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Lesson OneThe Context of the Beatitudes3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoMajor Approaches3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeReversals for the Unfortunate3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourRewards for the Virtuous3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveLuke's Blessings and Woes3 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 179
Discussion Questions
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How did your study of the blessings and woes found in Luke 6 further your understanding of Jesus’ Beatitudes?
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I realize that Luke’s woes parallel each blessing. A. Verse twenty blesses the poor and verse twenty-four woe the rich. B. Verse twenty-one blesses the hungry and verse twenty-five woe the full. C. Verse twenty-one blesses the one who weeps and Verse twenty-five woes the one who laughs. D. twenty-two blesses the persecuted and verse twenty-six woe those who are celebrated.
So there are four blessings followed by their elation in joy for their reward is not here but in heaven. Following the woes are commands on how to express the Kingdom mindset and these commands are for both audiences, the blessed and the woed.
COMMANDS ON THE KINGDOM LIFE
a. Love your enemies.
b. Goodness to haters.
c. When cursed, bless the curser.
e. Pray for people who use you without regard to your well-being.
f. When offended, do not receive offense, but leave yourself vulnerable (meekness – to have no conceits. No inner perception of your greatness or self-importance).
g. If they take away your things, let them take it and ask “do you need anything else?”
h. Once taken, do not ask for it back. Make up in your mind they need it more than you.
i. GOLDEN RULE. A reversal for the one taking. Do to others what you want done to you. No robber wants to be robbed. So since you don’t want to be robbed, offended, laughed at, or cursed, don’t do it to others.
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One of the biggest takeaways is that we will be rewarded in the here and now as well as in the future!
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Emphasizing again the way that physical and spiritual interpretations of the beatitudes are not exclusive. The Christ-follower who knows his or her primary identity, joy, and flourishing is from God, with God, in God will not pursue worldly wealth/status in the same way as a person who sees it as their primary identity, and they will not use the wealth/status in the same way (generously, not selfishly), and they will be treated differently by those who do pursue/use worldly wealth/status as their primary identity, joy, and source of flourishing.
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It connects and validates the preaching and message from another perspective. Linking this to the reality that each recorded what stood out to them.
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I liked the interpretation that God might be partial to the poor believer but woe to the rich is directed most likely to the rich who does not share his wealth with others and remains greedy. If you have a lot of wealth but share lots of that wealth generously, you can still be in Christ’s favor.