September 22 Away from Woe

Luke 6:24-26 “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 all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.”
 
WHEN Jesus said, “Woe.” he was defining various sins and promising doom. Destruction was sure if one did not repent. We see “woe” in dramatic succession in Ezekiel as the prophet conveyed God’s sure destruction on Israel’s unrepentant evil. Matthew 23 and Luke 11 also record Jesus speaking “woe” against the Pharisees, the “experts in the law” (Luke 11:46). Yes, the One who is Love, loves his people enough to tell them, “Sin will condemn you if you do not repent.” We don’t like that part of “Jesus loves you.” Very much. But know that when we tell someone, “Jesus loves you.” be mindful is love is so great, he calls us to “go and leave your life of sin”. (John 8:11)
In this sermon “on a level place” (Luke 6:7) Jesus preached these four “woes” in direct contrast to the four blessings of vss. 22-23. Judgment into Hell will come on those who do not realize the spiritual poverty of their sin. Hunger for God’s Word is essential to spiritual life. Further, there is sure condemnation for those who ignore the world’s need for the gospel. And Jesus announces woe against those who are popular because they tell the world as Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3c “what their itching ears want to hear.”  Jesus proclaimed that there is no room in the Kingdom for those who would rather please man than God. In summary, woe to those who are spiritually impoverished and do not desire true kingdom blessings.  
   We all must remember our woeful soul needs the Holy God’s righteousness. Because of Adam’s rebellion, we are all born into woe as enemies of God. Paul also teaches in Colossians 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. A righteous God could have abandoned us to our sin. Yet, with love in his essence, instruction on his lips, nails in his hands, and an empty tomb behind him, our risen Savior offers you a way away from sin to be fully whole with God in his eternal Kingdom.
   What will you do in response to such a glorious Creator and Savior? In our next lesson, we’ll see Jesus gives you his ways into God’s blessed happiness.
 
Prayer: Fill me up, Lord Jesus, with you. I hunger and thirst for your truth. In your name I pray, amen.