Monday, June 7, 2021

 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.