, sung by Mary after her cousin Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) is filled with the Holy Spirit as her own child leaps in her womb, and she prophesies that Mary carries the Incarnate Lord (Luke 1:41-45).  In Mary's song (Luke 1:46-55) are also found the truths of the power of the Lord, which turn upside down the wisdom of the world.  She whose state is lowly will be called blessed by all generations.  The proud will be scattered, the mighty pulled down from their thrones, the lowly exalted, the hungry filled with good things, the rich sent away empty, and the faithful people of God who serve the Lord are helped.  In all of these themes is the contained the power and action of the mercy of the Lord, and we also find this elaborated by Jesus in today's reading which includes the Sermon on the Plain.  These themes extend from the Old Testament (see, for instance, Hannah's song), and are fulfilled and made manifest in the New.  But we also carry with us an understanding that this manifestation must continue and must grow, even as we still look to the future for a richer revelation and fulfillment of the same.  As you read these words of the Sermon on the Plain, I would ask my readers to reflect on what ways these words might be fulfilled in your own lives and your own experience, for it is indeed in experience that we find the fulfillment of Christ's teaching.  A sad occasion or loss turns to joy with the addition and action of faith:  one door closes on a job or occupation, but with time we find our faith leads us to something more pleasing to the Lord.  We might experience the loss of social status, but contained therein is a blessing of peace in more deeply being linked to Christ in the heart.  There are myriad ways we can experience this power in the mercy of the Lord in our own lives, even more than I could count simply in my own.  But it is important that we look to what seems to be that power manifesting in the small, even the intimate, and even in ways no one else possibly knows, and not discount them.  We think of Christ as Lord of the Universe, and indeed, this is true; His will be the final word over all.  But our experience of our faith is something different.  It takes eyes to see and ears to hear, and it comes down to what we know in the heart, and what we have the capacity through faith to see and to hear.  This intimate moment between Mary and Elizabeth, this Sermon on the Plain with Christ's disciples, or the mountaintop experience of the Twelve, are not earth-shattering events when they happen.  They are not on parallel with a worldly impression such as a declaration of Caesar, a great battle that topples a kingdom, the siege of a city.  And yet, their impact is far, far greater than all of these through time, and will continue to grow through time into the future.  When we look to Christ's words, let us also consider how they are manifest in the experience of St. Paul, who prayed to be healed of an affliction, but was told, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  "Therefore," writes St. Paul, "most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  God's power so often manifests not through the great, but the small.  Let us therefore look to our deeply intimate times of faith for meaning and understanding, and look back through time at the unfolding of God's word -- even as we watch terrifying powers defeated, power-hungry movements collapsing from within, and our prayers made manifest in a deep sense of peace and joy we can't explain.  For these are the ways in which God's power and love are at work, and God's mercy is always present with us.