Bird's-eye view
In Luke 6:24-26, Jesus pronounces a series of four woes that serve as the photographic negative of the beatitudes He has just delivered. If the beatitudes describe the blessed state of those inside the kingdom, the woes describe the cursed state of those who are outside. These are not vindictive curses, but rather solemn, diagnostic warnings. They are the pronouncements of a physician who has identified a terminal condition. Jesus is revealing the spiritual bankruptcy of a world that measures its well being by its own ledgers of comfort, satiety, mirth, and reputation. Each woe follows a pattern: a declaration of "woe" to a particular group, followed by the reason for their miserable state, which is always a great reversal. What they have now is all they will ever get, and what is coming is the polar opposite.
The central theme is the great inversion of the gospel. The kingdom of God turns the world's value system completely upside down. Those who are rich in this age are actually destitute. Those who are full are starving. Those who laugh are headed for tears. And those who are universally acclaimed are in the greatest spiritual danger of all. These woes are a call to radical self examination. They force us to ask where we are sourcing our comfort, our satisfaction, our joy, and our approval. If the answer is "from the world," then we are in a woeful state indeed.
Outline
- 1. The Woes of the World's Kingdom (Luke 6:24-26)
- a. The Woe to the Rich (v. 24)
- b. The Woe to the Full (v. 25a)
- c. The Woe to the Laughing (v. 25b)
- d. The Woe to the Popular (v. 26)
Context In Luke
These woes are delivered as part of what is commonly called the Sermon on the Plain, Luke's counterpart to Matthew's Sermon on the Mount. It is crucial to see them as the inverse of the beatitudes that immediately precede them (Luke 6:20-23). The blessings are for the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the hated. The woes are for the rich, the full, the laughing, and the well-regarded. This sharp antithesis is a hallmark of Luke's gospel. He consistently draws a sharp line between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of this world. This section is not a standalone piece of moralizing; it is an integral part of Jesus's manifesto for His kingdom, defining its citizens by what they value, which is the exact opposite of what the fallen world values.
Key Issues
- The Great Reversal
- The Nature of Worldly Comfort
- The Deception of Satiety
- The Danger of Universal Acclaim
- True vs. False Prophecy
Verse by Verse Commentary
Luke 6:24
"But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full."
The first woe is aimed at the rich. Now, we must be careful here. The Bible does not teach that the mere possession of wealth is sinful. Abraham was rich, Job was rich, David was rich. The issue is not the money, but the heart's trust in it. The word for "rich" here points to those who are self sufficient, who have their resources, and who need nothing, least of all God. The damning indictment is in the second clause: "for you are receiving your comfort in full." The Greek word here, apechō, was a common term used on receipts. It means "paid in full." Their comfort, sourced from their wealth, is the only comfort they will ever know. They have cashed their check. They have received their consolation prize, and in so doing, have forfeited the true and lasting comfort that comes from God alone. They have settled for a puddle of muddy water and have given up the ocean.
Luke 6:25
"Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and cry."
These next two woes function as a pair, addressing those who are satisfied with the world's fare and the world's entertainment. The "well-fed" are not just those who have had a good meal. They are those who are spiritually complacent, gorged on the junk food of this age, and have no appetite for the Bread of Life. Their bellies are full, but their souls are skeletal. The reversal is stark and just: they shall be hungry. An eternal, gnawing hunger will replace their temporary satisfaction.
In the same way, the woe is pronounced on those who "laugh now." This is not a condemnation of joy or laughter itself. God gives laughter as a good gift. This is aimed at the shallow, frivolous, and godless mirth of the world. It is the laughter of the fool who says in his heart there is no God. It is the laughter of those who find their amusement in sin, folly, and rebellion. This laughter is temporary, a fleeting distraction from the abyss. The reversal is absolute: they shall mourn and cry. The party will end, the lights will come on, and all that will be left is the weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luke 6:26
"Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers were doing the same things to the false prophets."
This final woe is perhaps the most piercing, particularly for those in any kind of public ministry. Universal acclaim from a fallen world is not a badge of honor; it is a terrifying warning sign. If everyone likes you, if all men speak well of you, you must immediately ask yourself what truths you have been withholding. The world hates the light. It despises the sharp edges of the gospel. It cannot stand the call to repentance. Therefore, if the world is applauding you, it is almost certainly because you are not giving them the unvarnished word of God.
Jesus drives the point home with a historical dagger: this is exactly how their fathers treated the false prophets. The false prophets of Israel were the men who told the kings what they wanted to hear. They prophesied peace when judgment was imminent. They offered smooth words and flattering reassurances. And they were popular. The true prophets, men like Jeremiah and Isaiah, were hated, mocked, imprisoned, and killed. The world's approval is a reliable indicator of falsehood, while the world's opposition is often a sign of faithfulness. To be praised by the world is to be in the company of the prophets of Baal. It is a woeful place to be.
Application
These woes are not for us to aim at others like cannonballs. They are mirrors for our own souls. We must read them and tremble. We must ask ourselves the hard questions. Is my comfort found in my bank account or in my Savior? Is my soul satisfied with the empty calories of this world, or do I hunger and thirst for righteousness? Is my joy rooted in the fleeting circumstances of this life, or in the unshakable reality of my salvation? And do I crave the approval of men, or the "well done, good and faithful servant" of my Master?
The world offers a package deal: riches, fullness, laughter, and popularity. But it is a spiritual Ponzi scheme. It pays out temporary dividends from a bankrupt fund, and the final crash is eternal. The gospel offers the opposite. It calls us to a poverty of spirit that inherits a kingdom, a hunger that will be satisfied, a mourning that will be turned to joy, and a rejection by the world that earns the approval of God. These woes warn us away from the broad road of worldly success that leads to destruction, and point us back to the narrow way of the cross that leads to life.