In “Wealth and Poverty”, Bruce Malina writes: “What characterises all the wealthy is their lack of content, of satisfaction – and this at the expense of
others”. This sentiment is at the heart of the fourth Beatitude.
Wealth is often acquired at the expense of others and creation. This Beatitude is
about justice and injustice. The presence of the Lord is revealed in the provision of resources. When people share, rather than keep selfishly for themselves, they not only reveal God’s providence but show that they trust in the God who meets their needs. Hoarding or selfishness shows a fundamental mistrust of God’s providential presence.
St. Matthew invites us to go deeper. The human appetite for more is never satisfied. Even those who hoard as much as they can will always be restlessly seeking more. St. Matthew wants us to see that our never-ending desire for more cannot be satisfied until we know God. Our intimate knowledge of God
cannot be separated from promoting justice. When we know God, we cannot but strive to make God’s justice a reality in our society and world.
Those who
hunger and thirst for justice order their relationship with God and others according to God’s saving plan. So, for St. Matthew, justice demands that we are first concerned about an intimate and trusting relationship with God. Justice becomes a reality in a living relationship with God. We cannot claim a personal relationship with God if we do not hunger and thirst for justice. Only In God will our deepest appetites be fulfilled; God’s justice will then become our focus, our
quest.
Take time today to consider your trust in God. Are you able to trust that God will provide for you? Does your sense of God’s provision for your needs inspire you to
reach out to others in need? Spend time reflecting on this statement. You may even want to speak to God about how your feel when you read this: “Our intimate knowledge of God cannot be separated from promoting justice.”
