In the annals of human history, the plight of the poor has been a persistent and heart-wrenching theme. Yet, within the dark clouds of poverty, hope has always glimmered like a distant star, guiding and inspiring those who struggle through the hardships of life. The hope of the poor is not merely a fleeting wish but a steadfast belief in the possibility of a better future, fueled by resilience, solidarity, and the unwavering commitment to overcome adversity.
Throughout centuries, societies have grappled with the challenge of poverty. From ancient civilizations to modern nations, the poor have often been marginalized and left to fend for themselves. However, history is replete with examples of transformative movements and individuals who have championed the cause of the underprivileged, igniting hope and driving change. The teachings of Jesus Christ emphasize compassion and justice for the poor, laying the foundation for a moral and ethical approach to alleviating poverty.
However, in the eyes of the world, those “blessed” are the beautiful, the rich and the powerful. In our culture, being poor would be truly unfortunate. But, in the Gospel reading last Sunday, Jesus teaches that those who count for nothing in the world – the poor, the meek, the pure of heart, the persecuted – are the truly blessed.
Jesus never intended to call material poverty blessed. He never intended to approve of the poverty that we see in the slums of our cities.
The word poor in biblical times could be used in four diverse ways. First, the word could be used as we use it: to refer to those people who were without material wealth.
Second, because these people were without material wealth, they were also without influence and power. They were without clout. And this gave rise to a second way the word could be used. It could be used to refer to those people who were helpless and without influence.
Third, because these people were helpless, they were often oppressed and exploited. This led to a third meaning of the word poor. It could also be used to refer to the exploited people.
Fourth, because these people were without wealth, without help, and without protection, many of them put all their trust in God. This gave rise to the fourth and final meaning of the word poor. It described those persons who put their total trust in God.
And this is what Jesus meant when he said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.”
This statement is quite revolutionary. Simply because that is not our way, on the contrary, we strive after riches, honor, and power in the hope that these will give us happiness. These are the things our culture value.
Beatitudes are a series of bombshells that shatters our mind set. They are revolutionary statements that make us uncomfortable. Each one of them is a challenge. They take the accepted standards and turn them upside down.
Our world tells us: acquire wealth, be powerful, use and exploit others to your advantage, trust only yourself. What the Beatitudes teach is exactly the opposite.
The big question: Will you concentrate on the world’s rewards? Or will you concentrate on Christ? If you take the world’s way, you must abandon the values of Christ. If you take Christ’s way, you must abandon the values of the world.
In other words, Jesus was referring to those people without wealth, without influence, and without protection instead put all their hope and trust in God.
Thus, the poor whom Jesus called blessed were those people who had come to realize that they could not depend on the things of this world for happiness. So, they sought their happiness in God alone. God meant everything to them. Material things meant next to nothing to them. These people, as Jesus said, were truly blessed.