Be-Attitudes

Blessings and Woes

Jesus taught us many things about our ‘ability’ or otherwise of getting into the Kingdom of Heaven. In general terms, although sometimes quite specifically, He spoke about our inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, about the poor having almost hereditary access, and about rich men and camels and the eyes of needles.

For example, in Luke 6:20-26 He says this - “Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.”

“But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.” “

You may notice I have separated the blessings from the woes. Everyone knows the Beatitudes, as this passage is known. At least everyone knows the blessings part but not too many remember the woes part. Oh Lord, how can the Western Church not understand this?

To me, this whole passage explains why there is so much revival in China and the really poor places in the East and yet there is so very much sanctimonious clap-trap preached here in the West – with correspondingly little revival. In the East there is so much poverty and so much hunger for the Word of God, while here in the West, many folk are more concerned that the Sunday dinner is in the oven and the preacher is banging on a bit longer than usual.

No wonder Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This one passage pours scorn upon prosperity teaching, the blab it and grab it, name it and claim it gospel. My wife once shocked me by saying this – “I find it incredible that Christ would die for the sinner in all their mess yet we're the ones who look at them and scorn.” Yet now, in the light of this passage, I understand the wisdom and discernment of her words.

“Woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

This is not meant to be a “Woe to the West” post, but is meant rather to highlight our spiritual poverty and to encourage us all to seek the Lord anew. Where is the conviction preached? Where is repentance preached? Where is the compassion preached? Where is the Gospel of Salvation preached?

Where is our hunger as in Amos 8:11-12 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, But shall not find it.”

This is what is happening right now all over the Western world, especially amongst the younger generation. My generation has made such a mess of things that the younger ones are seeking a different answer. That answer is Jesus.

This is another sign of the times – another end time prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes. How long before we react? How long before we do something about it?