Today’s Gospel presents Saint Luke’s version of the Beatitudes. Jesus delivers his teachings on the “beatitudes” and the subsequent “woe to you.” It is addressed not to the crowds but to those who were already his disciples. When Luke wrote his Gospel, his target audience was the Christian community. Luke confronts the realities of poverty, hunger, oppression and persecutions, and he brings the message of Jesus to encourage the suffering community.
Jesus proclaims the poor, the hungry, the suffering and the persecuted as “blessed”, and he admonishes those who are rich, satisfied, who laugh and are praised by people. The word “Blessed” refers to a message of appreciation. It means to say, “Congratulations on the choice you have made.” However, how can one be congratulated for being poor? Why does Jesus look at his disciples and tell them that they are blessed because they are poor? In what sense Peter, Andrew, John, and the other apostles are considered poor? Although they were not very rich, they still had their own house and boat! There must have been many others whose situations were even worse. Yet, only the disciples of Jesus are proclaimed blessed. What extraordinary thing have they done?
After the miraculous catch of fish, Jesus entrusts to Simon the task of removing men from death and bringing them to life. Luke concludes: “They pulled their boats to land, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:11). A little later in the same chapter, another call is narrated that of Levi, and the conclusion is the same: “And leaving everything, he rose and followed him” (Luke 5:28). In Luke’s Gospel, “to leave everything” is the extraordinary thing the disciples have done: “Sell everything you have, give to the poor”—Jesus asks the rich man (Luke 18:22). This voluntary poverty is what characterises the Christian: “Any of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33).
Not every poor is declared blessed. Jesus does not glorify poverty or hunger. Instead, addressing his disciples, who gave up everything to respond to his call, are called blessed. Poverty, hunger and persecutions that they encounter result from their wilful and personal choice to follow Jesus.
God is close to those who suffer and intervenes to free them from their bondage. Jesus sees the beatitude beyond its negative reality. Moreover, the “woe to you” addressed to those who are rich and selfish has the purpose of waking them up from the dangerous deceit of selfishness and opening them up to care for the other while they still have the time to amend their lives.
Does this mean that disciples of Jesus should throw away everything, reduce themselves to misery, and become beggars? It would be a foolish and senseless interpretation of Jesus’ words. The goods of this world are precious, essential to life. A disciple, enlightened by the word of Christ, gives the goods their proper value, is the poor who is blessed.
The Poor of God does not possess anything for themselves refuses the selfish use of their time,
intellectual abilities, erudition, diplomas, and social position.
For your reflection
‘Blessed are you poor!’ is not a message of resignation, but of hope, hope in a new world where no one is in need (Acts 4:34)
Father Josekutty
Mathew CMF
