
Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort …
Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.”
(verses 20-24, 26)
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Jesus’ statements catch us by surprise. Lord, are you sure? Blessed are the poor – really? Woe to the rich – really?
Before we get there, we should note that the remainder of this chapter gives us a portion of the same teaching we find in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew (chapters 5-7). Luke starts his record here with a shorter version of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12), capping it off with a contrasting set of “Woes.”
It is these blessings and woes together that cause our surprise. As one commentator (Leon Morris) says, Jesus’ statements “make a mockery of the world’s values. They exalt what the world despises and reject what the world admires.” They catch us off guard.
Blessed are the poor, Jesus says, and the hungry, and also the weeping. He concludes with a final blessing on those who are hated, excluded, insulted, and rejected. At this point it becomes clear these blessings are anchored in relationship with Jesus himself. They result “because of the Son of Man” (verse 22). When we experience poverty, hunger, sorrow, and rejection as a result of being rooted in him, then we discover we are truly blessed.
And indeed, hardships – of varying kinds, to varying degrees, for varying durations – will come to all who choose to follow Christ Jesus as Lord. We should not be surprised. The unexpected wonder, however, is the blessing that comes amid the trials.
Luke allows these statements to stand as they are, raw and physical, stretching out to cover so many of life’s hardships. Matthew, on the other hand, fine-tunes some of them, focusing on the reality of spiritual life, calling us blessed when we realize we are poor in spirit and when we hunger after righteousness. In either case, it is clear that these blessings are experienced only as life is anchored in Christ.
In contrast, it is when a person lives in opposition to God that woe is pronounced. For Jesus’ woes extend to those who live like “their fathers” who had oppressed God’s true prophets and instead embraced those who were false. At this point we need to hear Jesus’ voice clearly, for “woe” is not an expression of threat, but rather of regret and sadness. What seems so good in the world’s eyes (riches, full stomachs, laughter, popularity) causes the Lord grief when it is not rooted in him.
So, come to Jesus afresh. He was “looking at his disciples” as he spoke these words. Turn your eyes back to him – he is speaking to you. Step more deeply into alignment with him that the whole of life might be lived “because of the Son of Man.” Trust him with the gaps, the hardships, the trials, and the weaknesses, for his blessing is ready to flow. “Rejoice … because great is your reward in heaven.”
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Lord Jesus, with eyes on you I listen to your voice. I give to you my poverty, hunger, grief, and hardships. Meet me here with your blessing. Your kingdom come – your will be done – in the whole of my life. To your glory. Amen.
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Reflect:
What gaps, hardships, trials, or weaknesses are currently before you? Put them into Jesus’ hands. Lift your sights to him. Receive the blessing of his presence.
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Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash
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