The Most Enviable People Are Blessed

 
Who do you think are the most enviable people in society today according to conventional wisdom? Those whose lives are highly desirable, the ones who many hiddenly lust to be or live like?  The enviable lives and traits of these people have become trendsetters or the standard for ‘happy living’, they have it all! The young especially long to talk like them, to behave, achieve or even believe as they do? Who are these ‘blessed’ people according to society?
 
In my home country Uganda, there are 3 kinds of these ‘most enviable’ people. first are the ‘stars’ in the entertainment world, who for the most part (not all but…) are persons who only pursue their own interests. Then you have the absurdly corrupt wealthy who are touted as ‘masters’ (big people) who often are about only their own pleasures. Lastly, we have the kingmakers (power brokers): political, economic etc. those who wield influence but mostly are preoccupied with promoting their self-image.  These kinds of people are covered everywhere endlessly in the newspapers, on social media, television on radio and local community gossip. They are the most enviable people, we are told. Be like them!
 
Make a simple google search of the most enviable people to see, what comes up? Check out their traits?
For those in the Christian tradition (believers), the standard of living an enviable life or being blessed are at most upside down; (welcome to the upside-down kingdom of God) because of this Christianity will always be at odds with conventional wisdom for it is it’s ‘reverse’. In the Christian tradition, it is those who ‘make others blessed’ who are most enviable.

Jeremiah the prophet is a product of a very black and white moral culture. People are grouped into two groups: those who are ‘cursed’ and those who are ‘blessed’. To trust in man is to be cursed, to trust in God is to be blessed. Punishment and banishment from the community are the fate of one who trust in human beings. Jeremiah however will learn that with it is not exactly so . infact for people like Job , faithfulness and loyalty to God brings the opposite upon them . They see suffering pain and rejection instead. Faithfulness will invite the cross. The faithful one will not be like a tree planted besides the waters but like a tree in the barren desert. Yet what makes them ‘blessed’ is they know God does not abandon them. Their trials are not the end of it all. (Psalm 1: Blessed are they who hope in the Lord).  These are the most enviable people.
 
The beatitudes are well known to us. The beatitudes of Luke however are a little different. This is not Jesus’ sermon on the mount as we are used to listening to. This is the ‘sermon of the plains’.
 

Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground with a great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.

 
The teaching authority of Jesus is not given as it were, from a high lofty place (mount/top down). Jesus teaches as one who is living among his listeners (one like them). The author of Luke’s gospel is concerned about the social economic struggles within the community he lived. The problems of inequality and poverty in a society with limited goods. How are they to exercise charity? (the love of God and the love of neighbor?)

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 
Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. 
Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.

Why the ‘woes? What is wrong with being rich? Nothing!  but there is more here – in the ancient world of limited goods and resources, every little thing helped out , the betterment of all. If a person took more than they needed, they took away from the ones who needed the most. Greed is the most punishable sin.  So, ‘be responsible for the fate of others, for another’s well being. ‘to give is to receive or to receive is to give’. Hence ‘those who make others blessed are the most enviable people (Blessed!)
 
The readings challenge us this weekend to get involved in transforming the lives of those in need.  When we render service to them, we proclaim others blessed (and are Blessed too). Show compassion and concern to the estranged, bring hope and consolation to the discouraged and dejected, get involved in the plight of the poor (be men and women of justice and honesty), find the good in those who are otherwise maligned. See the mission of your lives as to improve the lives of fellow humans. This is most enviable in the kingdom of God.

Jesus on the cross is the ultimate symbol of blessedness. His self-giving yields for us salvation. The Eucharist is bread and wine – the food for the journey that improves the lot of the believing community. Let Jesus' example be a model of how to live a truly enviable life.

-Fr. Anthony