The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“It builds character!”

Have any of you heard this ominous phrase before? I know I remember hearing it often with dad at home, typically when we were complaining about doing something that we considered rather unpleasant. If we were going to be tromping through a field to go pull fencing, it built character. Weeding the garden? Builds character. One of my favorites- washing the dishes? It built character! It was truly amazing how many things built character, now that I think about it…

Nonetheless, naturally, in my mind and in many of our minds, building character sounds an awful lot like it is synonymous with “being miserable.” Whether or not the built character, and I suppose in some way they have, it still involved something negative. It is projects, tasks, and scenarios that involve something seemingly unpleasant!

When you heard the Gospel for the first time that we have for today- what struck your mind? Did it sound like something that was rather unpleasant, something miserable, or something that builds character,? Or, is there perhaps more to what Jesus says? Perhaps, if we stop to look and investigate His teaching for this morning, then we may be able to discover that, some things that we go through may build character, but there is so much more at play than just that.

To set this up, first we can begin quite easily and naturally in the book of the prophet Jeremiah. These are not his words, but the context of the reading sets up that he is simply relaying the word of the Lord. What does he say? It starts out rather course and seems a bit harsh. “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Jeremiah relays that this person is like a barren bush in the desert- he stands there, and does absolutely nothing. If we think of it in another way- it is a shell that is simply there, and is not filled with water, with nutrients, and isn’t even able to take in the sun. The person who is compared to this bush is indeed in a very sorry state!

Yet, what about the other option? The other option, as the Lord reveals, is the one who trusts in the Lord, who has hope in the Lord. He is the one that is planted beside flowing waters- and the result of this is quite profound! His roots go into the stream, and thus this plant begins to flourish, and enjoys not simply being a shell, but a plant that is filled with an abundance of life! Notice the result of this- that this plant, because it is tapped into the stream, it doesn’t fear, it shows no distress but still bears fruit. Isn’t that an attractive thought? Being so in tune with God that we need not show fear nor distress- no matter the situation? If that is the case, that is tremendous- and shows why one would desire to be so close to the Lord!

If we move to Saint Paul for just a moment, we being to pursue the very source of that stream. Saint Paul is setting up an examination of sorts- it examines the result of the Resurrection of Christ, and what would be the end result if He rises, or if He had not risen. We can likely guess the end result of both. We know that if He had not, we would still be struggling, and in a world of trouble, and in the darkness of sin. That would be, if things had not changed. Saint Paul is very blunt- if Jesus Christ had not risen, our faith would indeed be vain. Life would be over as soon as we perish, and we would be devoid of hope.

Yet, that isn’t the reality, is it? No, the fact of what happens is that we are filled with life because Jesus Christ did come and do exactly what He set out to do! He suffered, and died- and has been raised, to give us the hope of rising again after we perish from this life! So, the end result is that Saint Paul encourages us to hope, because Jesus Christ has done what He set out to do!

Finally, we arrive at the Gospel- and we are told that he comes down to stand on a stretch of level ground- and His disciples are there with a great crowd from all around. He raises His eyes to the disciples, because He is about to teach them something serious- and so He lays out this discourse: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh…” These four front scenarios are all positive in their nature- at least in a certain manner of speaking. More on that in a moment. We also hear about, after these statements of “blessing,” these four “woes” that also take place. “Woe to you who are rich, you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are filled now- you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you!”

Now, let’s go back to the beginning- a lot of these can seem like statements that are going to do a lot of character building. Perhaps they are encouraging us to a rather dower look on life? Why all of the misery, and why are being rich, being filled, laughing, and being spoken well of not necessarily good things? It is really quite simple. If we look back to Jeremiah, there is a man who is very cursed- the one who is like a bush that is drying out. Never changes seasons, is simply a shell of themselves. This is the plant that has chosen to plant themselves in things that are self-consuming. Dryness. They have, in fact, chosen to live as Saint Paul would caution them against- as if their faith is vain, and will not provide them anything good.

What is the alternative, though? If we turn to the four statements of “blessing,” or these four beatitudes, they give us an idea of what it is like to tap into God. Blessed are the poor- the Kingdom of God is theirs. Blessed are the hungry- they will be satisfied. These are not meant to simply be literal, physical realities, but they are meant to give us further emphasis on what it is like to seek God as the answer to all of our needs- thus when we are poor in spirit, we are filled with God. When we are hungry for justice, God alone satisfies. And even this odd one- the third statements of blessing and woe: they imply that it is better to weep rather than to laugh! Why is this?

Because they are at the heart of our Lord’s commission to us. If you think about it, the person who laughs can be very shallow. It takes very little personal investment to laugh. However, the one who weeps is one who is vulnerable. One who has loved much and lost much. The one who experiences circumstances that make them feel that things should be better, and yet they are not. The person who knows that they have needs that are not filled! Brothers and sisters, this is the person who is seeking the consolation and the life only Christ can give. It’s not about going about with a sour look plastered on our faces. That’s not it at all! Rather, it is about being sensitive, being vulnerable, but most importantly, being open and seeking God as the source of all blessings and the source of life, of joy, and of our peace and security. This can even go so far as to conquer our worst fears- perhaps even during the uncertainties of this life- because we know the one who is there and the one who can conquer even our worst fear- our worst distress- and even the droughts of life.

Further, living this life out well isn’t about appearing to having a massive fan club. However, the other caution would be that it also isn’t about alienating everyone either. Rather, the happy middle ground is where we can have peace in who we are because we draw upon God alone as the source of our life. Even when we go through moments that “build our character,” we know that we can stand strong, because we know the one who will get us through life. We don’t seek misery out, necessarily, but when life is going all wrong, we know the one who can make it go “all right.” Thus, the challenge for all of us as we hear these blessings and woes, which will we choose? We can choose the woes- the ones that will provide a happy life short term, but Jesus Himself challenges us to live for the long-term blessings. We may have hard moments in this life- and even moments that test our character. However, if we are willing to put aside things that are fleeting- whether wealth, abundance, shallowness, and even ill-gotten popularity, we can gain something much greater: the kingdom of God.

Perhaps, if we are faithful to these words, and hold fast, even in difficulty and misery- we can hear those words of Christ: truly, “Blessed are you.”

Brothers and sisters, may we forsake all that takes our life away and leaves us hollow and empty, and may we seek after God, who alone gives us life, no matter what comes our way, and no matter what may seek to “build our character.”