In the last blog we looked at the first beatitude, which is recorded in Luke 6:20, and states, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” From this we drew the following conclusions: First, the word “blessed” means happy. Secondly, Jesus is not saying a state of being poor in material things or poverty equals a state of happiness. Thirdly, those who are poor in material items are only “blessed” when they maintain trust and dependency on God, which means, being blessed has nothing to do with how little we have. Lastly, in contrast, Jesus said, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation” (Luke 6:24). This is not to mean those who are rich in material things are doomed or not blessed, this is simply a warning to us that we should be mindful not to find our fulfillment through wealth. This also means being blessed has nothing to do with how much we have.
Now, to the second beatitude. In Luke 6:21, Jesus said, “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” What does Jesus mean by this? To understand this we need to look at what the word “hungry” means in its original context. Also, there are two views held by scholars that we can take a look at. First, the Greek word for “hungry” means needy and earnest desire. So does Jesus mean we are “blessed”, which means happy, when we have a desire or craving or need for food? Maybe. Some scholars certainly seem to think so. However, if you have ever been hungry, you know hunger does not equate to happiness; it often results to being hangry (hungry and angry), and for those who battle with starvation, there is nothing but weeping, sorrow, and mourning. On the other hand, some scholars believe Jesus is referring to a hunger for righteousness. They believe this because Jesus literally said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…”
Putting all this together, I personally believe what Jesus said can be applied to both views. I believe Jesus means people are “blessed” when they are physically hungry, but maintain their trust in God. When they don’t know where their next meal is coming from, they continue to believe that God will supply what they need, just as He promises. In addition, I believe Jesus means that people are “blessed” when they are hungry for the kingdom of God more than the things of this world. Thus, happiness does not come from lacking in food nor does happiness come from the treasures this world has to offer, but comes from a dependence on God, and knowing that one day, when we die or when Jesus returns, whichever comes first, we shall live eternally in the Kingdom of God where there will be no more starvation, no more weeping, no more mourning, and where we who have believed in Jesus by faith, shall be fulfilled. Those who weep now because of hunger and those who mourn now, shall have their hunger satisfied and their mourning turned into laughter.
In contrast to Luke 6:21, Jesus also said in Luke 6:25, “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” This is a warning. Like with Luke 6:20 & 24, this is a warning about finding our fulfillment in this world. We must never be so satisfied with this world that we treasure the here and now more than we treasure the eternal life to come that Jesus died to give us. If we do, then we are seeking comfort now at the expense of the eternal life to come.