Luke 6:20-26

Our text this morning is going to be Luke, chapter 6, verses 20 to 26. And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now, for ye, shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company and shall approach you, cast out your name as evil for the son of man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy. where behold your reward is great in heaven, or in the like manner did their fathers under the prophets. But woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full, for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now. For ye shall mourn and wore. Weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you, so did their fathers to the false prophets. May God blessed to us his sacred and holy word this morning. There was an unbeliever that once spoke to a Christian author and said words to this effect. He observed that Christians often talk about having spiritual joy. But he said, your lives, when it comes down to your lives and all the trials and difficulties you have, he said, you’re most miserable. Your circumstances in life are miserable. You Christians have a religion that makes you miserable. He says it’s like a man who has a headache. He doesn’t want to get rid of his head, but it hurts him to keep it. You can’t expect outsiders, you said, to seek. very earnestly for anything that’s so uncomfortable. The world is desperately seeking for happiness. So it doesn’t see that the Christians have anything to offer if you look at some of the lives of Christians and all the suffering they’re going through physically or persecution or whatever. And you might say, well, that doesn’t seem like the route to happiness to me. To all who think in this manner, careful attention. should be paid to Christ’s words on this occasion. For he says something that’s quite startling on this occasion. Christ explains those who are really blessed and those who should expect God’s woes. And it’s not what you think. What Christ says here runs completely opposite to the world’s thinking. The happiness or blessedness of which Christ speaks does not depend upon earthly circumstances. This discourse resembles in many ways Christ’s well-known sermon on the mount that’s found in Matthew chapter 5 through chapter 7. Some have concluded that Luke is giving an abridged verse version of Matthew’s sermon on the mountain. I deny that emphatically. It’s the wrong assumption. It’s true that Christ says many similar things to what he says in the sermon on the mount. But these two sermons are distinct and they’re different. The sermon in Matthew was delivered on a mountain. and prior to the appointment of the 12 apostles. The sermon in Luke, according to verse 17, was delivered on the plane. And it comes after the 12 apostles have been chosen. As we saw in verses 12 to 16, someone has cleverly said, well, this is the sermon on the plane. We have the sermon on the Mount Matthew. We’ll get the sermon on the plane here in Luke. In Matthew’s gospel, the calling of Matthew or Levi took place a considerable time after the sermon on the Mount. Chapters 5 to 7 have the sermon on the Mount in Matthew. Chapter 9 verse 9 is where Matthew or Levi is called. In Luke’s gospel, the calling of Matthew or Levi takes place prior to this sermon. sermon. We’ve already studied it in chapter 5 verses 27 to 29. And there is a wide difference between the persons called Blessed in Matthew’s Gospel and those called Blessed in Luke’s Gospel. For example, Christ and Matthew focuses upon the spiritual characteristics of the person. Blessed of the poor and Spirit. Here, Christ in Luke, is focusing upon the earthly circumstances and conditions of the person. Blessed are ye poor? Finally, Luke can in no sense be giving a shortened version of the Sermon of the Mount. For many things are included in Luke’s account here that are not in Matthews. And so he’s not given an abrid. version. In fact, he says something completely. Where are the woes in association with the beatitudes that open Matthew’s sermon on the Mount? Here, in the sermon on the plain, we have woes that are mentioned. So the blessings and the woes are what he talks about here in these verses. And therefore, I tell you, this is a different sermon altogether. Oh, yeah, he says some of the same things. Many pastors do. there are times when men have to say the same things. Different places, different, maybe a different message in some ways, but some of the same things are said. So instead of trying to, you know, squeeze all these together and try to make it fit and cut this and that and the other and say, well, this was that, and just say there are two different sermons. One on the mount, one on the plane, and there we go. No problem whatsoever. You know, things are actually more simple than that. that people make them to be. If you just look at the context. Let me begin by saying this. You find blessings pronounced on suffering saints. Here in verses 20 through 23. Believers who are poor, he says here in verse 20, he lifts out of his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed be ye poor, for your is the kingdom of God. Believers who are poor. I don’t know much about Sophie Tucker, the actress. But years ago, I heard her make a statement that was quite memorable. She was asked about her early years before she found success, and she struggled, and they asked her, were you happy when you’re going through those years of poverty? And here’s what she said. Listen, I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor, and believe me, rich is better. Most people would think in that manner. It’d be better to be rich than to be poor. But it appears to be directly the opposite to Christ’s teaching here. However, we have to be careful that we don’t misunderstand what Christ says. Do not think for a moment or suppose for a moment that the mere fact that you are poor or hungry or weeping or hated by man that somehow rather you were entitled to Christ’s blessing. That’s not what he’s saying here. The poverty of which Christ speaks is that which accompanies God’s gracious salvation in Christ. Jesus is not speaking to man in general. He’s speaking particularly to his disciples, his verse. 20 tells us, and so when he uses the word ye poor, he’s talking about those disciples. Those who suffer all these things, as verse 22 tells us, for the son of man’s sake. For the son of man’s sake, you’re suffering. In other words, the poverty, the hunger, the sorrow, the world’s hatred, were inevitable consequences. of their faith in Christ. For some reason, this is what happened. And Jesus means this. You were poor because you’ve forsaken all and followed Christ. That’s what he’s indicating to us. There is a cost that we should realize to following Christ. Believers often find themselves to be poor with regard to the things of this world. Jesus spoke of everyone that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my namesake. They forsook their houses. They forsook their lands. To follow Christ. Proverbs relates in Proverbs 13-7 there is that maketh himself poor. There are those who make themselves poor. In other words, in pursuit of serving God’s kingdom they do so. Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. And thus he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. The apostle praises the Hebrew Christians in Hebrews 1034 because they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing they had in heaven a better and enduring substance. Have you found your lot among the poor in this life for Christ’s sake? Well, don’t fret or worry. In this, you are participating in Christ poverty. For the Bible says for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sex he became poor that through his poverty you might be rich. You may lack this world’s wealth. And sometimes that but is very important. But, in this manner, you are free from many of the dangerous temptations that are associated with riches. The Bible says in 1. Timothy 6.9, but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and in the many foolish and hurtful lust which drowned men in destruction and perdition. I like with the, I think it was one of the kings that’s mentioned at the end of Proverbs as he speaks, he says, give me not riches, lest I be full and deny thee and say, who is the Lord? Don’t make me rich. Psalm 73. When the psalmist looks at all the wealth of the ungodly, he’s jealous of him until he realizes that God has set their feet in slippery places. Things are completely different once he goes to the house of God. Jesus tells us here, Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven, or the kingdom of God. It’s hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Harken, my brother, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised. of them that love him. James 2.5. It’s interesting in the book of Psalms chapter 74, verse 19, the church is called the congregation of the poor. There is he that maketh himself rich, or poor, yet hath great riches. Proverbs 137. Remember the tribal Levi in the Old Testament. When the Israelites all the other tribes were getting land designated to them, he didn’t get any land. Why didn’t he get any land? The Lord was his inheritance. The Lord was his inheritance. We may not have all this world’s goods, but the Lord’s are inheritance. That’s what we see that Scripture indicates to us. You are blessed in your poverty for all your losses shall be abundantly made up to you not only in the life to come, but even now. My friends, It is the Christian that has all the graces and all the comforts of the kingdom of Christ. They’re granted to you in this life, a pace that passes all understanding. Joy unspeakable and full of glory. All the glories and joys of Christ’s future kingdom will also be yours hereafter. You enjoy the unsearchable riches of Christ. You are an heir of God. You are a joint heir. with Jesus Christ. Everything is yours. The Bible says, though you have nothing, as Paul says, you possess all things. This is the significance of Christ’s words. Do you have this understanding? Do you have this comfort? Endure your poverty, with good spirit, knowing you have treasure in heaven. Not many of God’s people are rich. And therefore, if we’re not wealthy in this world, don’t fret it. It’s not a big deal. It’s all passing away anyhow. Believers who are poor. Believers who are hungry. Verse 21. Blessed are ye that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Again, let me take hunger literally here. Jesus is a teaching that Christians may be deprived of the most basic needs at times like daily. bread. Christians are not fed to the fool as others. They suffer the pains of hunger. Let me ask you. Think about the rich man and Lazarus. It was Lazarus, who was the believer. And yet Lazarus it was the poor beggar that ate the crumbs off the rich man’s table. Was he not? Paul said, even under this president, he? an hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and buffeted and have no certain dwelling place. 1. Corinthians 4.11. Paul says this in Philippians 412 everywhere, and in all things, I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer and eat. He said, I’ve been on both sides of this. There are times I’ve had plenty and there’s times I didn’t have anything to eat. Some of these hardships this being deprived at times of basic necessities were already beginning to be felt by those who are Christ’s disciples and so he’s giving them comfort here. Think about when we looked at a book of Revelation and the saints not being able to buy or sell because they didn’t have the mark of the beast as they maybe wanted to get. I read in the Old Testament about in Elish’s day eating with the sons of the prophets and they didn’t have any food eat. They’re out there getting wild gourds and things, whatever they can find to try to make some kind of stew. So the blessing here is very appropriate. He assures them that whatever they lack in this life, they will be satisfied at the last. You read about the saints in heaven around the throne of God and the lamb and they’re no longer deprived of anything. And guess what the scripture says in Revelation 7, 16, and 17. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, for the lamb shall feed them. Yeah, you might have hungered and you might have thirsted in the life before, but not in the life to come. Think about this. We may not always be filled with food, but believers are filled spiritually. We’re filled with comfort 1 Corinthians 7, 4. We’re filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 319. We’re filled with the spirit, Ephesion 518. We’re filled with the fruits of righteousness, Philippians 111. We’re filled with knowledge, Colossians 1.9. We’re filled with joy, 2 Timothy 1.4. Doesn’t this make up for and supersede any bodily suffering in his life? Believers who are hungry. Believers who are hungry. Believers who Weep. Verse 21, the second part, blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh. There’s an Arab proverb that says, all sunshine makes a desert. A life of laughter, unmixed by any sorrow, would be withering to the soul. Now, it’s obvious that this blessing does not relate to every kind of weeping. We might, you know, split the categories down to three different types of weeping. There’s natural weeping. We lose a loved one. There’s a financial loss, a blighted hope. There’s sinful weeping where we cannot be consoled. We have inordinate grief, refusal to be comforted, where maybe we have hopeless remorse like Judas after he betray Christ. But there’s godly weeping. Godly weeping is weeping that is produced by the Holy Spirit. It’s associated with conviction of sin. It’s associated with repentance. It’s weeping that is characteristic of a tender conscience. A broken heart. Maybe we’re aggrieved over the wicked state of our nation, as Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was. There’s good weeping. Jesus would have you know that your present sorrow doesn’t ruin any chance for you to have future joy. You may weep now, but you’ll laugh or rejoice. Later. Psalm 126. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his shees with him. If you experience Godly sorrow now. Rest assured that the Lord is treasuring up for you future comforts. Behold, Job says, in Job 8, verses 20 and 21, we read these words. Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man. Neither will he help the evil doers, till he fill thy mouth with laughter and the lips with rejoicing. Believe. believers who weep. It’s better to weep now. It’s better to be sorrowful for your sin and then rejoice for all eternity. Believers who were hated by the world, verses 22 and 23. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, when they shall separate you from their company, and shall approach you and cast out your name as evil for the son of man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for in like manner did their fathers under the prophets. You must expect poor treatment by the world because you serve Christ in his interest. Now, you may expect the ungodly people are going to hate you because your doctrine, your life, convicts them, it condemns them. You should be excluded from their company, excommunicated perhaps from their religious assessment. Treat it with reproach. Be evil spoken of. Falsely. All for the son of man’s sake. You see this in the case of John the Baptist. You see it in the case of Christ and his disciples will not escape it either. Now Jesus, not merely have you endure all this with patience. We could understand if he had said, well, endure all this with patience. That’s not what he says. you are to greatly rejoice when this occurs that when you’re abused by the world for you have the prospect of a gracious reward of heavenly happiness and honor. Indeed, triumph in this treatment. Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy because you are among the highly honored in the kingdom of grace for so they did to the prophets of old. that God said. You’re in good company. If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye? With the spirit of glory and of God, rest upon you. Take your suffering, believing the blessings of heaven will abundantly compensate you for all the hardships of your present life. Soon after, Adoniram Judson went to Burma as a missionary, he was captured by the natives. He was strung up by his thumbs, flung into a filthy prison, and terribly abused. And they mocked him. They mocked him. They mocked him. They said to him, and they taunted him. And now, what of your plans to win the heathen to Christ? To which Judson replied, my future is as bright as the promises of God. That abuse didn’t deter him. Not in the least. Whatever he suffered, he endured, knowing the Lord would compensate you. Every Christian can say the same thing. As you are suffering through this life, remember this. Your future is as bright as the promises of God. You’re never the loser when you serve Christ. So, you find the blessings you’re pronounced on the suffering sins. Secondly, you find the woes pronounced against prospering sinners in verses 24 to 26. Sinners who are rich in verse 24, woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your consolation. My friends, there are not many godly men that are rich. We might talk about David and Job and Joseph of Arimathea or something of this nature. This woe, though, is pronounced against those who trust in their riches and see no need of Christ. They think they’re rich and increased with good and stand in need of nothing, like the church at Laidaeusia. Don’t even know they’re poor and miserable, blind, and naked. Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy steel magnate of the past generation, said he saw no need of God. He once remarked to a group of men that he did not see the need for prayer. What is the use of prayer? I already have everything I want. What more could I ask for? As if prayer was only about asking. The ungodly rich do not use their wealth to serve God, but to serve their own lust, to indulge their own sinful pleasures. So they already received their consolation. He says, you got your consolation. Yeah, you got it right now in this. life. That’s all you get. There is no consolation in the future. You get it all in this life. This is perfectly illustrated by the story of the rich man in Lazarus. The rich man had all his compensation while he fared sumptuously every day. Had the rich robes on, you know, had everything at his disposal, and then he wakes up in hell and can’t even get a drop of water to cool his time. it is Lazarus who is sitting or laying on the bosom of Abraham who is taken care of and provided for it’s a folly of the ungodly that they are satisfied with earthly compensation and don’t think about everlasting consolation the rich, the sinners who are rich sinners who are full, verse 25 wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger you’re fed to the full. As Psalm 73 says, they have more than heart could wish. These are the men of the world which have their portion in this life, Psalm 1714, earthly-minded, whose only source of happiness and joy is related to this life. They have nothing treasured up for the life to come. The waters of a full cup are rung out to them. They have abundance of worldly goods, earthly prosperity, so that their cup run afield. over, although also in the sense of being satisfied with that. They are strangers to the fear of God, to the faith of the gospel. And in the end, they shall suffer hunger, deprived of every gratification in the next life. Isaiah 6513 says, Thus, said the Lord God, behold, my servant shall eat, but ye shall be hungry. Behold, my servant shall drink. But ye shall be thirsty. Behold, my servant shall rejoice. But ye shall be ashamed. Whatever the ungodly in joy in this life is left behind when they die, and they’re deprived of everything in hell. These sinners who are full, sinners who laugh. Verse 25B, will unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep. The laughter of the ungodly is always associated with carnal and what’s carnal and sensual. They seek to eat and drink and be merry for tomorrow they’re die. They’re going to try to put out maybe this idea of having to face God and the judgment and deal with their sins and things of this nature. They banish that from their minds. Woe to those who laugh now for they shall mourn and weep because internally in hell there shall be weeping and weeping and welling going on. It’ll be endless. Go to now. Weep and how for the miseries that shall come upon you, James 5.1. The danger of worldly mirth is that it soon lands you in the outer darkness where there’s this weeping and will. Sinners who laugh. Sinners who were praised by the world, verse 26, woe unto you when all men men shall speak well of you, so for so did their fathers to the false prophets. The goal of the ungodly is to gain the praise and admiration of men. The praise of men is of more value to them than the praise of God. When men of this world wicked men all speak well of you, then it means you lack the spiritual principles and practices that otherwise the godly possess. The Jews of old, reviled and persecuted God’s prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechari, and so forth. Because they faith proclaim God’s Word. They live godly lives. Because they commanded and approved of false prophets, these apostate Jews, because they spoke unto them smooth things, deceitful things, and they love to have a toe. And that’s what Jesus is saying. so if the world speaks well of you, it’s because you are on the broad road with them and headed together for eternal destruction. So you find the woes here, pronounced against prospering sinners. Let me make three practical observations very quickly. One is this. There is a great contrast between the mind of Christ and the thinking of sinners. The conditions of life, which the world considers most miserable. I wouldn’t want to be you Christians because you have miserable circumstances in life. Are the very ones upon which Christ says here, he pronounces woes, these conditions where everything is going well. And they have all the favorable things you would think. They’re the ones that get the woes. People want to avoid poverty and hunger and sorrow and persecution. Yet Christ speaks if associated with him and salvation of them leading to a blessing. This is a startling fact. It ought to make us think more carefully about our lot in life. What you think is good may be bad for your soul. And what you think is bad may be the best thing for your soul. Secondly, this passage calls for some self-examination by you and I as believers. Can you agree with Christ teaching here? Are you of the same mind as the Savior? Do you really believe that poverty and hunger and sorrow and persecution endured for Christ’s sake are positive blessings? Do you see more value in Christ than all the riches, all the worldly enjoyments, and all the praise of men? Can you say a hearty amen to these declarations of Jesus Christ? Or do you actually reject them? Thirdly, lastly, you must be faithful to Christ regardless of the opinions of men. The good opinion of the righteous is desirable. But they’re not all men. They’re a small portion of mankind. The reproaches and ridiculed of the ungod Godly world is actually a badge of honor to us. It means we’re not with them. We’re different than they are. And the blessing of Christ is ours. Remember, it is a very small thing that we should be judged by men. For we shall stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and be judged. And is he the one that will reward us in the end and condemn them. Well, the world believes you can’t enjoy God’s blessing when your circumstances of the life are miserable. Well, maybe they should read this text and what Jesus says. Jesus teaches you something different. It’s all in perspective in how we look at these things. Let us close with a word of prayer.