In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus speaks to the people from the plain rather than from the mountain. This has significance.   Jesus is leveling with the people and telling them the truth straight on.  Jesus puts the contrast in life very directly.  A person can be living the beatitudes of God or be living in woe.  As usual it depends not on words but on actions to ascertain where a person is living.  The readings today give beautiful images that illustrate how a life can be lived. If living with the beatitudes a life can be like the tree that is planted near a stream of living water, whose leaves will not fade but will be ever green.  However, those who live in the shadow of death, woe to them, who will be like a tree planted in the desert that enjoys no change of season and stands in a lava waste. There is a better way to live life so a person can flourish for the Lord like that beautiful tree.  The first reading says first to not to put trust on one’s strength but to rely instead on the Lord.  The reading also says cursed the one who trusts another human being.   However, this needs to be clarified. It is not for a person to be paranoid about everybody.  But it goes back to first put the trust in God, rather than to rely for very human solutions.  The tree of life will flourish when it is nourished by the Lord through the sacraments, and not by temporal things that will do it harm.  Many solutions offered by the world are only temporary, and they do not go to the underlying problem, because only God can bring forth a holistic solution, but it takes time.  The first reading then gives a first indication to live in the beatitudes and to flourish means relying on God.  The second reading provides another point to flourish, that is to live to preach the Gospel, namely that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and He is the first fruit of those who have fallen asleep.  The resurrection of Jesus assures the resurrection of all.  However, there are those who do not believe there is life after death.  St. Paul calls these people, the most pitiable of people.  Yet there are some who only claim to believe in Christ while they are in this life, but after dead all bets are off.  This is inconsistent.  This is being a dead tree [using the image].  This is not believing in Christ.  For those who believe in Christ, must also believe in the resurrection. It is a whole package.  One cannot believe in one and not the other. Jesus is the resurrection.  To not live a life in vain, a life in sin, a life in woe, it is important to live as there is a tomorrow in the promise of resurrection.   This is the hope that gives life [literally] to the Christian.  If a person [who claims to be Christian] does not believe in the promise of Jesus, then the words that the person is a “sad sap” can be applied.  A dead tree, dead to faith.  The gospel reading continues with more thoughts about how to flourish in this life while embracing the beatitudes.  The list of beatitudes is shorter for the Gospel of Luke, and it also accompanied by a list of woes. Again, to show the contrast of life.  However, the list of beatitudes for Luke are more direct and challenging.  The Lord says, “Blessed are you who are poor.”  Period.   In the Gospel of Matthew, it adds “in spirit.”  Luke says it concretely, without any addition at the end.  This makes it clear the Lord calls for a life of simplicity.  A live of evangelical poverty.  A life about not attachments to earthly possessions.  Life is more fruitful, when it has less.  Less temporal goods to be worried about.  At the end the beatitudes ask not to worry about what other people think while being a prophetic person. If the Gospel of salvation is being lived and shared, there will always be people who will hate it.   When Jesus is preached resurrected, some people will hate it and will exclude the person from their life. But to get excluded should be commonplace and a compliment when it is for the sake of the Gospel.  To live in the stream of living water means not trying to please and appease everybody, not to settle in conformity just to fit in.  It means not trying to get people to speak well of you.  It means enduring the morning call to complain about something you did or didn’t do.  It means not to focus on self but focus on the Gospel.  Overall, the readings today invite to live life of faith by practicing the advice of the readings and living the beatitudes and so to flourish by the streams of living water.