4th Sunday of the Year - Cycle A

The Beatitudes

One of the big differences between Mark’s Gospel and Matthew’s is that Matthew (like Luke) includes a lot more of Jesus’s teaching. This Sunday’s reading comes from a very large chunk of the sayings of Jesus known as the Sermon on the Mount (chs 5-7).

All of these sayings begin “Happy are....” (or “Blessed are...” in another translation), but we still don’t know where or when they were said, or if Jesus said them all at the same time.

It is probably sensible then, to latch onto whichever of them seems to mean the most to us when we hear it, instead of trying to gather them together into a unified theological theory or manifesto! In all of them Jesus is saying that the Kingdom is coming as a blessing for many who otherwise would be bottom of the pile. “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first”.

I personally love the line: “Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” By ‘pure in heart” he seems to mean ‘sincere’, ‘not having double motives’. It points out the simplicity of humble faith. And the reward is not an insignificant one! In the Old Testament we find the belief that to see God means certain death - sinners cannot survive the majestic holiness of the Lord. But Jesus says that sinners with humble, sincere faith, need have no fear of looking on a God who calls them. It is my favourite line of comfort from these ‘beatitudes’, as they are called. But you probably have your own!

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