Scripture Reflections for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Year A, Lectionary 70
We are invited into the kingdom of heaven but we must enter with humility. We must let go of our ego and let God lead us. To depend, trust and follow after God. When we do, we will be given all the goodness of God but we must not boast about having goodness because of our efforts. We must humbly acknowledge God's grace and blessings.
Hate feeling lost on Sundays at church? Searching for a better explanation of the Bible than what you hear from your pastor's sermon? Check out the following collection of audio, video, and text commentaries from various Christian experts for a better understanding of today's scripture that deal with: Addiction • Beatitudes • Blessing • Boast • Cross • Dialogue • Disciple • Focus • Freedom • Happiness • Happy • Holy • Humility • Hunger • Joy • Judgment • Justice • Kingdom • Lowly • Parallel • Poverty • Purity • Remnant • Righteousness • Sight • Translation • Wisdom •
“So there's this paradox that's built into the very Gospel itself. It's ultimately the paradox of the cross, that the mystery of the incarnation and the mystery of the cross are both mysteries, as Paul will say in Philippians, of God's self-emptying”
“Jesus blesses those who are poor in spirit, gentle, and pure in heart because each describes a different facet of a life that is open to God’s reign”
“Whatever level of vision we have with our literal eyes, I think the Beatitudes give us a way to perceive the world and ourselves”
“I am very certain that true words spoken of in the Beatitudes, to be satisfied, to be comforted, to see God, can only truly be brought about if we become participants in God's will”
“Are we, do we want to be, will we work to be the blessed of our God? Because those blessings are there, Church, we just have to open up, we just have to say 'yes,' we just have to be willing participants in the fullness of that grace that is already ours”
“In the new law, the curses are the blessings because the way we enter into the blessing of the kingdom of heaven is through the cross, it's through suffering, it's through the mystery of a suffering that's united to the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ”
“in Christianity the teacher and the teaching are one. Jesus is not separate from his teaching, he is the same as his teaching.”
“the original sin has to be that it takes so much work to get out of ourselves. That our default position is me, and to protect me, and to take care of me. I think we have to move against that deliberately, constantly. That's what, to me, salvation is. Moving against that default position.”
“God always promises us a blessing even when we don't have the happiness”
“If you're blessed, your blessedness is going to take you to a new level of righteousness of Christian living. You and I will grow spiritually by putting these Beatitudes into action.”
“God's kingdom breaks in everywhere. On street corners and schoolyards, in sanctuaries and soup kitchens, among sinners and saints. God's kingdom is among us. Can you see it? Do you feel it?”
“It's not just about me and Christ but it's about myself, Christ, and my relationship with a community of believers.”
“Can we place ourselves in spaces where we are not trying to be first, best or boasting but for God and others? Can we place ourselves instead in marginal spaces, place ourselves in humility before the sacredness of one another to become people of authentic encounter, kinship and relationship?”
“we are the ones seized by and sent by Christ Jesus and the Spirit as blessing, to be blessing, and to give blessing to those who can't see blessing anywhere. And we have to try to be a living Word of God to them by witnessing as bearers of Christ's love or as Paul says 'other Christs.'”