The Gospel of Luke
Blesseds and Woes: Lk 6,20-26
"Blessed", the word which gives rise to "beatitude", indicates a much deeper sense of wholeness and harmony than can be given by the word "happy".
The state of being blessed or fortunate can be seen in references from both the Old and New Testaments. What marks out the Beatitudes of Matthew and Luke is that a promise is attached, introduced by "for". This promise indicates a deeper reality which may not correspond to actual present circumstances but will be fulfilled in the future.
Likewise for the woes. These can best be seen as warnings, a call to those who feel at ease or secure (Amos 6,1) to change their ways.
Luke's Beatitudes are addressed specifically to his disciples (6,20) though there is also a wider audience (6,19). Luke speaks to "you" rather than Matthew's general "those". The literal "Blessed are the poor" is to my thinking a starker expression which is softened by adding "you".
Whereas Matthew has "poor in spririt" (Mt 5,3), Luke simply has "poor" (Lk 6,20). The Chilean theologian Segundo Galilea once wrote:
"Luke tells us who is "happy" in the perspecitve of Christ and is kingdom. He lists certain catergories of persons, and declares them objectively "lucky" (or "unlucky" in the four woes), independently of any consideration of their moral condition. By contrast, Matthew tells us how to become "happy". He lists the conditions for following Jesus and sharing in his kingdom. Accordingly, Matthew addresses himself to all categories of persons at once."
(The Beatitudes, 1984)
As a consequence, woes would not be appropriate in the Sermon the Mount. They therefore find a balancing position towards the end of the Gospel (Mt 23) when they are specifically directed at the scribes and Pharisees.
It's noticeable that condition of the first Beatitude is expressed in the present tense whilst the others promise reversals in the future. Looking back to 4,43 and 4,18, the good news is that the poor are already within the kingdom of God even if the final fulfilment, the reversal of their condition (hungry and weeping) will be in the future.
Luke's message therefore is a prophetic statement. This is perhaps highlighted by the last beatitude and the last woe. Prophets traditionally have a hard time - as for example Micaiah in 1 Kings 22.
Let us now return to the main page.
The Sunday Gospel
The use of the passage from Jeremiah followed by the similar Psalm 1 on this Sunday puts the emphasis on choice: Am I following the way of the wicked or the way of the just? (Psalm 1 is used frequently in the lectionary though oddly verse 5 is always omitted.)
The theme of choice may be one way of approaching these Beatitudes of Luke given that woes are also included. Whether this is the best way of looking at what Luke is saying may be another matter. It may be more appropriate for Matthew's beatitudes. My comment would be to suggest that we must be wary of any interpretation that might weaken what the evangelist is saying.
Following all that, let us now return to the main page.