Beatitudes: Promises to Messiah's Subjects.

^c Blessed are ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

  21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

[These three beatitudes given by Luke, like the two closing beatitudes of Matthew are pronounced not upon character, but upon those in certain trying conditions. They are addressed to the disciples ( Luke 6:17 ), and are meant to strengthen and encourage them to continue in the life of sacrifice when discipleship demanded. For light upon the meaning of these beatitudes, see such passages as these: Matthew 10:37-39 ; 16:24-26 ; Matt 1:1 Mark 10:28-30 Matt. x. 22-25 Mark 22-25 . The service to which Jesus called meant poverty, hunger, and tears, but it led to rich reward-- 1 Corinthians 11:23-33 ; 12:1-5 .]

  21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

  22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, ^a and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my ^c the Son of man's sake. [The Master here presents the various forms of suffering which would come upon the disciples by reason of their loyalty to him. We shall find several like statements as we proceed with the gospel story. They would first be conscious of the coldness of their brethren before the secret hate became outspoken and active. Later they should find themselves excommunicated from the synagogue ( John 16:2 ). This act in turn would be followed by bitter reproaches and blasphemy of the sacred name by which they were called--the name Christian ( James 2:7 ; 1 Peter 4:4 ). "'Malefic' or 'execrable superstition' was the favorite description of Christianity among Pagans (Tac., Ann. xv. 44; Suet. Nero, xvi.), and Christians were charged with incendiarism, cannibalism and every infamy" (Farrar). All this would finally culminate in bloody-handed persecution, and procure the death of Christ's followers by forms of law; all manner of false and evil accusations would be brought against them.]

  23 Rejoice ye in that day, ^b and be exceeding glad: ^c and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets. ^a for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. [In commanding rejoicing under such circumstances Jesus seemed to make a heavy demand upon his disciples, but it is a demand which very many have responded to ( Acts 5:41 ; 16:25 ). Anticipations of the glorious future are a great tonic. For instances of persecution of the prophets, see 1 Kings 19:10 ; 2 Chronicles 16:10 ; 1 Kings 22:27 ; 2 Chronicles 24:20 2 Chronicles 24:21 ; xxxiixxxvii 1:1 Jeremiah 26:23 and xxxii. and xxxvii ; Hebrews 11:36-38 .]

  ^c 24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. [ Luke 16:25 .]

  25 Woe unto you that are full now! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you, ye that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. [These three woes are respectively the converse of the three beatitudes Luke. This converse is to be expected, for as long as sin lasts woes stand over against beatitudes as Ebal against Gerizim. But the woe here expressed by the Saviour is more of a cry of compassion than a denunciation, and may be translated, "Alas for you!" The first woe applies to those who love and trust in riches ( Mark 10:24 ). Jesus does not clearly define the line beyond which the possession of riches becomes a danger, lest any, fancying himself to be on the safe side of the line, should lull himself to repose and be taken off his guard. Riches are always dangerous, and we must be ever watchful against their seduction. The second woe is kindred to the first. Righteousness is the soul's true food. Those who feast upon it shall be satisfied, but those who satiate themselves with this world shall waken some day to a sense of emptiness, since they have filled themselves with vanity ( Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 ; James 5:1-6 ). The third woe is not pronounced upon those who make merriment an occasional relief ( Proverbs 17:22 ; Proverbs 15:13 Proverbs 15:15 ); but upon those who, through lack of earnestness, make it a constant aim. Half the world has no higher object in life than to be amused ( Proverbs 13:14 ; Ecclesiastes 7:6 ). Those who sow folly shall reap a harvest of tears. The truth of this saying was abundantly fulfilled in the Jewish wars, which culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem about forty years later.]

  26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets. [This is the converse to the beatitudes pronounced upon those who are reviled, etc. A righteous life rebukes an evil one, and the general tendency of evil is to deride that which rebukes it. This tendency caused the wicked of Christ's times to say that he had a demon, and that he cast out demons by the power of Beelzebub. If our lives draw to themselves no reproach, they can not be right in the sight of God. A good name is more to be desired than great riches; but we must not sacrifice our fidelity to Christ in order to attain it. If we adhere strictly to the virtues which Christ enjoined, we shall find that the world has an evil name for every one of them. Earnest contention for truth is called bigotry; loyalty to his ordinances is dubbed narrowness; strict conformity to the laws of purity is named puritanism; liberality is looked upon as an effort to court praise; piety is scorned as hypocrisy, and faith is regarded as fanaticism.]