Sunday, August 24, 2014
Deacon Robert Banet
My wife has been after me to explain what Jesus meant when He said, Blessed are the poor.
Well, Charlie, that’s a significant problem. Not an easy answer. But I’ll try.
Shoot.
It’s true that Jesus said, Blessed are the poor, but He also said, in another gospel, Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Yes, that’s in Matthew. So, which is it?
Before I give you a direct answer, let’s listen to the story of Lazarus and the RichMan.
That’s a very well known story. Lazarus was at the rich man’s door and very poor. The rich man paid him no attention.
Yes, and when Lazarus died, where did he go?
To heaven, right?
Actually the Bible says he went to Abraham’s bosom. And you know, Abraham was a very rich man. Many cattle, many flocks of sheep, much land.
I never thought of that. So we have Lazarus, very poor in the literal sense and Abraham, what shall we say about him? He’s got to be in heaven.
He was rich in the worldly sense but he was poor in spirit. So now we get an idea of how to interpret those two ideas of “poor.”
Yes, I see. Jesus says blessed are the poor in the material sense of the word and He also says blessed are the poor in the spiritual sense. Abraham was rich in the material sense but he would have given it up if God had told him so.
Yes, he was not attached to his goods. He had them but he would have given them up in a minute if God had told him.
I’ll tell my wife. She’ll be glad to hear it.