May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.
Today’s gospel passage continues from where last week’s passage stopped: Jesus teaching on the Beatitudes on a level place. In the passage before, that which we heard last week, Jesus was speaking to quite a large crowd, all those who came for healing and to listen to Him.
This week, however, He speaks to a much smaller crowd; I believe that there were people who heard the Beatitudes and thought, Jesus lost the plot, He has gone crazy, mad, and so they left and a few stayed behind.
Jesus starts off this week with the words, “I say to you that listen”, almost in a way saying, you think the Beatitudes was crazy, wait until you hear what I have to say next.
Let us be honest, these instructions that Jesus gave, that which we just heard from this morning’s gospel passage, are much easier said than done. For example, does Jesus know how much pain those who hurt us, or our enemies, have caused us?
In our first reading, we find the forgiveness and reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers. Now, Joseph could have decided not to forgive nor to reconcile with his brothers who had caused him so much pain and suffering, the time he spent in prison after standing true to his values. Joseph, through all that, still decided to forgive and reconcile, and just because of his act of forgiveness and reconciliation, we find the whole beautiful deliverance story and God’s plan for His people Israel.
Following Jesus causes us to look at the world totally differently, as I have quoted from the hymn “Change my heart, O God” in a reflection before; in this hymn, we ask God to assist us to change our way of thinking, moving and being, to that of Him, that we may love, give and move as He wishes us to do.
The world around us may think it has broken us down, but let us keep our eyes fixed on the crucified Christ, Who through pain, humiliation, sorrow and anguish on the Cross at Golgotha cried out, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they are doing”.
Jesus endured beatings, being spat on, His clothes being torn and taken from him, being mocked and humiliated.
Jesus on the cross shows us that he is fulfilling, living out, that which He said on the level place.
Joseph and Jesus on the cross show us how to love, to give, to care and to forgive.
What is our excuse, that we cannot do the same?