Matthew 5:1-12
Today, on this Fourth Sunday of Ordinary time, we have the first of six Sundays in which we are invited into the Sermon on the Mount. These three chapters (5-7) in Matthew are a summary of the Gospel message. Today’s passage on the Beatitudes is a summary of the Sermon on the Mount.
The Beatitudes are not laws. They are an invitation to enter into the mystery of Jesus. He is the one who is truly blessed. They are a revelation of the depth and breadth of the mystery that is Jesus Christ.
Thomas Merton has a beautiful definition of prayer. He says, “Prayer is yearning to be in the presence of God, a personal understanding of God’s Word, knowledge of God’s will and the capacity to hear and obey Him.”
The Beatitudes are a description of Jesus. They are an invitation to enter into the mystery of God. They are a call to let this understanding of the Word that is Jesus draw us into the call that is God’s will. Now we need to hear and obey. Deep personal prayer is the key to embracing the Beatitudes.
The Beatitudes are the measure of the Kingdom that Jesus proclaims. In the Beatitudes, we are given a passageway into the heart and mind of Jesus. These blessings are ours when we accept the call and seek to live the Kingdom.
I would like to use one short example of the upside down, first is last world of the Beatitudes.
Jesus says, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Mt 5:4) This, like all the Beatitudes, shatters our common sense perception of reality. Mourning and happiness are not likely companions in our quest for happiness.
A deeper look at mourning connected to Jesus begins to shed light on the reality that Jesus reveals in the totality of his life, death and resurrection.
Why do we mourn? The reason we mourn is because we love. Jesus it teaching us that in the end, love will win out. All our losses are in transition when we walk with Jesus. He invites us into a way and a life and a truth that guarantees the victory of love. He reveals that victory in the Resurrection. He unveils a God who not only collects our tears in his jug but invites us into a reality where every tear will be wiped away. That reality begins now when we love. In the end our love will share the fullness of the victory that is the Risen Jesus.
Living the message of the Beatitudes is a never-ending struggle. However, Jesus makes the consequences clear. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man wo built his house on rock.” The one who does not listen, ends up with a house built on sand. (Mt 7:24 & 26)
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