The Beatitudes

February 3, 2008 – Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Zep 2:3, 3:12-13

Ps 146

1 Cor 26-31

Mt 5:1-12

According to the Gospel of Matthew, there were huge crowds listening to Jesus when he gave the Sermon on the Mount. But that hardly accounts for the millions and millions of people who have read the Beatitudes and are familiar with this famous Gospel reading – in some form or another.

What I find most interesting about this scripture is that when Jesus was facing the crowds there is so much that he could have said and done during this sermon. Think about it: he had a captive audience. He could have very easily “wowed” us by pulling people from the crowds and healing them. He could have demanded that we worship and venerate him. He could have asked for donations. He could have announced that he was going to die for our sins. He didn’t though. Instead he humbly and quietly shared God’s Word. He was a teacher. And he started with how we are already blessed.

For the past couple of weeks the Gospel has described the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and we’ve spoken about our call to discipleship. Jesus beckons us to come after Him and He will make us fishers of women and men. And in today’s second reading, Paul the evangelist writes that we are chosen by Christ – not because we’re particularly smart or powerful or entitled by nobility or beautiful (oh… okay…*I* was chosen because I’m beautiful….or maybe not). We’re chosen simply because God loves us and delights in us. Therefore it is not for us to boast how smart or beautiful we are, only that what we have comes from God. Our discipleship needs to be one of humility.

So let’s talk more about our discipleship.

I was reminded of the Beatitudes when I first got sober from alcoholism. At the time, I hadn’t been to church for a while and felt distant from Christ. At one of my first meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous I heard a speaker talk about her struggles with drinking. Just like many who suffer from this disease: she lost her job; was facing a divorce; and was at the verge of homelessness. She said that somewhere in her disease she lost her moral compass. She said that she didn’t know how to live as a wife, a mother, a daughter, or a human being for that matter. Then she read this same scripture that we just read today. She read it out loud to the group – slowly – reading each Beatitude one at a time. And then she spoke about how she uses the Beatitudes as a roadmap to living. She uses them as her moral compass.

All of us could probably relate to this woman; maybe not to her life crisis or her drinking. But perhaps we can think of a time when we felt lost and the Word of God helped us to get back on track. And I can’t think of a more perfect scriptural tool to use – among many from the Gospel – as a guide for living or a guide for our discipleship than the Beatitudes.

For example: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

This Beatitude is about forgiveness and kindness and hospitality. Whenever we find ourselves holding resentment against another – this Beatitude reminds us that by showing mercy towards another – by forgiving regardless of the resentment – we are clearing a path for ourselves to the Kingdom of God.

The Sermon on the Mount is the perfect lead into the Lenten Season. This Holiest of seasons is a period of time for preparation for the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. It’s a time when we take inventory of our lives, repent and remove all hurdles that may keep us from staying close to God. Using prayer and the Beatitudes can help us to do that.

Let us pray that we are guided and cleansed during this season of hope.