Luke 6:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

NIV: Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

NASB: Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to treat the false prophets the same way.

CSB: Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the false prophets.

NLT: What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

KJV: Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

NKJV: Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Public approval can lead to wealth and satisfaction, but also to God's judgment. When the world speaks well of believers, we need to consider why. There are positive, godly reasons the non-believing world might approve of us (1 Timothy 3:7; 1 Peter 2:12). But that should never happen because we send a message contradicting God's Word, making people feel better about the world. The Old Testament was filled with false prophets who preached peace when there was no peace (Jeremiah 14:13–16). Today, we see this even in the church. The prosperity gospel claims that God wants everyone to be healthy, wealthy, and fulfilled. The message ignores God's warning. Those who are satisfied with what the world offers will have even that taken away in eternity (Luke 6:24).

The Mosaic law is clear that any prophet who predicts something which does not come true is not from God and their message should be ignored (Deuteronomy 18:21–22). Most notably, prophets tended to tell the kings of Israel and Judah that their adversaries would not attack and take the people into exile (Jeremiah 6:14). The Bible explicitly mentions motives like greed (Jeremiah 6:13; Micah 3:11) though demonic involvement is also a possibility (1 Timothy 4:1).

As the end times grow nearer, more false prophets will lead people away from Christ (2 Peter 2:1–3). They may be praised by the public, escaping the horrible deaths of Isaiah and Jeremiah, but their end will be worse. They will face God's judgment and spend eternity in hell.

Luke 6:20–26 begins Jesus' ''Sermon on the Level Place'' or ''Sermon on the Plain.'' Luke segues from the practical distinction between Jesus' followers and detractors. He moves along to prophetic promises to each group, with four blessings and four woes. The descriptors poor versus rich, hungry versus full, and mournful versus happy might seem purely circumstantial. However, they represent the consequences of identifying with Jesus and thus facing persecution, versus identifying with the world and thus enjoying worldly privilege. Jesus uses the blessings promised to His persecuted followers to inspire them to love their enemies just as their Father does (Luke 6:27–42).

Luke 6 contains two main sections of teaching and calls to discipleship. Luke 6:1–16 continues the pattern of Luke 5. The two ways in which Jesus sets aside tradition—this time by taking authority over the Sabbath—are paired with His call for the Twelve disciples. Luke 6:17–49 records Jesus' teaching on the ''level place,'' or His ''Sermon on the Plain,'' and a call to a crowd for general discipleship. Much of this material has parallels in Matthew 5 through 7, but it's not clear if the two accounts are of the same event. As a travelling teacher, Christ likely gave the same general message multiple times.

Luke 6 completes Jesus' call for disciples and followers that started in Luke 5. Luke 5:1—6:16 consists of three calls for disciples, each paired with two revolutionary teachings about Jesus' authority that increasingly infuriate the religious leaders. Luke 6:17–49 continues the theme with a general call for followers and a description of their responsibilities. In Luke 7:1—8:3, Jesus interacts with the other: Gentiles, women, and even the dead. This is followed by another general call (Luke 8:4–21), a series of miracles (Luke 8:22—9:17), and a final call for the Twelve to follow Him even more deeply (Luke 9:18–50).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.