Luke 6:17-26
17 He 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. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
Who is Rich and Who is Poor?
It is notable that this teaching is preceded by a night prayer and the election of the twelve apostles to whom the message is delivered. It is a reminder of the necessity of prayer in Jesus' ministry and how prayer should also be in the lives of His disciples.
The essence of this teaching is consistent with what was stated in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount as narrated by St. Matthew. Listening carefully to Jesus in today's Gospel, we can see Jesus' concept of life and how He wants His disciples to live their faith.
The disciples are among the crowd coming from different regions. Jesus directs His teaching to His disciples. He knows that many of the listeners will be surprised and rather, they will not accept His teaching.
Later Jesus will confirm that the disciples live in the world, but they are different from the world. They have to live as He did and will face many things in this world that contradict their faith. They should be alert and obedient to His Name and His Way.
He prays for the Father to protect them from this world. John 17:15, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."
The poor, in this Gospel's context, are those who barely have what they need for a decent living, or do not have it at all. Despite this, they rely on divine providence to meet their needs. They expect a better life with Jesus.
The rich in this context are those who are satisfied with what they possess, yet do not share with others in need. Jesus never condemns rich people. He condemns those who neglect to share with God, through needy people, what they have received from Him.
May we read this Gospel after a few minutes of deep reflection and examine ourselves about the poverty and wealth in our time. Where do we stand as we consider our own attitudes? Are we among those who hear Jesus' teaching, or just listen to Him, or listen and practice with serious conviction that we are His disciples today?
May His presence among us and His model of life transform our concepts and attitudes. May He lead us to be His disciples that witness for His love to the poor and to the rich who contribute to the needy. Blessed are those who listen and practice as His disciples today.