***
Gospel: Luke 6: 17-26
Jesus came down with the Twelve
and stood on a stretch of level ground
with a great crowd of his disciples
and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon.
And raising his eyes toward his disciples he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
How many of us remember the story of Cinderella?
***
There’s something ironically Christian about it, as the major theme of the story is the reversal of fortunes.
As the story begins, Cinderella is held captive in her own home. Her evil stepmother and stepsisters force her to scrub the floors, to wash their clothes, to make their beds, and to serve them dinner.
She’s essentially a slave. But Cinderella never loses her inner goodness; from start to finish, she’s kind, forgiving, and humble of heart.
And, in the end, her fortune is reversed.
Cinderella journeys to the royal ball, where the prince falls in love with her and crowns her a princess. Together, they live happily ever after.
Meanwhile, Cinderella’s evil stepsisters are forced out of their home, losing everything.
That’s the type of story anyone can cheer for: when the poor become rich, the servant becomes a princess, the underdog wins.
Even in sports, a “Cinderella story” refers to an unlikely team winning in the end, like the Bengals in tonight’s Super Bowl.
In fact, no sports team from Cincinnati has won a championship in 30 years!
***
The same idea – the reversal of fortunes – is at the heart of our Christian faith, which Jesus describes in today’s Gospel.
***
“Blessed are you who are poor…for the kingdom of God is yours.”
“Blessed are you who are now hungry…for you will be satisfied.”
“Blessed are you who are now weeping…for you will laugh.”
“Blessed are you when people hate you on account of me…leap for joy on that day.”
And the greatest reversal of all, which we read in the Book of Revelation, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord,” for they shall live again.
***
So, is Jesus telling us that we must be poor, hungry, or persecuted in order to be blessed?
Not at all.
Rather, he invites us to be aware of those who suffer, and to find ways to comfort them. “For whatever you do to these, the least of my brothers and sisters,” he says, “you do to me.”
Therefore, when we forgive others, God forgives us. When we shelter, clothe, and feed our neighbors, God provides for us. When we share our blessings, God blesses us.
This is the difference between Cinderella’s story and ours. While she was forced into serving her stepsisters, Jesus invites us to serve others willingly.
Doing so brings us closer to the world God envisions: a world of harmony and peace.
***
In what ways can we help make God’s dream a reality? How can we be a servant of others?
***
For example, when dinner needs to be made, the house needs to be cleaned, and the kids need to be picked up from practice, do we gladly offer our help?
When harsh words are exchanged, do we offer an apology? Do we do our best to forgive?
When opportunities arise to be more generous with our time, treasure, and talent, do we embrace them?
***
This is the simple, yet challenging, message from the Gospel this week: Serve others like Cinderella. Give yourself away like Jesus.
If we do, then God will reverse our fortune – and bring us back to life.
***
***
Image credits: (1) Interrupting the Silence (2) Cinderella, Disney Inc. (3) Dunfermline Free Church