In last week’s Gospel (Luke 13:22-30) we heard our Lord’s response to those who found themselves locked outside the kingdom of heaven: “I do not know where you come from, depart from me all you workers of iniquity” (Luke 13:27)
Jesus “lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: Blessed are you”!
He formally and publicly declared his disciples blessed, that is, righteous before God – over against the self-appointed judges of righteousness, usually represented in the Gospel by the Scribes and the Pharisees.
