SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Jeremiah 17:5-8;
I Corinthians 15:12.16-20; Luke 6:17.20-26)
Everyone knows the
Gospel story of the servant whose ear was cut off. But few are aware of how the
narratives of the story differ in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In the
Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is seen as the great teacher. When his disciple cuts
off the servant’s ear, Jesus gives all a lesson: "Put the sword back in
its sheath, for all who take sword will perish by the sword.'" In the
Gospel according to Luke, the ever-gentle Jesus immediately heals the wound. It is similarly worthwhile to compare the beatitudes
in these two gospels.
The beatitudes of the
Gospel of Matthew are more widely known. They are popular because they include
all kinds of people. The rich along with the destitute can be "poor in
spirit." The well-fed along with beggars may "hunger and thirst for
justice." Not so in the Gospel of Luke. Only those without material
resources and empty stomachs are called “blessed.” The poor and the hungry are
counted as blessed because Jesus has come to save them. He is the
personification of the Kingdom. Wherever Jesus goes, there are the fruits of
the kingdom: justice, peace, and love. This is the same message that Jesus
delivered at Nazareth. There - we remember - he told the people that Isaiah's
prophecy was fulfilled by his presence. Anointed with the Spirit, Jesus
proclaims the good news to the poor and announces release to captives.
Another difference
between the two accounts of the Sermon is the “woes”. Saint Luke, but not Saint
Matthew, warns the rich and the well-fed that they are headed for perdition.
Are all the rich going to be lost? No,
at the end of the gospel Jesus will bless the rich man Zacchaeus who shares half
his wealth with the poor. Jesus has headed for destruction those people
described by the prophet Jeremiah in the first reading. They rely on expert
advice for earthly reward. They look for financiers to increase their wealth,
not the needy who can use their help. They spend hundreds of thousands of
dollars on their houses and pay immigrants only the minimum wage.
America today is known
for the superabundance of goods. In this environment it is easy for comfort to
twist our hearts. We are always tempted to invert the meaning of the
Beatitudes. Instead of saying "blessed you poor," we want to say
"blessed you who have a 54-inch TV to watch the Superbowl." Instead
of saying "Woe to you, those who are filled now ", we want to say
"Woe to you who have to ride the bus to work." Even if we have a big
screen TV and a Camry in the garage, we have to remember that the goods of the
earth originate with God, the Father of all. Therefore, we are obliged to share
our goods with the poor, our brothers and sisters.
How is it that when we
recall the happiest experiences of our lives, moments when we were poor come to
mind? We want to relive the times when we visit our grandparents on Sunday, not
the times we took tours of big cities. Visiting grandparents, we felt the affection
of people who really cared about us. 54-inch TVs weren't necessary to make us feel
blessed. Rather we could just go outside and throw around a football. Yes, blessed
are you poor!
