Be-Attitudes

Gospel: Matthew 5: 1-12

There is a vast difference between the commandments of Sinai and the Beatitudes of Jesus.  The commandments are laws of negative avoidance: don't do these things.  On paper they should be relatively easy to follow, though we do in fact find many of these prohibited activities to be quite popular in our world.  It begs the question as to whether a tactic of avoidance is best in overcoming our tendency to such actions.

By contrast the Beatitudes of Jesus  challenge us to positive actions that are not easy on the surface of things: to be merciful to others in a cruel world; to be peacemakers in a world of competition and strife; to be pure of heart in a world of degradation and lies; to suffer persecution for justice in an unjust world.  Jesus invites us to accept God's mercy in our repentance, and then to extend that mercy to others in our lives.  

However, this great challenge of the Beatitudes comes with it an additional blessing: a life of positive action - of mercy, peacemaking, purity of heart, and suffering persecution - is a far more effective tonic to the sins forbidden by the commandments than mere avoidance.  The Beatitudes call us to a life of positive interaction with the world, not avoidance or colonization of the like-minded.  The Beatitudes call us to a transformation of the world through mercy and peace.