Blessings and Woes
Luke 6:17-26
Key verse 6:22
“Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.”
In this passage great number of people came to hear Jesus and to be healed. People wanted to touch him because power was coming from him and healing them all. Jesus told his disciple who were truly blessed and gave warning to those who would face woe. This passage teaches how we can experience Jesus’ power and what we should really seek.
Read verses 17-19. Who are there with Jesus? (17) What purpose do the people come to Jesus with? (18) Why do people try to touch Jesus? (19) How do you think can we experience his healing power?
Read verses 17-19.
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
Who are there with Jesus? (17)
17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon,
-With them: The twelve apostles
-A large crowd of disciples: A big number of disciples beside the twelve apostles were following Jesus.
-A great number of people from Judea, Jerusalem, the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon. People came from all area of Philistine including Tyre and Sidon, the gentile region.
What purpose do the people come to Jesus with? (18)
18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured,
They came to hear Jesus’ word, to be healed of diseases, and to be free from impure spirits.
People suffer due to a lack of the word of God, all kinds of diseases and evil spirits. Jesus gives the word of God and heals and sets us free from all evil and impure spirits so that we may live fruitful, healthy and powerful lives with perfect freedom.
Impure spirit: an impure spirit makes us have a dirty and impure mind with dirty and impure thoughts and drives us to live an ugly life. Also an impure spirit enters into us through our impure thoughts and desires and sins. (Ex. Saul. Judas Iscariot)
Why do people try to touch Jesus? (19)
19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
They touched Jesus by faith believing that they could be healed even by touching him like the woman who had a bleeding disease (Mk5:27)
Power was coming from him: Jesus is the source of power. The power comes from him without limit.
Healing them all: Jesus’ power flew to all those who touched him and healed them all.
Jesus’ power is so powerful that it can heal any kind of disease. It doesn’t matter how the serious the disease is. There is no disease that is stronger than Jesus’ power.
How do you think can we experience his healing power?
We have to come to Jesus and touch him by faith like the people in the passage. We don’t have Jesus physically. But he is with us and we can come to him and touch him through prayer and by confessing and proclaiming our faith in him.
Read verses 20-21. Who does Jesus say are blessed? Who do you think he refers to as “the poor” and why are they blessed? (20) Who do you think Jesus refers to as “the hungry” and what does he say will happen to them? (21a). What does Jesus say will happen to those who weep? (21b)
Read verses 20-21.
20 Looking at his disciples, he said:“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Who does Jesus say are blessed?
Blessed are you who are poor, Blessed are you who hunger, Blessed are you who weep.
These people are considered as unblessed, miserable and unfortunate people in the world. But they are blessed before God.
Who do you think he refers to as “the poor” and why are they blessed? (20)
“Blessed are you who are poor.
The poor are those who recognize their needs and poverty and seek God for help and blessing.
They are the people who are poor in spirit . “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(Mt 5:3). They have a humble heart, recognizing their spiritual poverty they come to God asking for what they need.
They are the people who became poor to follow Jesus, leaving everything behind.
for yours is the kingdom of God
The poor will have the kingdom of God in their heart and inherit the heavenly kingdom. All the comfort and graces of his kingdom will be given to them.
Those who have the kingdom of God are truly rich people.
Who do you think Jesus refers to as “the hungry” and what does he say will happen to them? (21a)
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
The hungry are those who feel spiritual hunger for their spiritual needs
They look for spiritual food that can satisfy them.
They will be satisfied: God will satisfy them, providing all their spiritual needs.
In the kingdom of God, they will be filled, and shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more”
What does Jesus say will happen to those who weep? (21b)
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
The blessed who weep are in tears, tears of repentance, tears of sympathy and compassion for others. Their present sorrows are preparation for future joy: They shall laugh. They have triumphs in reserve; you are but sowing in tears, and shall reap in joy.
God saw and remembered their tears and treasured up comfort for them. The day is coming when their mouth shall be filled with laughing and their lips with rejoicing.
Read verses 22-23. What does Jesus say about being excluded and rejected for believing in His name? (22) Why can we rejoice when people mistreat us because of Jesus? (23) What do you think about the rewards that Jesus describes to his disciples?
Read verses 22-23.
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
What does Jesus say about being excluded and rejected for believing in His name? (22)
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.
Why can we rejoice when people mistreat us because of Jesus? (23)
We need to expect that the world would be against us because we serve Jesus and his interests. We need to expect that wicked men will hate us, because our doctrine and lives convict and condemn them.
It is a great honor for us to be called to serve Jesus and his work and suffer for him. So we have to rejoice and leap for joy. Also we are treated as prophets before God, so we should not be ashamed of it, but we may justly rejoice in it.
If we are hated, it is evident that we are walking with Jesus in the same spirit and in the same steps.
What do you think about the rewards that Jesus describes to his disciples?
The reward will be great in heaven. The glory of heaven will be given to us even though we are treated as losers in this world.
Read verses 24-26. Who do you think Jesus refers to as “those who are rich,” the “well fed,” and “those who laugh”? (24-25) What does he say will happen to these people? What does he say about those who everyone speaks well of? (26) What do you think we can learn here from what Jesus says?
4-1 . Read verses 24-26.
“But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Who do you think Jesus refers to as “those who are rich,” the “well fed,” and “those who laugh”? (24-25)
‘The Rich’ – those who trust in their riches; They already received their comfort. They placed their happiness in the good things of this world and they received these things in their life time. They make the things of their world their comfort.
“The well fed” – Their bellies are filled with the things of this world. When they have an abundance of the things of this world, they are full and think they have enough and they dont need any more and they don’t desire any more. Also they are full of themselves, without God and Christ.
“those who laugh” – They are the people who are happy with the things and joy of this world. They always seek something that can make them laugh and seek sensual joy. They reject the sorrow that is necessary for salvation such as godly sorrow.
What does he say will happen to these people?
These people looks prosperous but they will be miserable because of the woes that will follow them.
Woe to ‘the rich’ – there will be no comfort from God. They will receive anything from God except judgment. They will be the poorest in the heaven. Once they have parted from the things of this world, there will be an end to all of their comfort, and nothing will remain except everlasting misery and torment.
Woe to them who are full- They will hunger. They will shortly be stripped and emptied of all the things they are so proud of, and all the delights that they are now so full of will disappear. They will suffer eternal hunger in the hell.
Woe to them who laugh now – They will laugh now for a little time, but afterwards they will mourn and weep eternally in the place where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and endless sorrow.
What does he say about those who everyone speaks well of? (26)
“speaks well of you” – people who only care to gain the praise and applause of men, who value themselves, more than the favor of God and his acceptance.
They are like false prophets who flattered people in their wicked ways, and prophesied smooth things to them. The false prophets were spoken well of.
What do you think we can learn here from what Jesus says?
Jesus taught his disciples what kind life they should live and what they should pursue. Disciples of Jesus are different from the people of the world who don’t follow Jesus. The people in the world seek the things of the world such as wealth, sinful pleasure, a comfortable life and human recognition. They will enjoy these things for a while but all the woes will follow them. But disciples seek God’s kingdom, spiritual satisfaction and comfort, and suffer for Jesus’ name sake. They will suffer for a while but the eternal blessing will follow them. Thank God for Jesus who called us to be his disciples to live a blessed life. The end.
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