“But woe to you who are rich,
Luke 6:24-26
for you have already received your comfort.
Woe to you who are well-fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”
Most of the people I know have a view of Jesus that’s a bit different than what is portrayed in Scripture. We like to think of the beatitudes and avoid the curses of woe for those who do not believe.
In the verses above, after delivering the ultimate blessing to those who are in the Kingdom of God, Jesus turns his attention to those on the outside –
The materially wealthy person who doesn’t see his/her own poverty of spirit.
The person who wants for nothing now and will find no ultimate satisfaction.
Those who are able to laugh today, but will weep once they are on the outside looking into God’s kingdom.
The popular person who prefers the praise of men over the fear of God. C.S. Lewis put it this way –
There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’
C.S. Lewis
And now I am reminded of Jesus’ story of the Rich Man and Lazarus –
Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, and he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 6:19-31
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