Word to the Wise
Sunday, February 11, 2007 - Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
[Jeremiah 17:5-8; 1 Corinthians 15:12, 16-20; Luke 6:17, 20-26]Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.........
What would it take to make you happy? Would it be poverty, hunger, weeping, hatred? I rather doubt any of us would vote for that! Most of us might piously proclaim, "All I need is good health and just enough to get by on with a little extra just in case!" The Gospel of Luke has a strong message about material possessions and the dangers thereof, but the Sermon on the Plain (Luke's version of the beatitudes) also includes emotional security. What kind of "happiness" would we look for there? I have heard married couples tell me that some of their happiest days together were when they were economically suffering! When I ask why, they tell me that they had to rely on faith in God and in one another more for security instead of the material forms of security they gradually acquired. At the same time, they felt trapped by all their acquisitions and could not imagine doing without the__________________. Today's Gospel scripture challenges us to ask about what makes us happy. While we may not be comfortable with what Jesus declares to be a blessing, what do we think about what Jesus considers a curse? In one of the most affluent societies on the planet, we may need to take an honest look at our consumption and at our security. Are they related? When we think of ourselves as happy, does our religious faith have a place in that, or is it merely a material state of being. Do we know the difference between "wanting" and "needing?" That Jesus' own first disciples were astounded by his teaching about the danger of material security should be a sign to us that we are not the first to be troubled. The fact that we are latter day disciples does not excuse us from the same challenge. AMEN
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