6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (C)

Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.

Lk 6:17, 20-26

GOSPEL EXPLANATION

Comparison between Matthew and Luke

Matthew                                                                           Luke
Sermon on the Mount                                                         Sermon on the plain8 Beatitudes                                                                          4 Beatitudes and 4 Woes
Blessed are the poor in spirit                                               Blessed are the poor 
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness      Blessed are you who are now hungy

Blessing in Disguise

The prevailing thought at the time was that affliction and sorrow were punishment due to sin. Jesus now says that they are blessings in disguise. 

But for who are they blessings in disguise? For the Anawim! They are those people who lack material goods and therefore, who can rely only on God. We have to note that the Anawim are blessed not because they lack material goods but because they rely on God.

But it is also true to say that between the rich and the poor, the poor will feel the need for God. Between those who are who have nothing to eat and those who are always have something to eat, those who have nothing to eat will feel the need for God.

Are Christians then forbidden to become rich? No. But we are warned that when we become rich, it is easy to forget God.

There is another way of understanding the Beatitudes and the Woes.

If you set your heart on those things which the world values, you might indeed get them. But that is all that you will ever get. But if you set your heart on God and on the things of God, you may run into trouble, you may seem to be unfortunate in the eyes of the world, but much of your payment is still to come and it will be life eternal.

First, we must accept the fact the reward from God comes at the end. The reward is not on earth. It is in heaven.

Second, to receive that reward, you must not find contentment in the things of this world. If you find your contentment in the things of this world, then there will be no reward for you at the end because you have already received it in this world.

Does this mean that we shall not give importance to our life here on earth? Certainly not! Our life is God’s gift to us. But what we make of our life is our gift to God. Would it not be embarrassing if at the end, the life that we will offer to God would be a wasted life?