"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Milking is hard work and you have to do it morning and evening. When I think of milking, I usually think of cows. However, I have actually milked both cows and goats. As a little girl, I loved to visit my Grandmother and help in the barn, including milking the cow. I was never able to get much milk because my hands weren’t strong enough. We had milk goats during the 3 years living on a farm in Colorado with 2 (and then 3) young daughters. They never did acquire a taste for the goat’s milk, but I became an expert at disguising it in bread and other foods. Many other animals are used for milk—like sheep and camels. Some give lots of milk and others not as much, but milk is an important food source throughout the world.
Similarly, the Beatitudes are spiritual nourishment that you have to work at in order to get the full benefit of the lessons found there. A cursory reading will give you a sense of well being, but a deeper investigation (milking the words—if you’ll excuse the analogy) will make you think about the real costs of discipleship.
We are all poor in spirit at some time or another and we all mourn. To be reminded that it is the meek and those who hunger for righteousness who will be deeply blessed is to be reminded of Mary’s Magnificat and of the shallowness of the lures of the world’s riches and power.
Our call as disciples is to be merciful and peaceable and to seek to be pure in heart, yet it is that very counter-cultural approach that will inevitably bring us into conflict with the world. The 8th Beatitude is a very strong warning of what will happen when we follow our Lord, but it’s the only way to true blessing. We are in the company of the prophets, like Isaiah, Zechariah, even Martin Luther King, Jr. and others who spoke out strongly against the leadership and failings of their time. Yet, they are remembered precisely because they took a stand and called for change.
What change are you called to in this new year—in yourself or in the world around you?
If you have time, follow this link to a short video that will give you a chance to meditate on the words of the Beatitudes: http://www.interviewwithgod.com/beatitudes/
