Sharing the Word – February-17-2019 – Sixth Sunday in Ordinary
Readings: 1st Reading; Jeremiah 17: 5 – 8,
2nd Reading; 1 Cor 15 : 12, 16 – 20,
Gospel: Luke 6: 17, 20 – 26.
Biblical phraseology refers to the Gospel of today generally as the ‘Sermon on the Mount’. Christ begins His sermon with very hard but promising words. Unlike other sections where He preaches using parables, this sermon on the mount, is straight forward. “How happy are you who are poor; yours is the kingdom of God” His promise goes on to those who are hungry now, those who weep, those who are hated, driven out, abused, denounced, …. He further says the prophets were treated in the same way. A careful look at the different words he uses shows that he is talking to the same group of persons. The poor are the hungry, the weeping, the hated, the abused, ….
The word poor in our normal day use depicts the destitute without material wealth. In Hebrew, the language in which the Bible was written, the word ‘poor’ has four different meanings. The ‘poor’ refers to those who have no wealth and/or protection. It also refers to those who are helpless and have no influence/power. It means those who are exploited and lastly, those who put their total trust in God.
Jesus recognises the fact of human suffering. He recognises that some people are not fair, kind or compassionate. We see situations of unfairness everyday. We see real evil, injustice done to the innocent and we see that those who commit such evil deeds have power and connections enough to escape from prosecution. Humanly speaking, if someone has the power to make the bad guys and cheats pay for their crimes, we will root for that person. God has hard-wired us with that longing to see good people rewarded and evil and greedy people defeated and punished.
What Jesus is telling us today is that, what we see as escape from prosecution by these powerful people is just apparent. Humans are bad at delivering a fair judgment but God isn’t. God gets it exactly right and with all fairness. Phone calls and credit cards used here to escape prosecution do not work with God. They do not buy the way when God is concerned.
When you are rich, when you have a name, or when you are a member of a respected group, you are never really oppressed. When in difficulty, you need only a phone call and everything is fixed. But when you have no real friends, when you are surrounded by uncaring, selfish and untruthful persons, when you are an immigrant and you speak the language badly, you are quickly oppressed, for you cannot defend yourself. This is also true of the sick, the handicapped, prisoners and all those who have no voice.
They are the oppressed and they are numerous in our society. There are many without work, without security, living off meagre wages, living in fear, living in unbearable situations. Each of us has met them. They are around us. But what is frightening is that Christians, Jesus’ disciples are so frequently in comfort. Some of these ‘poor’ have even been made so by us Christians. Yet we give a damp thought on our actions and on their suffering. Jesus, in His sermon, does not leave us out. He says “Alas for you! who are rich, having consolation, who have your fill now, who laugh now, who are spoken well of”.
We yearn for justice and fairness. We want the wicked and greedy to pay for their ways here on earth. Yes! We do, until we realise that the wicked and the greedy include us. We are guilty as anyone else, because we have chosen to violate God’s instructions at one time or another. We have offended His purity. Paul’s letter to the Romans makes it clear that one is not righteous enough on his/her own to be with God in Heaven. Not You! Not me! When you consider that, you feel like lowering your demand for justice and fairness a little.
Jesus did not support slum poverty and does not ask us to be paupers, but wants to let us know that all that we have comes from God and so, In Him and Him alone should we put our trust, not in our material, intellectual, financial or otherwise riches. We should realise that God has all and owns all, and if we truly believe in Him, we are His and so own all that with Him. It is in this light that the Psalmist exhorts us to put our trust in God and not in ‘these our own riches’. “Happy the man who placed his trust in the Lord”.
On which side of the road is Jesus? On which side of the road are You, His disciple? Time to act is now!. As a citizen of God’s Kingdom, you are challenged everyday to discover the true source of joy and happiness. The promise of Jesus is clear; that the joys and happiness of Heaven will more than compensate for the troubles and hardships you can expect here on earth.
A Little Prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for revealing the mysteries of your Kingdom to me a mere human.
May I accept the poverty, hunger, weeping, denouncement that will make me wealthy of Your Kingdom. Amen¨
Have a blessed Week.
Bobe Talla Toh.
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