Luke 6:17-26 - Backwards Blessings in an Upside Down World
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
The sermon title might seem a bit strange at first. What are backwards blessings? The last half is probably more self-explanatory as we all probably see that we live in an upside down world! But in our Scripture today, Jesus pronounces some blessings and woes to two groups of people. Yet, these blessings and woes seem to be backwards at first glance. In this upside down world, the blessings sure look a lot like woes and the woes sure look a lot like blessings. The fact is most consider blessings on earth in regards to the values of humanism. Make much of yourself. Do what feels right. Live for you. Have it your way. Life is a party - enjoy it. But God’s economy works much different from the world’s. Join me as we dive into the Scripture for today.
Read Full Scripture:
And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon,
who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.
And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!
Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
Prayer
As we begin today, I want us to understand that the rest of Luke chapter 6 - namely verses 17-49 - are paralleled by Matthew 5-7. These two sermons are in fact most likely one in the same. Although a select few commentators see these two sermons as occuring at different times, it seems much more likely that Luke provides us with another, albeit abridged, account of the same sermon that Matthew records. And these two sermons have been referred to as the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew and the Sermon on the Plain in Luke. This is an unfortunate and inaccurate distinction though because the level place mentioned in Luke comes right after Jesus is mentioned as coming down from a mountain. The context likely puts Jesus on a plateau on the side of a mountain as He preaches.
Luke does not hit all of the points that Matthew hits. Some of the subjects that Luke covers are in less depth than Matthew while others are more in depth. It is important to understand both accounts together to get the whole picture. This goes back to our teaching that the entirety of Scripture is important. Putting together the corroborating evidence gives us a complete view of what the Lord has for us to learn. With that in mind…
Today we will see three ways the Lord reaches out to mankind. The first is…
I. Jesus Gives Hope to the Hurting (17-19)
I. Jesus Gives Hope to the Hurting (17-19)
And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon,
Luke has just finished telling us about the 12 disciples chosen as Apostles. Now we see that He comes down with them and stands on a level place in front of a great multitude of people from the surrounding areas. As we already mentioned, this level place is likely a plateau at the base of the mountain.
At this point in Jesus’ ministry we see a great crowd and a great multitude that had come together.
Interestingly, this multitude is not only Israelites. We see people from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon there as well. Jesus came first and foremost the the Jews. But there were instances where Gentiles were ministered to as well.
It is obvious that word about Jesus has spread rapidly!
But it is in the next two verses that we see why this multitude had come together.
who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
Why are these people there? We are told of two distinct reasons. To hear Him and to be healed of their diseases.
Why do we come to Jesus? I would argue it should be for the same. We at CrossPointe do not believe the false teaching that God is our genie that will heal every disease we get today. We firmly believe through faith that He absolutely can! But we defer to His will as we make our requests known to God. We understand that Christ healed throughout His ministry as confirmation of His deity. Yet, we have no such promise of guaranteed absolute physical healing on this side of eternity.
But Church, we should all understand that the most pressing disease that man needs healed and saved from is the disease of sin! And it is only by hearing the Gospel - the Words of eternal life - that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins even after living a sinless life, rose three days later and now offers eternal salvation in His name - and being drawn by the Father (John 6:44) - that one can fully understand, believe through faith, confess, repent, and be saved. And that kind of spiritual healing is one that is 100% for those who repent and turn to Christ in faith. It is the greatest guarantee in the universe!
And for us who are Christ followers - We should also desire to hear His teaching because it brings life.
I love Peter’s confession after Jesus gave some hard teaching in John 6:68 -
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
In the midst of His healings He also shows His power over the demon world by casting out demonic spirits. Jesus gives hope and freedom to the hurting. Those who followed Him were oftentimes the outcasts. And Jesus was full of mercy and love for them.
Next we see that…
Scripture References: John 6:44, John 6:68
II. Jesus Gives Encouragement to the Engaged (20-23)
II. Jesus Gives Encouragement to the Engaged (20-23)
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Now we get into the beatitudes. For those of you wondering if the word beatitude is anywhere in the English Bible, you will be hard pressed to find it. The word actually stems from the Latin word beatitudo which means blessedness and is found in the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible.
Matthew’s parallel version of the beatitudes contains nine blessed’s while Luke contains four. However, Luke adds four woes that are not present in Matthew’s account. As we will see, Matthew’s account will clarify the abridged account of Luke. This is a great lesson in what we call hermeneutics - or the interpretation of Scripture. The best way to interpret Scripture is to let Scripture interpret itself!
Before moving forward I think it is important for us to more fully understand the first word in all of these beatitudes. The word is blessed. I hope your English translation does not start with the word happy instead of blessed. Although happy is a possible translation here, I would argue that it is a poor translation into modern English as the word happy has become so trivialized in modern language.
The actual Greek word for blessed here is makarios (mak-ah-ree-ose) which means blessed, fortunate, privileged, and favored.
As we go through these, be sure to reference back to those definitions. Consider favored and privileged and fortunate when you think of the blesseds you are about see.
After his healings and casting out of demons, we are told that Jesus lifts up his eyes on His disciples - looking right at them and starts this section of sayings and teachings starting with:
Luke 6:20b (ESV)
… “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
This is where Matthew’s parallel account helps fill in the gaps. We obviously know that being poor does not make one righteous in and of itself. One might argue that the poor are more likely to respond to the Lord because of their struggles, but we must understand that there are still a great many poor and rich who are without God.
Matthew 5:3 states:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Beatitude #1 - Blessed are the poor (in spirit), for yours is the kingdom of God. (Luke 6:20 and Matthew 5:3)
This shows us that we are talking about humility being exalted above pride.
This term ‘poor’ is more theological than economical in nature.
Consider the Psalmist in Psalm 40:17
As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!
As theologian Robert Stein asserts,
“Clearly no reader of these psalms thought that King David was referring to his economic status, for, as a king, David was not economically poor.”
Robert Stein
Those who are poor in spirit recognize their need for God. They see themselves as insufficient in and of themselves. They understand the grace and mercy of God and their desperate need for it.
It is those who humble themselves before God in repentance - realizing they are poor before God and have a debt that could never be paid by their works - that are promised the kingdom of heaven. Only by the finished work of Christ can man be saved.
Moving to our next verse Jesus says…
Luke 6:21a (ESV)
“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
Again Matthew gives us insight into this:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Beatitude #2 - Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for you shall be satisfied. (Luke 6:21a, Matthew 5:6)
It is not necessarily a blessing to be hungry per se. Being without food is extremely trying and difficult. Those who do so on behalf of Christ will be blessed though. But this context lets us know that there is a different hunger and thirst that one should have if they are in Christ.
Those who are believers should continue to hunger for the bread of Life - Christ Himself. To do so means that one is blessed.
And at the end of this we come to the word satisfied. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied. This word is normally used for those who may attend a feast and eat until they are completely satisfied and full. But in this context we see that refers to being filled with fulness of God.
My friends, there is no more satisfying thing in the world than Jesus. So many seek satisfaction in the things of this world. They think money, pleasure, power, career advancement, or something else in this world will bring them satisfaction. But Jesus is the only One who can truly give you satisfaction and fulfillment in your life.
Next we come to second half of verse 21…
Luke 6:21b (ESV)
...“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
Matthew’s parallel is found in Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew specifies why one may be weeping - namely morning.
Beatitude #3 - Blessed are you who weep (mourn), for you shall laugh (be comforted). (Luke 6:21b, Matthew 5:4)
The real question that we have to ask ourselves here is why are these blessed believers weeping and morning? The answer may be found in the following verse where we see persecution raging against the saints of God.
This view of this beatitude makes sense in the fact that God comforts his people. See Revelation 7:17
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Jesus Christ promises comfort to all believers who suffer for His Name’s sake.
And He also promises laughter for them. This is a sign of joy and freedom. We will have eternal joy with our Heavenly Father in heaven! As the Psalmist states in Psalm 30:5
Psalm 30:5 (ESV)
… Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
What a blessed hope and promise we have in this.
My friends, your life may be extremely difficult right now. You may be suffering because of your faith. You may be suffering because of your ailing health. You may be suffering because of relational issues. But brothers and sisters, we have a promise that one day all the suffering will be removed - the tears will be wiped away - and we will be having a joyous celebration with our Creator! Praise be to God for that promise, Church!
As John MacArthur asserts, the first three beatitudes describe how the repentant sinner views himself; the fourth describes how the world sees him. Which brings us to this fourth and final beatitude...
“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
The parallel for this verse in Matthew 5:11 is very similar and does not really add much to Luke’s writing. I have added a couple of parentheses from Matthew:
Beatitude #4 - Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you (and persecute you - from Matthew) and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy (be glad - from Matthew), for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. (Luke 6:22-23, Matthew 5:11)
What a saying Jesus? Leave it to Him to give a tough Word like this. Blessed are you when people hate you. I seriously doubt you will hear that preached from today’s heretical prosperity teachers.
Yet, may we note that this isn’t a license to take pride in people hating you. Some people are hated because they are jerks. If I might be so forward here - Don’t be a jerk. There has become an accepted persona in conservative circles that being a jerk is ok. Friends, the Scriptures do not condone that. Friends, we are to be light - not dynamite.
But to be hated because you stand for Christ is a blessing according to God.
Verse 23 says there is a great reward for those who are persecuted and hated on behalf of Christ!
You actually are blessed to share in the suffering of the prophets when you are persecuted for Christ.
In Acts chapter 5, the Apostles have just been arrested and put in prison by the religious leaders of the Jews. The angel of the Lord then opens the prison doors and they go right back to preaching the Gospel again! After an extended interchange the Apostles are beaten and charged not to speak in the name of Jesus any longer. See their response to this suffering and hate:
Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
They left rejoicing friends! And did they stop preaching the Gospel? No! In fact they did so more and more.
Friends, we will speak of this more at the end of the sermon, but know that persecution is likely going to heat up in the coming years. Be ready to stand firm and know that great is your reward in heaven for those who are true believers and persevere.
We have seen Jesus give hope to the hurting, encouragement to the engaged, and now we see Him turn and address those who are against Him. Now see that…
Scripture References: Matthew 5:3, Psalm 40:17, Matthew 5:6, Matthew 5:4, Revelation 7:17, Psalm 30:5, Matthew 5:11, Acts 5:41-42
III. Jesus Gives Warning to the Warring (24-26)
III. Jesus Gives Warning to the Warring (24-26)
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
Now starts the 4 woes which stand in direct stark contrast to the four blesseds.
Just as we needed to understand what the word blessed means, we need to understand what the word woe means here.
The Greek word for woe is ouai (oo-eh) which is a word referring to disaster, judgment and horror.
This is not a friendly word. The disaster coming on unbelievers will make horror movies appear less scary my friends.
Our first woe is:
Woe #1 - Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. (Luke 6:24)
Again, when taking this in step with the blessed are the poor in spirit, this does not mean all rich people are cursed. Albeit there are many verses in Scripture warning and admonishing the rich. Those who are rich may fall into many temptations and seek to be self-sufficient.
Yet we see righteous men in the Bible who were wealthy and righteous also such as Abraham, Job, Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea among others.
But this verse refers more so to those who think they are rich in themselves. They have no need for God. They are god enough for themselves. These are the arrogant and haughty.
These men and women have recieved their consolation or comfort. They may live their lives lavishly and be self-reliant while on earth. But an eternal judgment awaits that will destroy any false comfort they have had.
May we never be self-reliant. May we see ourselves as poor in spirit and humble ourselves before God.
These two woes we will address together:
“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
Woe #2 - Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. (Luke 6:25a)
This refers to those who think they have no need for the things of God or the Word of God. They are full of their own human wisdom and philosophy. They have no need for the supposed archaic and outdated teachings of the Bible. They have plenty of knowledge in themselves.
Woe #3 - Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. (Luke 6:25b)
Some people show up to life and think it is just one long party. They live in the moment only thinking of how they can gratify the desires of the flesh. These people are foolish in their whimsical lives. They may not mourn with those who mourn in this life. They may not mourn over their sinfulness and the depravity of the heart. But they will mourn for all eternity along with all of those others who lived the same way. Hedonism leads to destructions friends. Hedonism refers to those who place pleasure as their ultimate goal in life. Nothing else matters. And this sad and selfish way of living is becoming more and more common in our culture today of me first.
Brothers and sisters - Do not live for the desires of the flesh.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
We see here that living for the desires of the flesh is diametrically opposed to the Christian life.
And Romans 8:13 sums this up well for us…
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Finally we come to our last woe which is directed toward the people pleasers of the world:
“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
Woe #4 - Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. (Luke 6:26)
Who was more popular during Jeremiah’s time of prophesy? Jeremiah or the false prophets?
Jeremiah 8:11 shows us the false prophets claiming peace when there is no peace.
They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.
Jeremiah calls out their false preaching. He knew their words were only masking the inevitable judgment that was to come. But these false prophets were spoken well of among those in Judah.
Jeremiah, however, being a true prophet, prophesied the coming judgement of God due to the idolatry that the people of Judah had continued basking in. And he suffered for it. His message was not heeded and he was treated harshly because of it.
My friends, there is likely coming a day when my sermons will be canceled if I say something against the culture. When preaching on topics such as abortion or sexuality, there is coming a day where it will not be tolerated any longer in this nation.
There is likely coming a day where what you stand for will not tolerated as well, believers. We see pastors persecuted in nations even as close as Canada for not bending their knee to progressive and anti-Biblical ideologies. But we know that they will not limit it to the pastors alone. Are we willing to stand firm brothers and sisters? I pray so. May we not fear. Our God is sovereign and holds everything in His hands. And as we saw before in the fourth beatitude of Luke - His reward is great!
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Scripture References: Galatians 5:16, Romans 8:13, Jeremiah 8:11, Hebrews 11:6
Conclusion:
As we come to a close, I pray that you can identify with those who are considered blessed in this section. I pray that Christ has given hope to you when you were hurting and encouragement to you as you continue engaging in walking for Him.
Our Savior is good and holy.
But if you have not placed your faith in Christ, please heed His warning to the warring souls against Him. There is certain disaster and terror awaiting those who do not respond to Him in humility and repentance. Yet He is gracious and merciful and stands ready to forgive those who would repent and place their faith and trust in Him. If you haven’t done that, please talk with me after the service about how you can come to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus.
What a Savior we have friends?
Prayer