A worldwide goal of all people is to find a happy and blessed life. It’s also clear there are countless different ways to go after it.
You can find plenty of churches now that will preach to you some form of “Blessed are the rich, the well-fed, those who are laughing, and regularly praised for who they are.” That’s really just churches imitating the ways of the world and trying to give the people what they want.
What a shocker to read that Jesus puts all those words and phrases of earthly comfort into the category of “woes” (Luke 6:24-26). If your life is filled with ease because . . . . you are not following Christ faithful to his actual teachings, woe is you! You can’t expect God to consider that to be a blessed life or shower you with heavenly treasures.
Blessed instead are the poor, the hungry, those who are weeping, and the insulted (Luke 6:20-22). Very contrary to what anyone would think without God’s Word to guide them.
This is all true when it is because of the Son of Man (v.22). Even though we’re not here to pursue earthly riches, we don’t want to be confused on the other side by these verses. Struggles or poverty or sadness in themselves are not commands of Christ to his disciples, or in any way meriting the reward of heaven. Put simply, just suffering doesn’t open heaven for us.
Christians may have some disadvantages in accumulating earthly wealth or enjoying the praise of society because we have different priorities. But if we find ourselves in that situation, we are still blessed. We still have God’s gracious reward of heaven through faith alone in Jesus Christ who gave his life for us.
God rearranges our view of being blessed and distressed. What we see and feel naturally as humans can easily trick us. Listen to the voice of the Lord on this one (as well as in any question of life). What a joy to know God’s favor to us has nothing to do with our ease of life or the favorable opinion of others!
The Apostle Paul tells us where our blessing lies: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (v.3). Blessing is in the spiritual gifts of the heavenly kingdom we receive through Jesus Christ. Leap for joy! You are blessed by the Lord.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. (Luke 6:23)