Luke 6:20-26
Chapter 6
20
Raising his eyes towards his disciples, Jesus said:
“Fortunate are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
21
Fortunate are you
who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
Fortunate are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22
Fortunate are you when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man.
23
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Remember, that is how the ancestors of the people treated the prophets.
24
But alas for you
who have wealth,
for you have been comforted now.
25
Alas for you who are full,
will go hungry.
Alas for you, who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26
Alas for you when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of the people treated the false prophets.
Love for Enemies
Jesus said to his disciples:
Commentaries
A Large Crowd Approaches – Sermon On the Plain: Blessed and Unblessed.
Luke highlights Jesus’ beatitudes through four difficult aspects of life: poverty, hunger, weeping (sadness), and persecution. And not because they are divine will, quite the opposite. That is why we can understand his woes as a prophetic lament—essentially, a warning to those who promote and perpetuate injustice, indifference, inequality, and marginalization. With these woes, Jesus denounces the mean-spirited attitude of those who have based their lives on possessions and goods without considering those who have nothing; of those who consume and gorge themselves without thinking of the hungry; of those who enjoy life and have fun without acknowledging those who weep and suffer; of those who chase fame and comfort instead of standing against injustice. What is the meaning of a life lived this way?