Luke 6:20:26

Disciples of Jesus Christ tread the narrow path of seeking love, justice and peace for all of God’s creation. God loves the poor, the downtrodden and those that society rejects. Beware all of us who call on His name for guidance and direction and erect walls to keep others out!


Though Jesus was speaking to the entire crowd, the beatitudes of vv. 20–23 were directed to the disciples. 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. 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.

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.


At face value, it appears that Jesus was making a blanket promise of salvation and blessing to anyone and everyone below the poverty line. Some have adopted just such an interpretation and have felt a special call to aim their ministries at the downtrodden. In this view, the poor are seen as God’s chosen people. Though they suffer in this world, and perhaps because they suffer now, they can expect glorious blessing in the world to come. And the adherents of this view believe that while in this world the people of God should do everything possible to alleviate the suffering of the poor. In this way the kingdom of God is extended.

Many interpret the word poor as referring to the “poverty of spirit” that Jesus talks about in a very similar sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. In other words, Jesus was offering hope and joy to those who freely recognize their spiritual poverty before God. These individuals are blessed because they come to God with nothing to offer Him except their great need. Thus Christ’s offer of the kingdom of God is not a promise to every poor person. Rather it is a statement about the future condition of those who humbly choose to follow Him. When a person rejects worldly values and embraces the godly teachings of Jesus, then that individual begins to experience the reign of Christ in his or her life. This is how we enjoy the kingdom of God now in this fallen world. One day we will experience the joys of this kingdom in a fuller, more glorious way.

To summarize, anyone, rich or poor (and in a spiritual sense we are all poor), can taste the deep joy of God’s rule and the blessing of His kingdom. But doing so requires that we renounce the ways of the world and humbly submit our ways to God. This kind of poverty, an emptying of ourselves of our self-centered desires, is what God expects from everyone.

Luke 6:20-26

The Beatitudes

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.