In Luke 6 Jesus preaches a very similar sermon. It may be the Sermon on the mount from a different man’s point of view, or Jesus preached this content more than once.

In any case, there is something very interesting about Luke’s account. As with much of Luke’s gospel, there is an edge to Jesus’ words that is not always present in some of the other accounts.

When Jesus gives the Beatitudes in Luke, He first pronounces blessing, and then the turns them around. Here he says “Woe to you…”

So today, I am going to take the liberty of turning Matthew’s beatitudes around. I know this is not scripture, but it makes an impact on me when I ponder these things.

Woe unto those who are the rich in spirit, for they have no part in the kingdom of heaven.

Woe unto those who rejoice over sin, for they shall receive torment.

Woe unto those who will not submit to the will of God, for they shall inherit a hell created for the devil and his angels.

Woe unto those who hunger and thirst for wickedness, for they shall never find satisfaction.

Woe unto those who are unmerciful, for they shall receive no mercy.

Woe unto the impure in heart, for they shall never see God.

Woe unto those who are troublemakers, for they shall be called sons of the devil.

Woe unto those who have persecuted others for the sake of righteousness, for they will never see the kingdom of heaven.

And as Jesus himself gave this last one

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets. ~ Luke 6:26

I hope this impacts you as much as it impacts me. Do you think this goes too far? I don’t.

Thanks for stopping in,

Walk in light,

Ben