6 June 2016
“Blessed are the faithful.”
That’s maybe how we could sum up the Beatitudes (as they are in the
Gospel of Matthew). Blessed are the
faithful.
But, you know, being faithful isn’t easy. It takes determination and strength to be
faithful to God, especially when “the going gets tough.” Being faithful requires us to keep God as the
anchor in our lives, and to just trust our Good Shepherd.
We see in the Book of Kings a contrast between Ahab and
Elijah. Ahab had gradually replaced his worship
of God with another god, and he was rich in power and wealth. But, in spite of that, a devastating drought
was forecasted for him. Then again, what
else would we expect to happen, when he turned his back on the God of Life?
Elijah, on the other hand, was strong in faith. God sent him away to a deserted place—the Wadi
Cherith; but there God provided for his needs.
Even a raven—a bird of prey—was there to help him. Elijah was . . . “blessed;” he was strong in
faith, even with Ahab against him and the desert surrounding him.
Blessed are those whose strength is their faith. Blessed are the faithful, no matter what
comes in life. “Rejoice and be glad,”
Jesus says, “for your reward will be great in heaven.” And the reward of faith is not a drought; the
reward of faith is life . . . life in abundance.
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