Summary: Jesus was a person of compassion. We can all agree. Yet, sometimes Jesus surprises us with words that seem harsh, callous and hurtful. So, when Jesus pronounces a series of "woes" on the likes of certain people, it gives us pause. But his words also invite us to take a close look at what he's really saying.
When reading from the Gospels, we are blessed by what we learn about the life and work of Jesus.
But sometimes, Jesus surprises us.
For example, who would've expected Jesus suddenly to chase the "money lenders" out of the temple whilst shouting like a madman, "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers."1
Then, there's the Syrophoenician woman - a gentile - who seems to wind him up. She asks a favor, but he responds with apparent callousness, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."2
Sometimes, Jesus says things that leave us scratching our heads. Inexplicably, the Prince of Peace once said, for example, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword."3 He even said that you must hate our parents, spouses, siblings and children.4 He called some of the religious leaders of his day a "brood of vipers."5
Surprising, isn't it? So, now we come to our reading today, and Jesus is tossing about some language about woes. It is likely to make us uncomfortable.
"Woe to you who are rich," he thunders. "Woe to you who are full ... Woe to you who are laughing ... Woe to you when all speak well of you." So, here we are. What are we to make of the harsh side of Jesus we see here?
First, let's step back and look at this entire passage and compare it briefly to Matthew's more well-known version which we call "The Beatitudes."
The traditional site of Matthew's "Sermon on the Mount" is a small hill in Galilee on which sits the Church of the Beatitudes. Built almost 100 years ago near the ruins of a 4th-century Byzantine church, the chapel overlooks the Sea of Galilee. Popes Paul VI and John Paul II visited the church during their pastoral visits to the Holy Land and celebrated Mass there. Because Luke says this "sermon" took place on "a level place," probably the nearby Plain of Gennesaret, Luke's version of Jesus' pastoral discourse is known as The Sermon on the Plain, rather than The Sermon on the Mount.
Luke's version seems earthier and somehow more real than Matthew's more stylized and spiritual version. As a physician, Luke no doubt saw many patients who were ill and suffering. So, it's not surprising that he sees the crowds as the truly poor, not just the "poor in spirit." He sees the hungry as ravenous souls who might steal an apple from a neighbor's orchard, rather than those "who hunger and thirst for righteousness."6 Clearly, Luke has a special interest in the lowly, poor, ill and marginalized.
In today's reading, Luke points us to a future, eschatological Great Reversal when those who are poor now will someday inherit a kingdom; those who are hungry now "will be filled," whereas those who are "full now, ... will be hungry"; those who are weeping now, will laugh, whereas those "who are laughing now ... will mourn and weep."
Luke's gospel reminds us that God is definitely for some people and against others. This is not to suggest that if now you are rich, comfortable and laughing that it is a zero-sum game, and there's no hope for you whatever you do. It is only to suggest that a huge reversal of fortune is coming for those who have abused God's favor in the past by favoring oppressive practices, by selfishly hoarding their resources for their own benefit whilst ignoring the needs of others.
It is to people like this that Jesus lifts his hand, points his finger and thunders: "Look out! Judgment is coming!"
So, were Jesus to step into our culture now - here in the 21st century - do you think he'd appear as the thin, gaunt, weak and socially-awkward Jesus of Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth? Would he be the conflicted and nervous Jesus of Nikos Kazantzakis' The Last Temptation of the Christ? Would he be the submissive and suffering Jesus of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ? Would he be the accessible Jesus of The Chosen?
If Jesus showed up today, we'd likely see the Jesus of verses 24-26: harsh and angry, impatient and incensed. We'd see a Jesus who'd be labeled a subversive and a radical - lighting up TikTok and X, crashing servers all over the world. We'd see a Jesus shouting, "Woe to you who are rich."
Let's not forget that Jesus' ministry took place in a socio-economic context where there was a significant divide between the wealthy and the poor. The rich often accumulated wealth at the expense of the poor, and this exploitation led to widespread suffering and injustice. Jesus' audience during the "Sermon on the Plain" included many who were marginalized and oppressed, and his words provided both comfort to the downtrodden and a stern warning to those who misused their power and wealth.
Jesus' words are not a blanket condemnation of wealth, but rather a critique of the attitudes and actions of those who abused their wealth and power. But if we think that we can take comfort in this, think again. We ignore this "woe" to our own peril if we fail to examine how our own use of resources aligns with the principles of justice and compassion that Jesus espoused.
Jesus is not done, not by a long shot. He continues: "Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry." When Jesus mentions being "full" now, he's referring to a state of self-satisfaction and complacency. He's coming down hard on those who rely on their wealth, status and material possessions for security and fulfillment.
He is probably also highlighting the need for empathy and compassion. When you're gleefully happy with your life as it is, you tend to be oblivious to the needs and suffering of others. No wonder, then, that Jesus essentially says, "Fine. Enjoy, because your day is coming!" Perhaps, this is why he adds this word of caution: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves don't break in and steal. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."7
Jesus continues, "Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep." When one is living in abject poverty, hungry and thirsty all the time, one doesn't laugh too much. And you can't trust a smile. "Even in laughter the heart is sad, and the end of joy is grief,"8 Proverbs tells us.
Jesus was not without a sense of humor. You think that he wasn't laughing at some of the parties he attended, like the one hosted by Zacchaeus who worked for the Roman Revenue Service and was now pledging to give money back to those he'd cheated? You bet he was.
The laughter Jesus dislikes is not the innocent joy or happiness that comes from genuine relationships and godly living. Instead, it's a laughter rooted in self-satisfaction, indifference to the suffering of others and a carefree attitude that ignores the spiritual and moral demands of the kingdom of God. Jesus warns these scoffers that they who laugh in this manner will soon find themselves weeping and moaning in discontent. Their inability to have empathy will come to bite them you know where. A little humility, after all, goes a long way.
The New Testament writer James concurs: "Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."9 The apostle Paul adds that rather than laughing, we should "rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep."10
Being a person of faith will not always make you the most popular person in the room. "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets."
In the Old Testament, false prophets were often popular and well-received because they told people what they wanted to hear. In contrast, true prophets, like Jeremiah and Isaiah, often faced rejection, persecution and hostility because they delivered God's difficult and sometimes unwelcome messages.
Here, Jesus reminds us of the cost of genuine discipleship. Following Christ often means standing against societal norms and values. This, in turn, can lead to criticism, opposition and even outright ostracism. If everyone speaks well of us, it may be a sign that we are not fully living out the radical demands of the gospel. Writing to Timothy, Paul puts it bluntly: "Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."11
These are hard words. Perhaps even harsh words. But they serve to remind us that enlisting in the work of the kingdom of God and in service to God is not for the faint of heart. We have cause to hope, however. For every "woe" Jesus pronounced, there was a concomitant blessing. We can be confident that if we are faithful, we, too, can "rejoice ... and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven."