Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Corinthians 1:1-7;
Matthew 5:1-12)
In the Gospel of
Matthew Jesus regularly speaks as a teacher.
Scholars find the body of the gospel composed of five thematic
discourses, each followed by hands-on ministry.
By contrast, Luke portrays Jesus primarily as a charismatic prophet
capable of moving his listeners with dramatic language. The beatitudes, found in today’s passage, are
also relayed in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. The differences between the evangelists’ perspectives
are seen by comparing the two passages.
In Matthew Jesus directs
himself to his disciples. He talks about
the poor, the mournful, the hungry and thirsty dispassionately as everyone
living a devout life. He does not mean
that they are literally poor or hungry.
Rather by spiritualizing some of the deprivations (“’the poor in
spirit’” and “’they who hunger and thirst for righteousness’”), he includes all
religiously virtuous people. Jesus in
Luke, on the other hand, speaks to his disciples as those who suffer physical want. He tells them, “’Blessed are you who are
poor’” and “’Blessed are you who are now hungry.’” After all, they follow Jesus
who, again in Luke’s gospel, has “nowhere to lay his head.” But they are also “blessed” because the
Kingdom of God has arrived to meet their needs.
Most scholars recognize
that Luke’s portrayal of the sermon is closer to how Jesus actually sounded. But Matthew’s spiritual formulation is helpful
to many of us. It assures us that we are
included in the kingdom even if we have an income and food in the
refrigerator. But inclusion in the
kingdom does not exclude us from challenge.
Like virtuous poor people, we are to thank God for what we have and to
share our largesse with the needy.
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