Read Luke 6:24-26
Similarly to the Beatitudes of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, He speaks of the blessings to a large crowd during the Sermon on the Plain. Following his blessings, He spoke of sorrow or woe for the opposite way of life, and its consequences.
The Greek word “woe” is translated to mean grief, but also a total loss and suffering. Jesus is expressing grief over people because he sees their eternal death and their inattention to it. Jesus cared about these people despite their unbelief. He says there is nothing wrong with enjoying pleasurable things during our life, such as a feast or riches, but ultimately it is where our heart is that determines our eternity.
The whole point of the Beatitudes is to flip human logic on its head and tell us that it’s not the healthy, wealthy, and successful who are blessed. It’s the people who recognize their own spiritual poverty and humbly embrace their need for salvation who are blessed.
Jesus wants us to give ourselves first before receiving. To love God before loving anyone else, including ourselves. To be a light in the darkness. To strive for perfection, as God is perfect. Life will not be perfect, but Jesus was teaching how to be at peace. He wanted us to be rooted in God at the same time as the physical world so that we could share peace during our trials and tribulations while here on earth. Let us be reminded of the many blessings from God and His promise of eternal happiness.