Let's imagine a scenario where two men correctly guess the winning lottery and end up with a prize of ten million dollars, splitting it equally—five million dollars each. While this is a significant sum of money, it has a vastly different impact on each man's life.
One of the men is a multi-billionaire, and winning the five million dollars only adds about one percent to his current worth, which is insignificant for him. In contrast, the other man is a hardworking ditch digger for the city sewers, struggling to provide for his family. When news of their good fortune spreads, people will celebrate the ditch digger's success and forget about the multi-billionaire. This is because the lottery win will profoundly impact the ditch digger's life, transforming it for the better.
This imagined scenario can explain why Jesus calls the poor, the hungry, and the mourners "fortunate." It is not because He glorifies these conditions. It is because these conditions will improve drastically with His coming. After all, we, His disciples, will see that they improve.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus proclaims, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God." It is not that Jesus glorifies poverty, but He recognizes that those poor in material wealth often possess a wealth of faith, resilience, and compassion. Like the ditch digger, they may have empty stomachs, but their hearts are full of hope.
Back in the seminary, we had a course on Liberation Theology, and I remember one life story the professor shared with us. He told us he met a Little Sisters of Jesus religious sister involved with the poor. She lived with them. She wasn't setting up cooperatives or livelihood projects, not even catechizing, not even really talking to them. Nothing. She just stayed with them. She just lived in the squatter's area.
So, the professor told her, "Sister, you cannot preach to empty stomachs. We must set up some livelihood projects. We must improve the lives of the poor." And the sister held his hands and said to him, "Yes, you can teach; you can preach to empty stomachs if the stomach of the teacher or preacher is as empty as his students."
The key message here is not simply about the poor receiving blessings but about the transformative power of discipleship. Just as the Little Sisters of Jesus religious sister chose to live among the poor, we are called to immerse ourselves in the lives of those who need our love and support.
We may need to provide material solutions, like livelihood projects, to make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. While these efforts are essential, the sister's wisdom reminds us that sometimes, the most profound change occurs when we truly understand and empathize with others' struggles. We can teach and preach to empty stomachs when our hearts and stomachs are just as hungry for justice and compassion as those we seek to serve.
May we all be blessed with hearts that hunger for what is right and just.
Father Boby John, C.S.C., ordained a priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 2008, worked as a pastor and as an educator with tribal populations in Northeast India for thirteen years. Originally from Kerala, India, Father Boby grew up with three siblings. He is a dedicated and detailed educationist with experience in educational leadership. He is currently working as an executive assistant at the world headquarters of Holy Cross Family Ministries, North Easton, Massachusetts.
