POVERTY, HUNGER AND SORROW ARE NOTHING IN COMPARISON TO THE GRACE THAT OVERCOMES THEM

POVERTY, HUNGER AND SORROW ARE NOTHING IN COMPARISON TO THE GRACE THAT OVERCOMES THEM

By Fr. Felix (African Times Guest Writer)

Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount and Luke’s

Sermon on the Plain are both collections of

sayings of Jesus about the basic conditions of

Christian living. Each begins with a set of

‘Beatitudes’, announcing who is specially

blessed by the Lord.

One frisky modern translation renders them,

‘Congratulations to you who are…!’ Matthew’s

set of eight Beatitudes focuses more on

spiritual qualities, poor in spirit, hunger and

thirst for justice, whereas Luke’s four are more

directly on the circumstances of life.

The stress is therefore on the reversal of values

brought by Jesus. Jesus turns the world upside-

down. His gospel or ‘good news’ comes to the

poor, the neglected, the oppressed. True

blessedness does not consist in wealth, fame

or festivities. It is those who struggle now who

will receive a lasting reward. Are the four

negatives which follow too hard on the rich, the

contented, the frivolous, the famous?

Through this gospel runs a thread of warning

about the dangers of contentment, and we

seldom pay attention to warnings unless they

are overstated! The worry of those who have

plenty, about how they should use their

advantages responsibly for others, must be at

least as great as those who worry to survive.