Luke 6:23-26

John Burnett:  ²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

²⁴ “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 everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.  Woe from God is never a good thing.  Those who do not know Christ and are rich depend on their riches to save them.  It will be worse for them because all they have will be taken away plus the consequences of hell.  We should rejoice when we face persecution because we will be rewarded in heaven.

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Mike Grimm:  ²³ “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. We can really rejoice when we are persecuted, because we know that it means we are on the right side-God's side, and the side of so many faithful who went on before us.  

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have already received your comfort. If we are trying to find fulfillment only through riches, wealth may be the only reward we will ever get—and it will not last. We should not seek comfort in this lifetime at the expense of eternal life.
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 everyone speaks well of you,
    for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. There were many false prophets in the Old Testament times. They were praised by kings and crowds because their predictions—prosperity and victory in war—were exactly what the people wanted to hear. But popularity is no guarantee of truth, and human flattery does not bring God’s approval. Sadness lies ahead for those who chase after the crowd’s praise rather than God’s truth.

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Tomorrow’s reading for Luke 6:27-31

²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.