Luke 6:20-26

17 years ago today on a cold winter day my only son passed in a car accident with roads encased in black ice…my world was never the same. Only God pulled me through it. I love you Jamey always have, always will!!

There will be no more tears nor sorrow when Jesus returns for us!

Luke 6:20-26

20 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you poor,

For yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are you who hunger now,

For you shall be filled. 

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you shall laugh.

22 Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man’s sake.

23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

24 “But woe to you who are rich,

For you have received your consolation.

25 Woe to you who are full,

For you shall hunger.

Woe to you who laugh now,

For you shall mourn and weep.

26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you,

For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

In Luke, these beatitudes focus on the socioeconomic conditions of first-century Palestine. In Matthew, they suggest a more spiritualized application. Matthew refers to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Luke refers to those who mourn over the brokenness of the present world and the suffering it causes. They will experience great joy when God’s kingdom arrives in full, upon Jesus’ second coming. 

Jesus praises both those who suffer for the sake of doing what is right, and also those who experience persecution because of their allegiance to Jesus Himself. Jesus notes that earthly riches are temporary, while heavenly riches are permanent. Unlike Matthew, Luke includes woes to accompany the beatitudes—these are commonly called antitheses to the beatitudes. Using a common apocalyptic motif, Jesus declares that the present circumstances of the rich and poor will be reversed in the future. Faithlife Bible.

Though Jesus was speaking to the entire crowd, the beatitudes of verses 20–23 were directed to the disciples. Blessed means “happy,” referring to the special joy and favor that comes upon those who experience God’s grace. In general, the disciples of Jesus were not wealthy. They were poor men who had come humbly to trust in God. All of the promises of God’s rule both now and in the future belong to such disciples.

The reason for the hunger and poverty is persecution. Jesus promised that God would provide the disciples with all the sustenance they needed. Here is the cause of the disciples’ precarious condition: persecution for the Son of Man’s sake. Identification with Jesus usually leads to rejection and hardship, but the disciple who has left all to follow Jesus understands what placing Jesus first means. He or she also recognizes that God is aware of all suffering.

The woes contrast with the beatitudes. A woe is a cry of pain that results from misfortune. Just as God presented blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience Jesus presented blessings and woes to His disciples who were anticipating the kingdom. The same blessings and woes apply to believers today when their works are evaluated. All that the rich receive is what they acquire on earth. Luke records many of Jesus’ critical remarks about the wealthy. Their wealth typically blinds them to their spiritual poverty and their need for salvation. NKJ Bible.

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Luke 12:21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”