Gospel Reflection 2021/2022

The inaugural sermon of Jesus.

In the Gospel according to Luke, such is the chronology of events before Jesus gave His inaugural sermon:

• First, Jesus summoned His disciples and handpicked twelve of them to be His apostles (meaning ‘someone sent’). [cf. Lk 6: 12-16]

• • Then together with the Twelve, Jesus came down to ‘a piece of level ground’ to meet the large gathering of His disciples, with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon – they had all come from near and far to hear Jesus and long to be healed by Jesus. [cf. Lk 6: 17-19]

• • And fixing His eyes on His disciples, Jesus gave His first sermon.

The Sermon on the Plain [Luke] and the Sermon on the Mount [Matthew].

Most of us would notice the differences by comparing Matthew’s Gospel and Luke’s Gospel. And the Bible scholars have concluded that it is highly possible Jesus had repeated His inaugural sermon at various occasions and locations. So, Luke’s account of the sermon could possibly be the repeated sermon by Jesus, at a different occasion and at a different location.

• • For Matthew, the sermon of Jesus took place on the mountain. But for Luke, the sermon of Jesus took place at the level ground.

• • For Matthew, Jesus’ sermon consists of 8 Beatitudes (Blessings) in total [Mt 5: 1-12]. But for Luke, Jesus’ sermon consists of 4 Beatitudes (Blessings) [Lk 6: 20-23] and 4 Maledictions (Curses) [Lk 6: 24-26].

The Sermon on the Plain.

According to Luke, Jesus CAME DOWN and stopped at a piece of LEVEL GROUND where the disciples and the people were, and EVERYONE in the crowd was healed:

• • Jesus, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, has come down to us to be at our level; He has come to meet us where we are.

• • Jesus’ ministry is universal and inclusive; He has come not only for His disciples, but He has come for everyone.

• • And no one who comes to Jesus – with sincerity of heart – to hear Him and to be healed by Him will be turned away.

The 4 Beatitudes and the 4 Maledictions.

The Sermon on the Plain reveals to us that our Christian life is a paradox: what we think is good for us may not actually be good for us.

• • ‘Blessed are you who are poor; but alas for you who are rich.’ Our riches here on earth do not guarantee us the rewards of eternal life. In fact, the love and craze for money and material wealth – more often than not – offer us false sense of security and they distract, divert and derail our journey towards God. When we prize money and material wealth above all things, our heart and mind are far away from God.

• • ‘Blessed are you who are hungry; but alas for you who have your fill now.’ When we are too full of ourselves, we have simply no space for God in our heart, in our mind, in our soul and in our life. When we have filled ourselves with ‘snacks’, we will stop desiring for ‘real food’. When we are so comfortable with the live-streamed Masses, we will stop desiring for the REAL COMMUNION with God and His Church. When we choose to settle for less, we will no longer hunger for the More (God).

• • ‘Blessed are you who weep; but alas for you who are laughing now.’ The world has no desire to mourn; it disregards painful situations, covers them up, hides them or flees from them. But we are called by our Lord ‘to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him’ [Mt 16: 24]. We must learn how to suffer with and mourn with others, and be unafraid to embrace our own sufferings and to share the sufferings of others.

• • ️ ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, drive you out, denounce your name as criminal, on the account of the Son of Man; but alas for you when the world speaks well of you.’ St Paul [1 Th 2: 4] reminds us, “We are not trying to please people but God.” And St Peter and the apostles [Ac 5: 29] fearlessly declare that, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.” Being the faithful disciples of Jesus is never easy: we will face temptation, mockery, ridicule, marginalization, opposition, oppression, persecution, and even execution. JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE [Jn 14: 6]. Even when the foundation of our world is shaken, we must always strive to know the truth, believe the truth, live the truth, and share the truth. 'He must increase, but we must decrease' [Jn 3: 30]. And our Lord Jesus [Mt 24: 13] has promised us, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”

The choice is ours.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has shown us the two paths: one leads to eternal blessedness; the other, leads to eternal damnation – the choice is ours to make. But let us be cautioned that the seemingly little and harmless daily choices that we make today could have dire and eternal consequences – we are either setting out on a journey to heaven or to hell.

By the grace of God, let us choose wisely and put all our trust in the crucified and risen Lord for only He can grant us our peace of mind, interior joy and eternal life.

Let our fervent prayer be:

“Lord Jesus Christ, I put all my trust in You.”