The Anti Beatitudes

The above image gives us what are called the "Beatitudes." They give us the several blessings Christ pronounces upon those he describes. But, people often don't realize that there are what we might call the "Anti Beatitudes." These begin with "woe are" instead of "blessed are." They are given in the following passage.

“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." (Luke 6: 24-26 nkjv)

The Beatitudes and the Anti Beatitudes remind us of the blessings and the curses of the Law where God says:

Deuteronomy 11:26-28: "See, today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse—the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God..."

Deuteronomy 30:19: "I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses; choose life, so that you and your descendants will live."

Some translations of Isaiah 45: 7 say: "I form light and create darkness, I make weal and create woe" which in the KJV is "I make peace and create evil."

There is a "sevenfold woe against the scribes and Pharisees" in Matthew chapter twenty three.

The biblical concept of weal entails both material and spiritual good or the blessings that come from a faithful relationship with God. Throughout Scripture, weal is seen as the result of obedience to God and a trust in God's promises. The word "commonwealth" has "weal" as its root. It means the "common good" or well being of a state.

God has promised weal to his obedient people. That is not to say that obedient servants never suffer woe, for there is none perfect, and God often ordains sufferings, or woes, even to his obedient servants in order to try them and to purify them, as he did to his servant Job, who realized this when he said:

"But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23: 10 nkjv)

Still, a child of God will receive greater weal, and less woe, when he lives a life of obedience to the Lord. That is what the Beatitudes and the Anti-Beatitudes tell us. Notice these words:

"Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.” So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” (Luke 18: 18: 28-30 nkjv)

Those who choose to follow Christ will "receive many times more in this present time and eternal life in the age to come."

So many sinners are often found saying "woe is me." Let them know that God promises weal to those who obey him and woe to them who disobey him. I love the lyrics to the song "Trust and Obey." The first couple of verses with the chorus reads as follows:

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still

And with all who will trust and obey

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies

But His smile quickly drives it away

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear

Can abide while we trust and obey

Remember the words of Christ Jesus our Lord who said:

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6: 46 nkjv)