The Beatitudes (Luke)

Luke's Beatitudes are the four blessings (and four corresponding woes) that Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20–26) — addressed in the second person directly to the poor, the hungry, the weeping, and the persecuted. They complement Matthew's eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount and reveal the radical reversal of values that characterizes God's Kingdom (CCC 1716).

The Four Beatitudes

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man" (Luke 6:20–22).

The Four Woes

"But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets" (Luke 6:24–26).

The Radical Reversal

Luke's Beatitudes are more concrete and more socially charged than Matthew's. Where Matthew has "poor in spirit," Luke simply has "poor." The woes make explicit what is implicit in both accounts: the Kingdom of God inverts the values of the world. Those who are comfortable and satisfied in this age are in danger; those who suffer and are rejected are receiving the first fruits of the Kingdom (CCC 1716).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this mean poverty and suffering are goods in themselves? No. Poverty and suffering are evils that the Church works to alleviate. What the Beatitudes teach is that those who are poor and suffering are especially beloved by God and especially close to his Kingdom — and that the Church must therefore be especially close to them (CCC 2443–2449).