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Page 27

February 14, 2010

SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Gods Culture
Jer 17:5-8 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20 Lk 6:17, 20-26

ednesday Ash Wednesday we begin our annu- by helping build the culture/kingdom of God.
al Lenten Retreat. It requires focus if it is to affect
Speaking only to the disciples, Luke is speaking to
us, if it is to bring us closer to Christ. We have let
Christians. His community of Christians had a lot of rich
too many Lents go by without a focus. Too often we stumpeople. They were well fed. For the most part they did not
ble into Lent only to realize that weve given no thought
worry about where they would lay their head at night or
to how we might make Lent more meaningful, more effecabout their next meal. Luke is passing judgment and at the
tive and affective. We have two days to ponder and decide
same time throwing down the same gauntlet that Christ
what it is we would like to accomplish with our Lent. We
threw down. For the disciples, being rich was viewed as
have three days to focus our purpose, so that come Easter,
being an outward sign that a person was blessed or favored
we might realize a change in our lives, a deeper relationby God. Being poor was a sign of being outside of Gods
ship with our God. Our Gospel today provides a hint to
family. Luke, in speaking for Christ, reverses this notion. It
help us determine our focus.
is the poor who have the Kingdom, and they have it now.
We refer to Matthews and Lukes
The rich, these disciples us may
WOE TO YOU WHO ARE RICH...
versions of the Beatitudes as The
not have it at all now or in the future if
LUKE 6:24
Sermon on the Mount, an accurate
we dont live within Gods culture.
title for Matthew, but not for Luke.
Luke says those who are now weepSYNOPSIS
Luke presents Jesus coming down
ing will laugh. Laugh at what? There is

and standing on a stretch of level

story about a student on a retreat. She
In Lukes version of the
ground. We recall Jesus delivering
was asked to write down the emotional
Beatitudes, he is not speaking
this sermon to the multitude. In Luke,
high and low points of her life. When
about the poor having all of
however, Jesus speaks only to the discifinished, she was asked to point to the
their needs met; he is teaching
ples. Matthews version is addressed to
moments when she felt closest to God.
about a way of living, about a
rich and poor alike. Lukes is addressed
She was surprised to see that those
new culture of God emerging
only to those who would be termed
times were always at the lows in her
in the world, a culture that
rich, not to the poor. These differlife. Until that moment she had not
stands opposed to the culture of
ences are important. They give Lukes
made the connection between the lowthe society in which the
version a different meaning than
est points of her life and Gods discerndisciples were living, in which
Matthews.
able presence. It was then that she
we live.
Hearing the Beatitudes we think
laughed. Luke is telling us that once we

about what a specific group will

open our eyes and see that God had
Our focus this Lent, should be
receive in the future. It is important to
been present, we will begin to laugh
How do I enter the culture of
note that in Lukes version the first
about how much anguish we allowed
God?
Beatitude is about what the poor
ourselves to experience, how we had
already have: the poor have already
cried tears that were perhaps shed for
received the kingdom of God. They have it now. It is not
all the wrong reasons.
something they will get later. The world is not a great place
This helps point us toward the culture of God, what
for the poor, and Luke truly means the economically poor,
Luke seeks to teach. In our culture, the poor serve the rich,
not the poor in spirit of Matthew. If the world is not so
or more commonly said, those who dont have work for
easy on the poor, how do they already have it? It doesnt
those who do. In Gods culture, in Gods kingdom, the rich
look like they have the Kingdom.
work for the poor. To be rich is to be blessed, but it is to be
Luke is not talking about a place nor is he speaking
blessed for a purpose, a vocation. To be rich is to be put into
about the poor having all of their needs met; he is teaching
a position by God to help and to serve the poor.
about a way of living. Ultimately he is speaking of a culture.
Woe to you when all speak well of you. We value
With Jesus teaching there is a new culture of God emerg- social recognition. This is not part of Gods culture. In
ing in the world, a culture that stands opposed to the culGods culture He uses the phrase, well done good and
ture of the society in which the disciples were living, in
faithful servant. Our reward is not recognition, it is knowwhich we live. Matthew speaks of a transcendent world and
ing that we have pleased God. This Lent, our focus can be
how we should live for that world to come. Luke is teaching
How do I enter the culture of God? TP
us how to live in the world as it is right now. We live in it
January 2010 The Priest 27

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