Luke's version of the Beatitudes has never been as popular as the one found in Matthew. Not only are the poor simply the poor, not the "poor in spirit," but there is a corresponding list of woes. Here is a portion of today's gospel. "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh... But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep."Does God really care more for the poor? Does God really place a curse (that's what a biblical woe is) on the rich and those who are laughing? If so, then I sure seem to work pretty hard to get myself under a curse.
The Bible is a complex document, and it is filled with metaphor and hyperbole. But these verses are still startling. And it seems to me that the more literally one reads the Bible, the more problematic these words become. I am no biblical literalist, but nonetheless, the verses surely say something about God's priorities. So why do my priorities seem so different?
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