Daily Gospel Reflection for February 17, 2019

Today's Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20-26 - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Living in a culture where land, possessions, and prestige were considered tangible evidence of God’s favor, those listening to Jesus’s sermon must’ve thought they’d entered the Twilight Zone. According to Jesus, the poor, hungry, mourning, and reviled were blessed, while the wealthy, satisfied, happy, and esteemed were woe-worthy. Jesus’s words probably shocked and provoked many. And yet, the Lord likely wasn’t trying to stir up controversy; on the contrary, He was simply describing the certain reality of the Kingdom of God – explaining in clear terms how drastically different God’s ways and thoughts are from our own. Today, as in Jesus’s time, there is nothing new under the sun. Many seek happiness via material possessions, prestige, comfort, and good feelings. And perhaps these things make us happy for a time; ultimately, however, none denote righteousness or suitability for heaven. In fact, relying on worldly accomplishments can lull us into a false sense of complacency, allowing us to believe we already “have it made.” It is only when we allow ourselves to detach from possessions and achievement that we recognize our complete and total dependence upon our good and gracious God.