Out of context

 

Luke 6:17-21

Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

“Blessed are you who are hungry now,

for you will be filled.

“Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

Context matters

Blessing the people NOT the status

It is not blessed to be poor

unless your poverty has come from giving away all that you have

so that another might reach that ethereal bread line

It is not blessed to be hungry

unless your hunger arises out of sharing the food that you have

or out of recognising that you’ve over-indulged in what does not satisfy

It is not blessed to weep

unless your weeping stems 

from the realisation of love lost or squandered

or for opportunities not realised

or from compassion for others who grieve

Poverty, hunger and weeping are only blessed

when they come from choosing

what serves another.

So enough of absolving ourselves of responsibility

Enough of taking these beatitudes out of context

Jesus blesses people not their status

let’s choose to make a difference

for the poor, the hungry and the weeping

by noticing

by sharing

by feeding

by accompanying 

And, in so doing, to know ourselves blessed.