Jesus’ words in today’s gospel from Luke is known as the sermon on the plain, and describes a world turned upside down, if you will. At least it must have sounded that way to those who first heard them. For Jesus pronounces blessings upon people who are poor, hungry, sad, and despised, and then extends his sympathies to those people who were rich, filled, happy and popular. This was in direct contrast to the religious thinking of the time. It was widely accepted by many religions, not only the Jewish religion, that those who were on top of the heap, so to speak, were favored by God, and those at the bottom of the heap, were considered as cursed by God. So Jesus’ words appear to turn a world upside down. Or, we might ask ourselves, is he actually depicting the way in which an upside-down world is turned right-side up?

        The gospel a few weeks ago was about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, which began in the synagogue at Nazareth, in which Jesus announced that he had come "to bring good news to the poor…to set the downtrodden free." And even before that we heard Mary proclaim in her Magnificat that "the Lord has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty." And the birth of Jesus was announced, not to the rich and powerful, but to shepherds, who were considered among those at the bottom of the social ladder.

        Recall the temptations that Jesus underwent in the desert? What were the things that the devil offered him? Don’t we identify them as being power, prestige and possessions? And Jesus’ response to the temptations was, "Your Lord and God alone shall you worship!"

        Today’s gospel calls us to question ourselves about what it is we worship. We can begin by reflecting on what Jesus had to say about our hearts. He said, "For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." What is it that we are passionate about? How do we spend our time? How many hours of the day are we more concerned about "getting" than about "giving"?

        People can become compulsive and addicted to many things, and material things are often high on the list. Jesus is trying to get us to understand that the things of this world are useful, but only temporary. He is telling us very strongly, not to be consumed by "getting" and "having" at the expense of our soul. He warns us, "If you are rich, your consolation is now…if you are full, then you shall go hungry."

        In the gospel today, Jesus offers for our consideration what it takes to find "beatitude," or "blessedness, " or true happiness in life. He invites us to be on the plain with him; to "stand on level ground" with the poor and to become one with the poor for the sake of the kingdom.

        I doubt that for any of us, being poor, hungry, or an object of scorn, would hardly merit our admiration, much less our willing acceptance of these human miseries. At first glance, it may seem that Jesus is offering a very pessimistic life view, or that he is encouraging our resignation to life’s misfortunes. However, that is not possible, for Jesus announced his mission with a promise of happiness. He said, "I have come that you may have joy, and that your joy may be complete." He proclaimed that he was "the way, the truth, and the life." Jesus came to offer us life in abundance.

        Jesus promises us abundant life but leaves no doubt that to attain it, requires us to make some significant changes in our attitudes and behavior in our living and life. We must come to the supreme realization that the things of this world are transitory and cannot give us true happiness. The poor, the hungry, and the sorrowful – those who have so little or nothing of what the world considers important, those who cannot rely on the human beings, they are blessed, because they are the ones who place their total trust and hope in the Lord, and take solace from Jesus’ words: "Behold, your reward will be great in heaven."

        The Good News of today’s gospel must be viewed in the context of a world in which God had always intended, that the lowly, those disregarded by the world, should have a valued place in God’s kingdom. Jesus is speaking of a kingdom in which God’s intentions for the world are restored. Things are put back as God means them to be; not so much overturned, as put back the right way up. Jesus calls us not to just sit back and wait for this to happen at some time in the future. He is calling us to work for it now. God’s kingdom will come in its fullness; but every time we pray "thy kingdom come" in the "Our Father," we are committing ourselves to be part of that building up of the kingdom in the world today. And justice, compassion and care for the poor are at the very heart of that kingdom.

        Another view of today’s gospel might be that it is a plea from the God who loves us more than we love ourselves, to pay close heed to how we live our lives on this earth. It is a reinforcement of his teaching to "love…your neighbor as [you do] yourself."