Reflection

Today’s Gospel reading is often called the “Sermon on the Plain,” which parallels Matthew’s well-known “Sermon on the Mount,” also called the Beatitudes. While they may seem similar, they differ in several key aspects.

First, the setting and audience. Matthew places Jesus on a mountain, teaching his disciples in a more personal, elevated setting. Luke, however, shows Jesus on a plain, addressing both his disciples and a crowd. Their narrative styles also differ: Matthew offers eight blessings in the third person, while Luke gives four blessings and four corresponding woes, speaking directly to his audience using “you,” the second person.

These differences reflect not only the writers’ distinct theological perspectives but also the needs of the communities to which they belong. Yet, the most striking difference lies in their treatment of poverty. Matthew spiritualizes poverty: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” whereas Luke is more direct: “Blessed are you who are poor.”

Poverty is an uncomfortable topic for many. I recall preaching at a church of another denomination. I spoke about discipleship and the call to carry our cross to follow Jesus. After the service, an elder told me he came to church for comfort, not to hear about suffering and hardship. Perhaps he was expecting a prosperity gospel message. But faith cannot ignore the reality of human suffering.

Matthew’s version of the Beatitudes is often more widely accepted than Luke’s. I wonder if that is because it feels less confrontational and safer. But Luke’s words are raw and challenging. When we miss the radical nature of Jesus’ message on a world turned upside down, we risk missing him altogether.

Luke had a clear social agenda. In today’s passages, Jesus not only blesses the poor and oppressed but also rebukes the rich and the powerful. Luke’s Gospel also highlights Jesus’ care for women. Unlike the social norms of the time, Jesus welcomed them as disciples and encouraged them to move beyond their traditional roles to receive his teachings.

Scripture consistently emphasizes economic justice and care for the poor. Across both the Old and New Testaments, there are 986 verses addressing economic issues, with 500 directly focusing on poverty.

In Jewish tradition, the poor, the hungry, and those who mourn were not viewed as cursed or impure. Rather, they were seen as deserving of both divine compassion and human care. The Bible speaks to real-life challenges, urging justice, equity, and generosity.

Deuteronomy 15:11 states, “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I, therefore, command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbour in your land.’” Similarly, Jesus says in Matthew 26:11, “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” I remember wondering why Jesus said this – was he suggesting poverty is unavoidable?

These verses should never be used to justify the notion that poverty is inevitable or that addressing economic problems is hopeless. Rather, Deuteronomy reminds us that hardship will always exist due to accidents, disasters, or misfortune, and it is the community’s duty to respond with compassion. The passage in Matthew, on the other hand, exposes Judas’s hypocrisy, criticizing the costly anointing of Jesus while lacking genuine concern for the poor.

Throughout Scripture, poverty is often linked to injustice – exploitation, political oppression, famine, and illness. These hardships are not simply individual misfortunes but signs of a community’s failure to uphold justice. Time and again, the Scripture calls on the community to protect and care for the most vulnerable – especially orphans and widows. In today’s readings, Luke condemns the rich who refuse to give alms. Through this, Luke seeks to console and support those who are socially disadvantaged and deprived.

To better understand this, it is important to understand the concept of “poverty” in the time of Jesus. When Jesus speaks of the poor, he uses the Greek word ptochos. While this is commonly translated as “poor” in English, the translation does not fully capture the depth of the Greek term. Ptochos refers to absolute poverty – complete destitution, like that of a beggar who has nothing at all.

Theologian John Dominic Crossan helps clarify this distinction, saying that while the poor man may work hard and manage to survive, the beggar has nothing to rely on. This distinction is key. Jesus does not simply bless the working poor. Rather, he blesses those who are homeless, afflicted, and outcasts – those who have no resources or means of supporting themselves.

This understanding changes how we interpret Jesus’ blessing. Jesus does not bless the poor with the expectation that they will improve their condition through hard work. Instead, he blesses those who have no hope for a better future, those in dire need with no means of escape. This is a consistent theme throughout the Old Testament, where God shows concern for the poor and commands the community to care for them. In the same way, Jesus calls on his followers to show compassion and support to those most vulnerable in society.

As we reflect on the ptochos in our community today, who are the people experiencing absolute poverty and destitution around us? As I reflected on this over the past few weeks, one person in particular comes to my mind: Blair Paul, a neighbour who often stays and sleeps between our sanctuary and office building. You may have noticed him over the years. Blair is homeless and has been part of our community for over a decade, coming and going.
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However, Blair is not a beggar. He does not ask for food. He has mental health challenges and has chosen a life on the streets. The winter, especially this year, has been especially difficult for him. But despite these hardships, we are called to bless Blair in the same way Jesus blessed the poor of his time.

Recently, we have begun communicating with Blair more directly rather than through someone else. Little by little, he started to open up to us. My hope is that, one day, he might reconnect with society and his family. But until that day, we must walk alongside him as neighbours, caring for him together as a community.

In the lives of the destitute, there is often no one to turn to except God. In our Christian tradition, God is seen as a parent to the poor – someone who protects them from social, political, and economic oppression. And God calls us to be the hands and feet of Christ, caring for the ptochos in our midst. This is the heart of Luke’s Beatitudes: Jesus blesses the poor because he cares deeply for them.

I am grateful that Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the rich,” but rather, “Blessed are the poor, the hungry, and those who weep.” This message gives hope to the entire world. It reminds us to be humble and to notice and care for those less fortunate – those facing hardship and suffering.

The heart of Jesus’ blessings is not found in wealth, comfort, or power, but in his deep compassion for the poor, the hungry, and grieving. May we carry the heart of Christ with us, extending his blessing to others, just as we have been blessed. Amen.