Word to the Wise
Monday, June 12, 2017 - Monday in the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
[2 Cor 1:1-7 and Matt 5:1-12]When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven....."[Matthew]
For at least the next week or so, our gospel scripture will come from the Sermon on the Mount. The beginning of this "sermon" is familiar. Jesus goes up a mountain, which is where important teachings often occur in the Bible (remember the 10 Commandments). He sat down, which is the customary posture of the biblical and rabbinic teacher. He began with the "beatitudes." These are wonderfully composed and are often quoted and even paraphrased with the words, "Blessed are the...., etc." It is important to remember with the beatitudes that Jesus is not glorifying the trials and woes of the people enduring those, but only pointing out that God has not abandoned them in their sorrows or challenges. Indeed they are especially close to God in those times.
It is what comes after the familiar and comforting "beatitudes," that is especially challenging. I urge the Beloved Congregation to read the whole "sermon" - chapters 5-7 of Matthew - now so that the parts which will appear here make more sense in the days ahead. The question will arise more than once, "Is Jesus really demanding this?" Is this just the "ideal" and not what we should try to do? Is this really what Jesus teaches? The answer in every case will be YES. We have all had the experience of teachers and preachers whose words have gone "in one ear and out the other." If Jesus is teaching us, can we afford to let those words go "in one ear and out the other?" AMEN
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