6th Sunday Year C by Fr Donal Mcllraith

The Sermon on the Plain

Text: Luke 6:17.20-26

[17] And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.
…
[20] And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
[21] "Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
[22]"Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man!
[23] Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
[24] But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation.
[25] "Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. "Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
[26] "Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

1. Jesus has just prayed on the mountain and chosen the twelve. Then he comes down and three groups are with him: the twelve (“them”), a wider group of disciples, people who are already following Jesus, and a great crowd from all over. Jesus speaks to everyone. Matthew has 9 beatitudes (on a mountain) Luke has 4 beatitudes and 4 woes/calamities.
2.  We must look at the text carefully. Jesus spoke to all but he looked intently at the disciples. These beatitudes describe who Jesus is and who disciples must be also
3. Last week we saw “they left everything.” Everything. Now they have only Jesus and must depend completely on him and on his Father for everything. This is the poverty of the gospels. This is the poverty we are talking of in the beatitudes, poverty, hunger, weeping, persecution. This is what can happen to a disciple just as we know these things happened to Jesus himself. All the poor disciple can say is, “Lord, have mercy.” “Ask and you shall receive” Jesus tells us ...Read more