Luke 6:20
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
Have you ever known someone who seemed to have it all: big house, lots of money, great job, but also came across as being angry all of the time or always troubled? You may also know someone who seems to be in dilemma, maybe even in a situation of extreme loss or disappointment, yet they seem to be happy and at peace? On the surface it seems like it would be opposite. In this weekend's Gospel from Saint Luke, we hear Jesus preaching what we know are the beatitudes, like what we read in Saint Matthew's gospel. He begins by preaching to the crowds, "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh." Jesus is preaching hope. The Jews (and many others) lived in a difficult period. May people had little and the future was bleak. Remember that their history was one of conflict, exile, slavery, and strife. Even at that time, they were ruled by the Romans who took over their lands. They relied on their faith and trust in God to provide a redeemer and savior to their people as he had promised. Now Jesus had come to preach hope and love. He preached that if you were poor, your inheritance would be life in paradise with God. But he preached, not so much to those less fortunate for material things but also to those poor in spirit. Jesus recognized that life might be a bit easier with those that had been blessed with wealth and social stats. He didn't want to condemn them, but to give hope for those that had less. God may not provide material wealth to those that were poor, but he would provide spiritual wealth to those who truly wanted it and opened their heart for his redeeming love. God would take away the pain of those suffering and restore them with joy and hope if they lived a life in Christ. He would wipe away every tear and restore their happiness and joy. In our material world that we live in today, it's easy to get caught up in self fulfilment and gratification; it's the "if it feels good, do it" mentality. God calls us to humble ourselves and not become trapped in the material possessions of this world for status or gain. Instead, give what we have to the less fortunate, feed the hungry with spiritual food and share our skills and talents with love.
