To Whom Is The Blessing?

1stBBC

To whom is the blessing and to whom is the woe?

Luke 6:20-26 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.

This is not an ethical standard. It is a private message. It is an established truth related to man’s salvation.

He was refused, murdered, accused, not always because He was misunderstood, but many times because He truly was.

1Co 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly …

But also true …

John 3:19 the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

Many came …v. 17 to hear him and to be healed of their diseases and v. 19 sought to touch him

They came to hear and even if they loved that too, unless they do something, their will be no blessing. This was stated at the end of His sermon.

Luk 6:47-49 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

To whom is the blessing and to whom is the woe?

1. to the poor

v. 20 Blessed are you who are poor …

Compared to Math 5:3 they are the “poor in spirit”

They are the those who know about their poor spiritual condition and not the poor in wealth.

Luke 18:13 … standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ’God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

Pro 16:19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Isa 66:2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

The woe on the other hand (v. 24) "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”

Psa 113:7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap

Isa 57:15 … and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit

Psa 49:16-20 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases. For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him. For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed, --and though you get praise when you do well for yourself-- his soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light. Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

2. to the hungry

v. 21 Blessed are you who are hungry now

Compared to Math 5:6 they are the ones “who hunger and thirst for righteousness”

Not the hungry for the earthly bread.

Luk 14:15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

Psa 34:10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

Psa 107:9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Rev 3:17 … and I need nothing

Psa 42:1-2 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?