Jesus addresses His disciples directly. Although there is also a large crowd there,

 Jesus addresses His disciples directly. Although there is also a large crowd there, His gaze is lifted to His disciples, those who are to become models for all humanity, people who are totally focused on God and His work. Therefore, they should be rich in God and poor in the world, full of God’s grace and empty of possessions, enchanted by the work of salvation and detached from the obstacles to life with God, of humble intelligence and, therefore, free from the pride of the world. Before His eyes, those who have embraced the path of curse and those who have decided to follow the path of divine blessing (cf. Jer 17:5-8), those who trust in the flesh and those who trust in God, those who cling to everything and those who leave everything for the sake of the Kingdom of God, become visible. The teaching of Jesus Christ is clear: blessed are those who are rich in God, free-minded and poor in the world, and cursed are those who are rich in the world, slaves to pride and empty of God. When Jesus fixed his eyes on his disciples, he made it clear what the conditions of life required of them should be.

Three things are extremely necessary for our salvation: to have as wealth a life according to the will of God through Jesus Christ; to live loving the truth with faith, humility and simplicity; and to be a true gift, not fearing the Cross, however heavy it may be. Certainly, the reason for everything is Christ himself. The beginning, the condition of life and the purpose of our entire existence, vocation and mission are in Jesus Our Lord, because, by looking at Him, we see the Way, by getting closer to HIM, we find the Truth, by living with Him, we discover Life, by listening to Him, we know the Logic that challenges the World.

In Luke, unlike Matthew, where Jesus sees the crowds, here Jesus raises His eyes to His disciples, who will lead the new people of God and must become different from the mentality of a failed humanity in need of a total transformation, of a new life, of a new direction, of a new logic, of a new horizon, of a true encounter with God. It is not possible to elevate man on the plain of the world, because it indicates the logic of power, of domination, of those who command and think only of themselves; of those who act only in the name of food, drink, health, success, fame and pleasure at any cost. This is what they call happiness. It is necessary to climb the mountain of a new way of life in accordance with the will of God, a life open to the action of the Spirit of God, guided by the power of love. The mountain is this reality of the Word of God, of the experience with the Savior; it is the “Mount Sinai” of the New Testament, the place of Jesus Christ’s project for His disciples, the constitution of the New People of God.

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God”; those who, of their own free will, give up everything they have; those who do not accumulate anything for themselves; who make their lives a true gift; those who are simply available to the Lord’s sending; they are the “anawim” of Sacred Scripture, the very disciples of Jesus. They are also, as Luke says, those who live in a situation of misery because of the ambition of many others. Jesus points out the reality of His discipleship: it must not have the mentality of a world fallen by the search for personal satisfaction, corruption, exploitation and attachment to what the world offers, which can only be the will of one’s own flesh. The disciples left everything for EVERYTHING.

“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” Matthew speaks of the hunger and thirst for God’s justice, which signifies the fulfillment of His plan of salvation. Therefore, to hunger and thirst for justice means to strive to save one’s brother, society, and the entire world. Luke, in turn, speaks directly of the concrete situation of misery in which human beings find themselves, impoverished because of the excesses of those who lead. So much so that, shortly after, he will speak of the “woes” in relation to the rich. For Luke, there will be no abandonment by God of those who suffer who fear His Name. God does not abandon those who suffer because of the Son of Man, nor does He “pass by” when someone cries for His help. He acts by saving those in need in their soul, because He created man and woman for communion with Him, and then He frees them physically, in their concrete needs.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh!” The blessed are all those who, because of the truth, are afflicted by the injustices of society and all forms of self-interested domination; those who are forced to live with a yoke around their necks, used in their rights, manipulated for vile interests, pawns in the hands of dictators and tyrants disguised as common people and of impeccable moral and spiritual life. They are spread everywhere in search of those who still think outside the ideological bubble and follow the teachings of the One who is feared.