“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:3) This is the first Beatitudes (literally supreme blessedness) that Jesus uses to illustrate God’s preference their need and cry out to God in their distress. We may tempted to view the beatitudes as idealistic, impractical advice that comes off second-best against the conventional wisdom of today. If so, we need only consider the manner in which Jesus gave practical expression to these seemingly importable ideals. To be true to his calling, he resisted the temptations of power and prestige, becoming poor in spirit. He was gentle and patient with people others wrote off as hopeless cases. He stood up to and spoke the truth of authority. For all this, admittedly, he was variously scorned, denigrated and condemned, even paying for his ‘foolishness’ with his life. Yet, ultimately, Jesus was supremely blessed, for the Father raised him up on the third day. We are promised the same reward for fidelity in the face of persecution for our faith. Our salvation hinges on our faith in that promise! The proud and powerful – likes of Hitler, Idi Amin and Pol Pot – have hardly inherited the earth; the meek, exemplied by Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela, have. Do we need further proof? FRUIT: Which of the beatitudes can I put into action today? Let me work out how I will do this.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 03:41:53 +0000
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