“Blessed are you who are poor… “

Let us begin our reflection on the gospel text of this Sunday by asking ourselves; who are the beatitudes for? According to Luke, Jesus was addressing only the disciples, not the crowd. Luke introduced the passage thus: “And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor…’ (Lk. 6:17-20).” Why was Jesus saying these things? Peter, Andrew, John and all the others were certainly not rich, though not even poor. They had their houses, boats, businesses and jobs, and some who owned less. Why then were the disciples proclaimed blessed? What extraordinary feats did they accomplish? 

To understand the meaning of this beatitude we must go back to what was said in the previous chapter, that speaks of the miraculous catch and the call of the disciples. Luke concluded the episode by commenting: “When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him” (Lk. 5:11). Later in the chapter, there is the story of the call of Levi, with the same conclusion: “And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him” (Lk. 5:28). Here is then what the disciples had the courage to do to follow their master: they left everything. They are blessed because they understood that their lives were not dependent on the goods they owned. 

Will it then be enough to give up all possessions and become poor to be happy? No. The Christian does not go after suffering, privations and destitution as if they were his ideal. The reason for the joy proclaimed to the poor is the promise; theirs is the kingdom of God. This kingdom is brought about by the disciples of Jesus. They understood that earthly goods are not bad, but must be shared out with all the brothers and sisters (Acts 4:34-35). 

It would almost appear that Jesus is proposing a change of the world social order, but it is not so. The disciples who chose poverty are blessed not only because by renouncing ownership of goods, they are fostering a more just society, but also because since their hearts are not tied to money, they can open them up to God’s plan of salvation that goes well beyond this world. 

The example of the disciples is, therefore, a call for us to seek the true blessedness, which builds the kingdom of God on earth; the new kingdom where all will have their fill and all will laugh. Does our community foster the spirit of sharing and reciprocal aid, or is everybody for himself or herself, with each member looking only after his or her own interest?