Luke 6:20-26 presents Luke’s balanced version of Jesus’ Beatitudes. There are four “blessed” and four “woes.” Jesus is speaking to His disciples in both cases: “Blessed are you….woe to you…” (cf. Luke 6:20 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said…”). Throughout Jesus’ sermon on the level place, He forces His listeners to examine themselves. So, in the balanced beatitudes, we ask ourselves and our listeners which four-fold condition best describes their current condition. Are we blessed or cursed? The one that really struck home to me as a preacher was v. 26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you…” As much as I want to be liked, I do not want to find myself in the “Woe to you” camp. That means preaching and teaching theology that may not be popular among our parishioners (not to mention among the outsiders). Part of our privilege is to help them make the right choice each Sunday. In order to do that, we must present the options clearly. You might be interested in considering the Gospel in the Beatitudes. Jesus experienced the “woe” in death even though His condition in life matched the “blessed.” Jesus’ followers are blessed because He wasn’t (until after the cross, that is!).