THE BEATITUDES OF BLESSEDNESS AND WOEFULNESS: CHRIST RADICAL MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL
There is no doubt the beatitudes of blessedness and woefulness in the gospel of Luke is one of Christ radical messages that challenge us and unsettle our spirit. It is revolutionary teaching that turns upside down our human values systems. While it demands of us some rare Christian values seen as stupidity or wretchedness in the eyes of the world.
The radical gospel message of Christ is thought-provoking and spirit unsettling. And this is what makes Jesus a thought-provoking preacher or teacher. That is, his ability to speak out the truth without fear or favour of anyone irrespective of their status. Often, the gospel message challenges and demands a higher standard of living out the Christian life and faith.
Sometimes, because of the unsettling nature of the teaching of Christ without compromises. We are tempted to water it down or trivialize it to soothe our prickly conscience. The fact is that we cannot inoculate ourselves against the truth of the gospel. These radical teachings or preachings of Christ set us on edge or uncomfortable until we conform our lives to their standard. They challenge our mentality or attitude about ourselves, others and the world.
OUR THEME
The Beatitudes are technically known as “macarisms” or blessings. It is from the Greek word “makarios”, which means “blessing or happy”. “Macarisms” depicting happiness are words found in the bible. They appear severally in the Book of Proverbs, Psalms, and even in the Book of Revelation. There are thirty-seven beatitudes in the New Testament, seventeen of which are sayings of Jesus. The Beatitudes appear in the Old Testament as well.
The readings are all about the beatitudes that invite us to place our trust or hope in God, as he is the only one in the world who can assure our true happiness. They make us see clearly that without Christ or God, life is meaningless and has no fundamental essence.
Hence, the formulae for true human happiness is trust in God amidst all odds and seemingly hopeless situations.
It also entails a living hope in the Resurrection of Christ, the first to be rising from the dead. The greatest mystery of our Christian faith and life. The Resurrection of Christ assures us of our own resurrection from the dead and the hope of eternal salvation.
Accordingly, the blessedness of the poor, hungry, despised and persecuted for Christ sake does not end in miseries. It is what leads them even in the wretched state to trust in God.
The unfailing blessings of God give them a sense of peace, bliss and assurance that internal happiness cannot be utter by any external worldly factors. When God is all in all of our lives and existence, absolute nothing can shake us.
However, the readings state plainly out for us what is not happiness or blessedness in God. They warn us to be careful with riches, abundance, fame and security. If they are not from God or for the sake of Christ. If they are not for helping our brothers and sisters in need. Then, they are for our doom. And they will end us insatiable or miserable life.
FIRST READING: JEREMIAH 17:5-8
In the beatitude of the first reading, the Prophet Jeremiah tells us that trust in human beings or resources is like a withering shrub in the arid desert. He assures us that true blessedness lies in placing our absolute truth or hope in God and his words or promises.
Therefore, Jeremiah tells us whom we can really trust as people, religious and political leaders can lead us astray. Our primary trust is in the Lord, who guides our lives to ever-flowing abundance and goodness.
Prophet Jeremiah 17:5-8 presents us with two fundamental options as creatures.
First, Curse, emptiness, lack of fulfilment and dissatisfaction are those who trust in man and his systems or in themselves.
They are ¨like a barren bush in the desert that enjoys no change of season but stands in a lava waste, a salt and empty earth¨.
Secondly, the beatitude of trust in God: blessings, grace, abundance, fulfilment and ever-growing strength be those who trust absolutely in God.
They also are ¨like a tree planted beside the waters, which stretches out its roots to the stream. It fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit¨.
PSALM 1
In the responsorial psalm (Ps 1), the psalmist finds beatitude in keeping with the law of God. Hence, he sang out beautifully: happy are they who hope in the Lord.
For the psalmist, there is a moral obligation that goes with the blessedness of God. That is, there are eternal blessings to the man or woman who stay irreproachable in his conduct.
Such a person who delights, ponders and trusts in God, his word and law will forever flourish and never fails.
The psalmist ended with a caution to the wicked, sinners and faithless schemers who trusted in themselves and earthly systems that they are doomed forever.
SECOND READING: 1 CORINTHIANS15:12, 16-20
The resurrection of the dead is one of the mysteries of the Christian faith. It is a mystery that defies the logic of humans or reasoning. hence, it is complex for many even Christians, to believe in the possibility of the resurrection.
Yet, it is the principal mystery that Anchors our Christian faith. In the mystery of the resurrection is the beatitude of eternal hope.
Thus, we see Paul clear reply to those who were sceptical or cajole the resurrection of the dead in Christ Jesus.
St. Paul reminds them that in Christ Jesus, there is hope and resurrection for all who trust in his resurrected power. They will live above death, worldliness, and earthbound inclinations and radiate the blessed hope of eternity.
For Paul, our faith in the resurrection of the dead is the beatitude of trust or hope in God.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF NO RESURRECTION IN CHRIST JESUS
First and foremost, if there is the resurrection of the dead, then life is without hope. Where there is no hope, it is all meaninglessness and absurdity.
Equally, if there is no resurrection of the dead. Then, our Christian faith and its practices are useless. Our liturgical life of celebrations, rites and rituals are in vain. The Christian missionary activities of preaching, teaching and serving are fruitless endeavours. They have no spiritual meaningfulness or efficacies to transform our lives.
Furthermore, if Christ did not raise from the dead. There is no forgiveness of sins. Our death is a perishement, punishment and suffering.
Again, If our faith and life in Christ Jesus are only earthbound. We are the most unfortunate, pitied people on earth.
Finally, if our lives are earthbound, then the beatitudes or blessedness of the Kingdom of God has no meaning to us.
In summary, without a resurrection, Jesus is dead. If Christ has not risen, our Christian faith is empty or useless. Preaching is vain, and we bear false witnesses to the gospel of Christ. Equally, if there is no resurrection, we are stuck in our sins. Most unfortunate, the dead are lost forever as death is a tragic loss or pain.
Consequently, without a resurrection our lives are earthbound. We are to the pitied people in life. Since life is meaninglessness and we are the most miserable people. The resurrection of the dead and Christ is the foundation for joy imbued in the eternal hope of life with God.
WHY DID PAUL REGARD A BELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS AS SO ESSENTIAL?
The resurrection of Christ portrays great values and truth for us Christians.
(i) The resurrection proves that truth is stronger than falsehood. In the Fourth Gospel, Jesus said to his enemies, “Now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth.” (Jn.8:40). The Resurrection is the best guarantee of the indestructibility of the truth.
(ii) The resurrection proves that good is stronger than evil. Again, to quote the Fourth Gospel, Jesus is represented as saying to his enemies, “You are of your father, the devil.” (Jn.8:44). The forces of evil crucified Jesus and if there had been no resurrection. These forces would have been triumphant over God and goodness.
(iii) The resurrection proves that love is stronger than hatred. Jesus was the love of God incarnate.
(iv) The resurrection proves that life is stronger than death. If Jesus had died never to rise again, it would have shown that death could take the loveliest and best life that ever lived and finally break it.
The second reading of today is a beatitude of hope in the resurrection of Christ. Therefore, Paul insisted that if the resurrection of Jesus was not a fact, the whole Christian message was based on a lie.
Then, many thousands of believers in Christ would have died trusting in nothing. Their life would have been delusional without faith and hope.
The truth is that, take away the hope of the resurrection of the dead in Christ. You destroy both the foundation and the fabric of the Christian faith.
THE GOSPEL: LUKE 6:17, 20-26
In the gospel text from Luke today, Jesus pronounced four Beatitudes and four corresponding ‘woes’ on his new teaching, the Sermon on the mount.
Luke account of the beatitudes is different from the version of Matthew, while Matthew is lengthened and all blessedness. Luke is brief, and each beatitude has a woe side.
In general, Jesus grounded our faith and hope in the Beatitudes, a blessed and safest assurance of life in God. A life that, despite its sufferings, trials and tribulations, there is boundless joy, happiness, peace, grace, mercy and eternal life.
THE JEWISH BACKGROUND OF THE BEATITUDES IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
Jesus pronounced woes with blessings in the beatitudes of the gospel St. Luke: why? This is the most fundamental question we ask ourselves today. It really set a lot of people on the edge and uncomfortable.
Perhaps, the questions we ask ourselves is: what is wrong with being rich, eating a good meal, laughing or people praising you? Why this harshness by Jesus in the beatitude account of Luke?
Truly, there is nothing wrong with being rich, having a sumptuous meal, laughing hearty or having people speak well of us. Yet, Jesus declared woes on these essential lifestyles, why?
If we go back to the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy, chapter twenty-eight precisely, God through Moses gave the Israelites a list of blessings and curses.
In this biblical text (Deuteronomy 28: 1-9, 11), Moses gave a list of blessings for obedience to the laws of God. The implications are if Israel is obedient and faithful to the commandments of God. They would be fruitful and abundant in children, crops, cattle, money, good weather, peace and prosperity in the Promised Land.
By contrast, disobedience to the laws and commandments of God will bring them curses and disasters. Hence, we see that in Deuteronomy 28: 15-20, God gave the Israelites a list of curses or woes if they were ever disobedient and unfaithful.
Therefore, in the Old Testament, obedience will get you earthly or natural blessings: good things, children, fertility, abundance, peace, prosperity and long life.
While disobedience implies Israel bringing upon himself curses: disasters, infertilities, infirmities, pestilences, poverty, war and exiles. Exactly, what happened to the Israelites in the course of their salvation history.
THE BEATITUDES IN LUKE
It is crucial to get this setting or background to the beatitudes in Luke right. Jesus, the new Moses, was speaking to his Jewish disciples or Jews in Galilee. Israelites who were too familiar with the Torah especially, the rewards of blessings in obedience and punishment of curses in disobedience to the Law of Moses.
Here Jesus presents the fundamental option of the Kingdom of God his disciples. Equally, the multitude of people includes Jews from Judea and Jerusalem and gentiles from the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
THE BEATITUDES FROM THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF CHRIST
It is easy to forget that the beatitudes were not just beautiful phrases; they also are teachings from the personal experience of Christ. Christ is poor, remember he said, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head, (Mt. 8:20, Lk. 9:58)
Christ was hungry and thirsty not for lack of food sometimes (Mt.12:1), but also for justice and righteousness, which was lacking in his days (Mt.5:6). Jesus also mourned for his friend Lazarus (Jon. 11:35), as well as for the indignation of Israel to reject the opportunity of God (Mt. 23: 37-39, Lk. 19:41-44).
Equally, Jesus was persecuted throughout the whole gospel, and eventually, he was crucified upon the shameful cross.
Hence, seeing the disciples and the crowd who want to follow him. He used his personal experience to teach them and make them take a stand with or for him.
WHAT THE BEATITUDES MEANS FOR US TODAY
It is a blessedness hope offers to those who chose Christ and his gospel teaching and kingdom. It was addressed actually to his disciples and not any poor, hungry, depressed or persecuted person.
It is a consolation for our commitment to God. He said, blessed are you, who are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, excluded, reviled, and persecuted now. The invitation rejoices for your reward will be great in heaven.
It also means the conditions for a peaceful, blissful and blessed life is suffering for the sake of Christ and his gospel or kingdom. There is no blessedness for being a poor, hungry, mourning or persecuted person without commitment to Christ
THE WOES OR CURSES AND THEIR MEANINGS
Luke shocks all for us with the flipping side of Jesus from blessings with woes. Interestingly, the woes were warnings to those who glory in worldly things and set God aside.
Jesus is not a sadist preacher who delight in upsetting his hearers or listeners. He was not against riches, having full belly, joyfulness or fame or compliments.
When he declared, woes to you who are rich, satisfied, laughing and well spoken of by men, Jesus was warning us. That attachment or use of these things can make us lose the beatific vision of blessedness with God.
BLESSINGS AND CURSES OR WOES IN THE NEW COVENANT
The question is, what is Jesus doing or saying when he pronounced blessings and woes today in the gospel? Apparently, Jesus is communicating two things essential to the Christian life: the new covenant.
He challenges the ancient Jewish belief that poverty, sufferings and wretchedness are signs of sinful life or punishment from God. He uses himself as a model of challenging the erroneous mentality, the poor and needy (the anawim)are cherished and loved people by God.
Jesus flips and turns upside down the worldly blessings as curses, and earthly sufferings are spiritual blessings. In other words, the new covenant or new teaching of Jesus blessings of earthly life are curses of earthly life paradoxically.
In other words, the way we can build up treasures in heaven and not on earth is precisely through sufferings, poverty, hunger, mourning and above all persecution. However, all these must be for the sake of Christ and his gospel.
Therefore, there is a danger inherent in earthly goods. Whereas, the blessings of God are rooted in what appears to be cursed.
In the same way, earthly blessings in the new covenant are spiritually dangerous for our soul wellbeing. We must be careful that riches, food, pleasures and fame do not cause to distance us from God.
(A) First, woe to you who are because riches have the power to drag our hearts down from heaven. Hence, Jesus said elsewhere, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God (Mt. 19: 24; Mk. 10:25).
(B) Second, woe to you who are full now because without Christ and his kingdom. Life is practically empty and unsatisfying. The feeling of self-satisfying with earthly things creates the attitude of self-sufficiency where God is not needed.
(C ) Woe to you who are laughing now because life is good materialistically with you. Such joys and waves of laughter are short-lived without Christ and God. Jesus is not a sadist who loves to see people miserable or gloomy. The act of laughing in this third woe is contextual in the sense that laugher or pleasures of earthly things make us insensitive to the injustices, pains and sufferings in others or in the world. They also distract us from the goodness of the kingdom of God (Mt. 6:33).
(D) Woe to you when all men speak well of you a true prophet is not popular or accepted by kings, princes, priests and people of his time (Mt 13:57; Mk 6:4; Lk 4:24). The false prophets trade justice, truth and integrity for worldly praises and fame. Hence, they are never persecuted because they prefer to right and peace with men than God.
Actually, the false prophets lie to acquire peace through falsehood, presence, being a nice person, scheming and evicting confrontational truth with people or political or religious authorities.
THE BEATITUDES ARE THE WAY OF THE CROSS
The challenge is in the new covenant or teaching of Jesus Christ: earthly blessings are curses for those not in Christ Jesus. While in the manner, worldly curses are spiritual blessings for those who follow Christ. In modern days, Unfortunately, for many Christians, it is too harsh and unsettling truth to the body, mind and spirit. However, the simple answer to such people is that, if it is so. Why do we have the cross of Jesus at the centre of our worship? How do the blessings and peace of God come into the world?
Obviously, it is through the cross of sufferings and death. It is also through a man who looks like a curse. For the Holy Scripture said, a curse is he who hangs on the tree (Deuteronomy 21:23 Galatians 3:13).
In Christ, the poor man, hunger, mourning, persecuted and stripped of everything, we are all blessed as he is the infinite source of blessings to many (Isaiah 53: 11 ).
Where do we have real happiness in life? Is it not through detachment from earthly things and taking up our cross to follow Christ? Hence, the cross of Christ is a radical challenge to our mentality of blessings in Christianity.
The beatitudes are not just some nice things to say about the attitude of Christians. They are pointers to the way of the cross, the only way to true life, blessings and fulfilment. Indeed, they are not beautiful expressions but radical explosive challenges to us who want to Christ.
THE SUMMARY OF OUR REFLECTION
God is All-knowing, All-loving, and All-powerful, as well as our most loving Creator and Father. Therefore, it is most fitting to put our complete trust and confidence in him.
Sadly, we live in a highly scientific and technological advanced world where the greatest temptation is to push God aside. It is also a world where reliance on human systems replaces dependence on God. Our lifestyles dominate by materialism, hedonism, or auto-sufficiency.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, it is a given that trust in earthly pleasures and the experience of fleeting joy ultimately leaves our lives empty and without meaning. Help us trust absolutely in you and overcome the temptation to trust in our own might and power, or in the human systems, or material things and pleasure-seeking life. And may blessed assurance of your grace, mercy, and promises be ours now and forever. Amen
