Take some time at dinner one night this week to read this fun fact and then discuss some of the questions.
Did you know...
…that the teaching we hear in this week's gospel, which we call the Beatitudes, is different in Luke's gospel than it is in Matthew's gospel? In the gospel of Matthew Jesus starts his ministry by teaching people about God's love on top of a mountain. In Luke's gospel, Jesus does this same teaching but he does it on level ground. Both of these teaching stories start with Jesus sharing his Beatitudes, or blessings.
In Matthew's gospel Jesus lists nine groups of people who are blessed, including the poor in spirit, the meek, the pure in heart, the peace makers, the hungry, those who mourn, those who are persecuted, those who are reviled, and the merciful. The author of Luke's gospel only list four "blessings" and then adds four "woes" to go along with each (i.e. blessed are the poor, woe to the rich). I wonder why they tell the same story in such different ways, and why Luke has woes when Matthew doesn't.
Questions
1) Think about your day today. What were the "blessings" of your day? What were the "woes?"
2) Do you think it is important to have both "blessings" and "woes" in your life?
3) When was a time you learned something important from a "blessing?" When was a time you learned something important form a "woe?"
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