In Luke 6 Jesus preaches a
sermon very similar to the sermon on the mount. It may be the same sermon from
a different man’s point of view, or it may be that Jesus preached this content
a number of times.
In any case there is something very
interesting about Luke’s account. As with much of Luke’s gospel there is an
edge to Jesus' words that is not always present in some of the other accounts.
When Jesus gives the Beatitudes
in Luke, He first pronounces blessing, and then the turns them around. Here he
says “Woe to you…”
So today, I am going to take the
liberty of turning Matthew’s beatitudes around. I know this is not scripture,
but it makes an impact on me when I think about these things.
Woe unto those who are the rich
in spirit, for they have no part in the kingdom of heaven.
Woe unto those who do not mourn over sin,
for they shall receive torment.
Woe unto those who will not
submit to the will of God, for they shall inherit eternal destruction.
Woe unto those who hunger and
thirst for wickedness, for they shall never be satisfied.
Woe unto those who are unmerciful,
for they shall receive no mercy.
Woe unto those with impure in
hearts, for they shall never see God.
Woe unto those who are troublemakers,
for they shall be called sons of the devil.
Woe unto those who
have persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for they will never see the
kingdom of heaven.
And as Jesus himself gave this
last one “Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.”
(Luke 6:26)
I hope this impacts you as much as it impacts me. Do you think this goes too far? I don't, but let me know what you think.
Thanks for reading.
Ben
