Luke 6:24-26--Jesus Pronounces Woes

Luke 6:24-26
English Standard Version

Jesus Pronounces Woes
24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

​26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

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These are the "negative" forms of the Beatitudes that we just looked at.  Those who try to get their fill and their satisfaction in the here and now will have no reward to look forward to.  Those who rely on their own wealth and riches now will have everything taken from them in the end.  They will take nothing with them into hell.  That is not to say all those with riches are evil, but those who worship and trust in their wealth in place of God cannot be true children of God, for there is only one God and you cannot worship both God and money.

Jesus also pronounces condemnation over those that are pleasure seekers in this life--the Hedonists.  They will not find the happiness that they are looking for in this life or the life to come, for only God can fill that God-shaped vacuum in their hearts that they are trying to fill with anything and everything else.

Similarly, Jesus says that those who are living it up and laughing and partying now will not be doing so when the final judgment comes.  They will have had their fun here, but one day the party will be over and it will be time to meet their Maker, and they will weep.

Then Jesus spoke to those who sought the approval of men.  Jesus warned us already that if we are seeking the approval of God then the world will not love us because the world does not love God.  So then those who are seeking the approval of men like the false prophets of old are in opposition to God and His message.  Jesus is not in a popularity contest.  It's not about the size of the crowds that follow Him, and He probably knows at this point that all of His followers will eventually abandon Him--even those that were closest to Him that He just chose to be the Twelve.  If He were out to please man He would not preach the message of repentance and salvation through Him alone.