September 12, 2018

Gospel: Lk 6:20-26
Then, looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Fortunate are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Fortunate are you, who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Fortunate are you, who weep now, for you will laugh. Fortunate are you, when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Remember, that is how the ancestors of the people treated the prophets. But alas for you, who have wealth, for you have been comforted now. Alas for you, who are full, for you will go hungry. Alas for you, who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Alas for you, when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of the people treated the false prophets.

Reflections
Luke’s ‘Sermon on the Plain’ more or less parallels Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon can be summarized as follows: An introduction of blessings and woes (20-26), The love of one’s enemies (27-36), The demands of loving one’s neighbour (37-42),Good deeds as proof of one’s goodness (43-45). How are we to understand these sayings which turn our common worldview upside down? The way of Jesus is not how things are set up by the status quo. It has to be seen in the light of the Kingdom, in the kind of society that Jesus came to set up, a society based on love, mercy and solidarity. The coming of such a society could only be good news for the poor and the marginalized, for those suffering from hunger and exploitation, for those depressed by deep sorrow and for those abused and rejected for their commitment to justice, peace and integrity of creation or in the words of Pope Francis “Care for our Common Home.” On the other hand, it would not be good news for those greedy people who amass material wealth at the expense of others, who indulge in excessive consumption of the world’s goods, and who do not care for the poor and the excluded. There is really no place for such people in the Reign of God. To enter fully into the new world inaugurated by Jesus, we are impelled to live differently – from greed to solidarity, from indifference to greater concern for the poor, and from judgmental morality to living the mercy of God in all our relationships.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2018