IV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Matthew 5:1-12
The proud is full of himself, having no place for anybody else. He becomes his own god, deciding right and wrong. The others become tools to be manipulated as he wishes, bringing oppression and exploitation. Pride is the root of jealousy, envy and hatred which bring violence between individuals, communities and nations. The others, mainly the ones who look and act differently, are perceived as a threat and looked upon as enemies. In fear, doing all he can to protect himself and to keep the others at a distance, he builds walls. His great values are wealth and power and he is ready to do anything in order to keep his power and increase his wealth.
The proud does not need to go in search of the truth, since he owns the truthNd sets himself up as the rule of truth. His heart does not seek God, because he does not need God. In his pride, he cannot understand that his tower of wealth and power will tumble down and crush him. Excluding the others, he will remain alone, unable to see the light and to find peace. Only the humble will recognize their shortcomings and become aware of their weaknesses; only they are ready to seek help and search for the truth. That's why the prophet Zephaniah calls on them to seek the Lord:
Seek the Lord,
all you, the humble of the earth,
who obey his commands.
Seek integrity,
seek humility:
you may perhaps find shelter
on the day of the anger of the Lord. (Zeph 2:3)
To seek the Lord, we need humility and we need integrity. If our hearts and minds are corrupted by false values, we will not feel the need of seeking the Lord.
In line with the prophets, Jesus presented a different way, with a new set of values, turning upside down the scale of values accepted by the world. Presented as the new Moses, Jesus went up the mountain to give the charter of the New Covenant for the new people of God. It is the sermon on the mountain or of the beatitudes. Who are the blessed ones?
Blessed are the poor in spirit, the gentle, those who mourn, those who hunger for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted for the cause of right and for Jesus Christ. However, for all those who follow the wisdom of the world, this is sheer nonsense. Following these values, we go nowhere and achieve nothing. The wealthy and the powerful achieve their greatness by being ruthless and merciless. Doing that, they become oppressors and exploiters, always ready to conquer and dominate. It is not surprising that there is so much violence and so many wars.
Only the humble may work for peace and bring peace. And only the poor in spirit may enter the kingdom of God, because, being aware of his fragility and powerlessness, he is ready to believe and to accept salvation as a gift.
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