The Book of Luke: The Sermon on the Plain | Blessings and Woes (Luke 6:17-26)
We are in Luke chapter 6 looking at verses 17 through 26. This sermon is often referred to as “The Sermon on the Plain”. Luke 6:17-19 “17 And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.”.
Let me give you some introductory notes on this passage we will look at. The most famous sermon of Jesus is known as “The Sermon on the Mount” which is in Matthew 5-7. Here in Luke 6 we are told that Jesus preached on a plain which is the opposite of Matthew 5 where he preached on a mountain. Sometimes people get confused and think these are the same because there is a lot of similar teaching found here. My opinion is that these 2 sermons are actually different sermons given at different times in different locations. However, I think they have very similar content because they are the same sermon preached at different times.
This should not be that difficult to understand. Preachers often do this today because they preach similar sermons with similar content. Every Easter I preach on Jesus and the resurrection and it is going to be pretty similar even though I try to use different illustrations and examples. Sometimes I get opportunities to preach at events or conferences. I often write an outline to preach somewhere else but I preach it here first. However, even though the sermons have the same outlines, there is a lot of different things preached. I want you to understand this because the sermon found here in Luke 6 is preached at a different time than the one in Matthew 5-7 but the general points seem to be the same.
Let me give you 1 big difference between them. In Matthew 5, we start with what is known as “The Beatitudes”. Here in the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6, the blessings are accompanied by “woes”. What we are going to do tonight is to begin to look at the “Sermon on the Plain” and focus on the blessings and woes mentioned. The blessings mentioned in Luke 6, these are counterintuitive to what we would think of as Christians the woes are also against what our natural wisdom might think.
Let me give you 4 blessings and 4 woes tonight.
#1 – Luke 6:20-21 “20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.”. The first thing that it says here is that you are blessed if you are poor. Often people link this to “the poor in spirit” from Matthew 5. However, I don’t think this is in reference to spiritual poverty in Luke 6. The Bible tells us that there is a blessing associated with poverty. How can this be? The reason why you are blessed if you are poor because “yours is the kingdom of God”. We aren’t talking about people being lazy that are blessed but hard-working people that are struggling financially. Heaven will be filled with a lot of poor people. If you have a problem being around poor people or going soulwinning in poor areas then you need to fix your heart. In heaven you will be surrounded with poor people. Poor people are generally more receptive to the things of God. If you are a soulwinner then you know that it is true.
Now of course there will be some rich people in heaven and not all rich people are bad. Matthew 19:23 “23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.”. The Bible is saying here that it is unique or rare thing that a rich person goes to heaven. “24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”. The Bible is saying that it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Why? Poor people are generally more receptive to the things of God.
The truth is that there is a woe associated with riches. Luke 6:24 “24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.”. The Bible is saying that rich people have already received their consolation. A poor person understands that they have a lot of needs. Rich people often do not really understand that.
Revelation 3:15-17 “15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”. The problem is that rich people often think they have need of nothing. It’s not wrong to be rich but if you are, be very careful of getting lifted up and thinking that you don’t need anything. The problem with being rich is that money can blind people from their needs.
Let me speak to both groups here tonight. If you are hearing this sermon and you are poor, it can cause you to get bitter against God and blame him. If God kept you poor that way you would get saved, isn’t that worth it? Riches blind people and often cause them to never get saved. Maybe God allowed you to be poor to be receptive to the gospel or receptive to serve God. What about the warning to the rich? According to Revelation 3:17, a person can develop the attitude that they have need of nothing. Those rich people in rich neighborhoods that don’t think they need Jesus, they don’t realize that they are wretched, blind and naked. If you are rich then you probably live a life of comfort which could blind you from your need of spiritual needs.
I hope that our Church members succeed and prosper in their business and work. Being blessed financially by God can be good thing but I always say “Bless them financially unless it will drive them away from serving you God.”. Luke 16:19 “19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:”. “Sumptuously” means to live lavishly. Luke 16:20 “20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”. It was the comfort that the rich man had received that blinded him to his spiritual need.”.
#1 – There is a blessing to poverty and a woe to being rich.
#2 – There is a blessing to those that hunger.
Luke 6:21 “21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled….”. The Bible says that there is a blessing to being hungry now. What is that blessing? That you will be filled. The satisfaction of being full comes from first being hungry. Proverbs 27:7 “7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”. The enjoyment you get from being full comes directly from being hungry. If someone is full then things don’t taste that good. The satisfaction of being full comes first from being hungry.
Here is the woe associated with hunger. Luke 6:25 “25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger….”. This is being applied to food but it can be connected to any appetite. People whose appetites are always fulfilled will always cause you to want. If you are hungry or lack something though then there is a big blessing once you are filled.
In the Book of Ecclesiastes, we see the story of Solomon who was the richest king of Israel. He tried to fulfill every desire that he wanted. Ecclesiastes 2:4 “4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.”. Solomon is stating that had every thing that life could want.
Notice verse 9. Ecclesiastes 2:9 “9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.”. When we read this we think this must be the happiest man on earth. He has everything that he wanted. Notice verse 17 “17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”. Why is he not satisfied? Because blessed are ye that are poor and hunger now. To get the satisfaction of being full and having money, it is unfulfilling unless you had a need before.
If you want to have a happy marriage where you are successful and have all of your needs fulfilled, you must first be hungry. Satisfaction comes from first being hungry. When people that are unmarried satisfy every craving that they have before they are married, they will never appreciate being full and being satisfied. Solomon had everything in life and he said that he hated life. Jesus said blessed are ye that hunger. Jesus said there are woes with being full. If you rise up from poverty and become successful, make sure that your kids that are used to money don’t grow up as brats. Satisfaction comes from first being hungry.
Proverbs 30:8 “8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:”. Our goal should be to neither be rich or poor. There are people that are rich in the Bible that are great people but they weren’t trying to become rich. Your goal in life should not be to strive to be rich. Why should that be the goal? Proverbs 30:9 “9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.”.
#1 – There is a blessing to poverty and a woe to being rich.
#2 – There is a blessing to those that hunger.
#3 – There is a blessing to those that weep.
Luke 6:21 “…Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.”. As I said, these things are counterintuitive. We live in a world where people think we should always be happy and never have any problems and just take a pill if things aren’t perfect. Let us see the woe in verse 25 “…Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.”. Jesus is saying that he would rather weep on earth and laugh in heaven. Jesus is saying that we ought to live our lives serving God and caring about others than living our lives for pleasure and joy.
When you get saved and start serving God, people will make fun of you and abandon you and stop being friends with you. Jesus said in John 16:33 “33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”. 2nd Timothy 3:12 “12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”. Jesus said the house of mourning is better than the house of blessing. The Bible tells us that if we sow in tears then we will reap in joy. I’d rather weep a little here and rejoice in heaven than rejoice here with a great life and then weep in heaven.
#1 – There is a blessing to poverty and a woe to being rich.
#2 – There is a blessing to those that hunger.
#3 – There is a blessing to those that weep.
#4 – There is a blessing to those persecuted.
Sometimes people will email a Church like ours and say there is something wrong with us because people don’t like us. That shows these people have not read the Bible and there might be something right with us. Luke 6:22-23 “22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.”.
John 15:18 “18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”. When people hate you and write bad articles and try to cancel your Church from YouTube and banks, etc….Jesus is saying that you are blessed. In reality though, what Churches like ours are going through is nothing compared to great men of the past. People have been killed for what they believed and stood for in the past.
What is the woe associated with that? Luke 6:26 “26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”. The Bible says that if you are loved by the world and lifted up by the world then “woe unto you”. False prophets are loved by the world. What am I talking about? Billy Graham. Just listen to his doctrine and you will know that is true. You can also just look at how loved Billy Graham was by the world. People didn’t speak well of Jesus. Look at Joel Osteen. Everybody loves him. Then people look at us and criticize us as if there is something wrong with us because people criticize a Church like ours. When all men speak well of you, that is a really bad sign.
John 15:19 “19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”. Why does the world love these false prophets? Because they are of the world. Why doesn’t the world like a Church like ours or Faithful Word Baptist Church? Because we are not of the world.
#1 – There is a blessing to poverty and a woe to being rich.
#2 – There is a blessing to those that hunger.
#3 – There is a blessing to those that weep.
#4 – There is a blessing to those persecuted.
Let’s pray.