Luke 6:17-26: Live for What Lasts

July 16, 2026

The Ten Signposts of the Bible
CAMDE—400—CALY
Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

Most of us are familiar with the “Sermon on the Mount” from the Gospel of Matthew. But have you heard of the “Sermon on the Plain” from the Gospel of Luke? Luke tells us that Jesus “came down with [the apostles] and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon” (Luke 6:17). 

Are Matthew and Luke recounting the same sermon, or are these two different ones? Matthew devotes three full chapters to the Sermon on the Mount, while Luke gives less than a chapter to Jesus’ message as he “stood on a level place.” Yet, there is little reason to think these were separate events. A mountainside naturally includes areas of level ground where Jesus could have stood. Most likely, Luke offers a condensed version of the same sermon that Matthew records in greater detail. 

Luke reports that two groups were present that day. First, there was “a great crowd of [Jesus’] disciples,” which would have included the twelve apostles. Second, there was a large gathering of people from all across the region, reaching as far as Jerusalem. Having heard of Jesus’ teaching and his miraculous power to heal, they “came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases” (Luke 6:18). 

Along with those who were physically ill, there were also many who were spiritually oppressed— “troubled with unclean spirits” (Luke 6:18). The crowd pressed in on Jesus, seeking to touch him, “for power came out from him and healed them all.” But when Jesus began to teach, he turned his attention to his followers (Luke 6:20). This was a message directed to believers. 

Luke records four beatitudes that Jesus spoke on. The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin beatus, meaning “happy” or “blessed.” Each one begins with the phrase, “Blessed are…”—following a pattern with deep ties to the Old Testament. The prophets often delivered oracles—messages from God— that came in two forms: positive and negative. A positive oracle “pronounced God’s blessing upon the people for some particular virtue, and conversely, a negative oracle was prefaced by the word, Woe!”^[1]

Let’s reflect on the “blessings” and “woes” that Luke presents. 

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20). 
Scripture teaches that poverty can arise from several causes: lack of effort, calamity, oppression, or a deliberate choice to surrender material wealth in order to pursue God. In this passage, the emphasis is on poverty resulting from oppression. Even then, those who have no possessions can still find true contentment, knowing that one day they will inherit the kingdom of God. Nothing this world offers can compare to an eternity with him. 

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied” (Luke 6:21).
Where poverty exists, hunger often follows—but Jesus is speaking of more than just an empty stomach. Life in the here and now will always leave us wanting. Even the closest human relationship cannot satisfy the deepest longings of our souls. Only Jesus can. 

As Christians, we all walk through seasons of deep, aching discontentment. A friend who had lost his wife once lamented, “I just want my old life back.” Yet whether our hunger is physical, emotional, or spiritual, we can find our satisfaction in Jesus now and look forward to complete fulfillment in eternity. 

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh” (Luke 6:21). 
Jesus never promised us a life without pain. We experience broken relationships and broken hearts. We know what it's like to be disappointed and discouraged. We know what it’s like to  suffer loss in many forms. But one day all our mourning will end. God “will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). 

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets” (Luke 6:22-23).

Believers can experience persecution because of our faith. We may be hated, excluded, insulted, imprisoned, rejected for following Jesus and even face death. The suffering endured by the Old Testament prophets bears witness to this reality again and again. Yet we know that a believer’s genuine and lasting reward is not found in this life. Instead, a glorious eternity in heaven awaits every follower of Christ. 

We will end with an important question about these beatitudes: Is Jesus speaking of satisfaction, joy, reward, and experiencing the kingdom of God in this present life, or in our future life in heaven? The answer is both. Even now, during our brief time on earth, we begin to experience the abundant life Jesus freely gives. And one day in heaven, we will enjoy all these blessings in their perfect complete fullness. 

However, it is a very different story for those who do not belong to Christ. In a series of four warnings or “woes,” Jesus said, “Woe to you who are rich . . .Woe to you who are full now . . .Woe to you who laugh now… Woe to you, when all people speak well of you…” (Luke 6:24–26). Those who live apart from Jesus enjoy only temporary comforts. One day, all the wealth, pleasure, happiness, and status this world offers will come to an end. But only those who know Jesus will share in the perfect and lasting satisfaction of heaven. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read and reflect on Luke 6:17-26. Which of Jesus' beatitudes or woes most challenges the way you currently measure success, security, or happiness, and why?

Talking to God: Ask God to help you evaluate your heart in these areas. 

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