The beatitudes in Luke’s gospel speak of God’s blessings, his favor upon the poor,
hungry and brokenhearted. These are people who cannot help themselves but turn to
God for hope of a better life. Readings invite us to reflect on the way of life and the way
to death or emptiness. Blessed are like a tree planted near running water, fruitful in love
and service and the way of the wicked is like trying to grow a plant in the desert. Jesus
sees the disparity between poor and rich in society and his words of blessings are for
the poor; he assures them God’s love, comfort. The poor are also the disciples of
Christ who try to imitate Christ. Members of the church share a common faith and that
faith demands shared blessings, to render justice to the less fortunate of the world.
The beatitudes are given to shape our attitudes. Gospel is a message of change of
heart to the rich and self-sufficient, who scorn the poor or insensitive to the needs of
others [this saying is not about having riches but how one uses riches]. The woe to the
rich is God’s judgment of human conduct. Jesus warns that there will be a reversal of
fortunes at the end times. The poor and hungry are God’s children too; God is within
their misery. Paul says that in the resurrection of Christ our life is linked to eternity, what
inspires us to love. It is by loving each other that we reverse miserable human
conditions. Beatitudes remind us that blessings or happiness is not the sum of things
we possess; it is in following Christ and making the kingdom of God [wellbeing] an
experience for everyone that we are blessed. The blessed person removes reasons for
hunger, homelessness, pollution, wars and displacement of peoples etc.
Rabbi Levi Yitzhak used to say that he had discovered the meaning of love from a
drunken peasant. The Rabbi was visiting the owner of a tavern in the Polish
countryside. As he walked in, he saw two peasants, Ivan and Peter at a table. Both
were gloriously in their beer cups. Arms around each other, they were protesting how
much each loved the other. Suddenly Ivan said to Peter: Peter, tell me, what hurts me?
Bleary-eyed, Peter looked at Ivan: How do I know what hurts you? Ivan’s answer was
swift: If you don’t know what hurts me, how can you say you love me? If we truly love
Christ we are called to listen to the cry of the afflicted, to recognize what hurts our
fellow beings.
The spirit of poverty the gospel talks about is an openness to one’s need both spiritual
and material; beatitudes transform human selfishness, fears and feelings of
unworthiness and help us to live a stewardship way of life. The disciples of Jesus were
poor. We don’t speak of their material possessions; we honor them because of their
faith, trust in God and life changing message that changed many lives. We admire
Mother Teresa not because she was rich or poor but because of the way she shared
God’s blessings with the unwanted of this world. Gospel invites us to form the mind of
Christ in us, a compassionate, generous and sharing heart, to journey with Christ, for
he wants us to be with him forever, beyond the struggles of this life!