A Way 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.”
 
The world needs a way away from woe. It’s a terrible place to be.
 
IN this sermon before multitudes on a level place (Luke 6:7) Jesus preached these four woes in direct contrast to the four blessings of verses 22-23. He didn’t condemn material wealth and personal success. But when Jesus said, “Woe.” he warned destruction is sure if one lived in life’s physical pleasures with no consideration for God. Money and a good personality do not save; in fact, they can cause one to be prideful and lead one to destruction.
    “Woe” is dramatic judgment written 55 times in the prophets’ and wisdom books to warn idolatrous and God-mocking people everywhere God condemns the disobedient to complete destruction. This doesn’t change in the in the gospels and in Revelation. “Woe” is also written 37 times when our gracious Savior and his angels warn, “Woe!” to the unrepentant.
    The world lives on the verge of destruction. We need Jesus. Our Savior  has clearly preached the Word. He requires us to confess what the prophet woeful Jonah confessed in the fish’s belly: Jonah 2:9b “What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.”
    How great is Jesus’ love! He warns us to, “Go and leave your life of sin.” (John 8:11)
     Be ever mindful our natural, woeful souls need the Holy God’s redemptive blessing: Colossians 1:21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.
    A righteous God could have justly remained our enemy. Yet, with love in his essence, redemption on his lips, nail wounds in his hands, and an empty tomb behind him, our risen Savior offers you a way away from woe, so you can be holy with God in his eternal Kingdom.
    What will you do in response to such a glorious Creator and Savior? As we continue, we’ll see Jesus preaches his ways into God’s blessed happiness.
 
Prayer: Turn my mind away from the world’s dangers. Teach me the ways into you. In your name I pray. Amen.