In 1998 I entered the novitiate as part of my Seminary formation. At our initiation to the novitiate, along with the Constitution of the congregation, we were given a best-selling book The Road Less Travelled by Scott Peck. The book’s first sentence starts with “Life is difficult.” If I may add, “Christian life is more difficult.” The Beatitudes are a call to us to see ourselves, to live with ourselves in a way that probably does not come easily to most of us.”
From the very first appearance, Jesus has been a man of contradictions. People expected the Son of God to be born in a rich royal family and appear with all kinds of extraordinary charm and accessories. But a poor Jewish boy born in a cattle shed gave Him a sympathetic outlook, and it was difficult for the public to accept Him as the Son of God. His parents were an ordinary poor couple, His friends were poor and marginalized fishermen, and His attire and outlook were simple; thus, everything related to Him was just ordinary. But his teachings were extraordinary, beyond their wild imaginations.
Today’s gospel brings before us the core of Jesus’ teachings - The Beatitudes. As I mentioned in the beginning, Jesus, as a person, has been a man of contradictions. So, when He went up to the mountain to deliver His first message, He started with His best, the classic. So far, people regarded the rich, the happy, the powerful, the satisfied and the filled as ‘blessed’ ones. But here is a ‘mad’ man roaring from the mountain, “No, not these, but the poor, the weak, the powerless, the oppressed, the crying, the hungry, the dejected and rejected as really the “blessed” ones.
As St. Paul rightly said, “I am proud of my weaknesses, for I am stronger when I am weak”.
This is the difference between today’s world and Jesus; in Jesus’ world, everything that is lacking is fulfilling. The ‘absence is the presence.’ Do you find it difficult to believe? No excuse. You have to because you are the follower of the One who acclaimed the negative feelings of this world, the wants and worries of this world, a blessing.
My homework for you today will be to read the passage carefully once again, letter by letter, when you get a little time. You will understand the difference and impact. “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; disciples came to Him….and He began to teach them, saying…Blessed are you……” Disciples came to Him, and the crowd stayed downstairs. The teaching of Jesus is above the earthly levels. Only those who can go high with Him can digest His ‘high-level’ teachings of contradictions. For those who stay on the ground level, the world and worldly standards are fit and fulfilling.
Let’s go above these clutches to reach the heavenly standard of living together with the Sermon on the Mountain.
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