Readings: 2 Cor 1: 1-7; Psalm 34; Mat 5:1-12 Today we are given the incredibly high calling of the Beatitudes to ponder. These lessons were taught by Jesus on a hill just north of the Sea of Galilee. Many came to Jesus to listen to Him and to witness His many miracles. “The Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew’s Gospel took place shortly after Jesus began His public ministry.This teaching of Jesus was brand new and must have left many people mesmerized. Jesus no longer taught only the precepts of the Old Testament, such as the Ten Commandments; He now elevated the moral law to a level never conceived of before.
As the people listened to this new teacher speak with new authority and wisdom, they may have been excited and confused. To hunger and thirst for righteousness, to be merciful and to be a peacemaker could have been accepted. But why was being poor, mournful, and meek considered blessings? Even more challenging, why was it good to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness or insulted and falsely accused because of Jesus?
When Jesus’ new and radical teaching is clearly understood, it is not only His first disciples who may have been confused and excited, we, too, as well. If, however, we truly listen to His teachings and understand what He means, we will find that we are challenged to the core of our being. Jesus’ teaching must be embraced, fully, and without hesitation and half measures.The Beatitudes are our call to perfection. They lay out for us the path to the heights of holiness and obtain the glory of Heaven. They are our fine-tuned and detailed road map to the fullness of happiness and joy. They also call us to a radical transformation of our minds and our actions. If we still are very concerned with riches, with material needs, if we are turned in on self instead of showing mercy, then we are not yet converted to Jesus as true Christians.
Therefore, the Sermon on the Mount cannot be understood easily; it needs an interior, radical conversion of heart, a “Metanoia”.The Beatitudes call us to complete detachment from all that is not in conformity with Gpd’s Will. Blessings. Fr. Mussie