4th Sunday after Epiphany

What is the right way up for our values?  At present the rich, powerful and manipulative tend to live longer, earn more and enjoy more opportunities and better health.  The Bible passage this week is the beginning of Jesus’ teaching known as the sermon on the mount.  Jesus starts with the beatitudes.  The Latin word ‘beatus’ means blessed.  Blessed are those who mourn; blessed are the meek; blessed are those who hunger for justice.  Does this make sense?  After all, we know that mourners often go un-comforted, the meek don’t inherit very much and those longing for justice carry that longing to the grave.  This is precisely the point.  The kingdom of heaven will turn our values the right way up.  Jesus has started the process by inaugurating a new value system.  The beatitudes are a summons to live in the present in a way that will make sense in the future.  God’s promised future has arrived in Jesus and will be fulfilled one day in Jesus.  It may all seem upside down to us now but we are called to believe, that it is and it will be, in fact, the right way up!