Luke 6:21
“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus’ word choices here are striking: he uses "hunger" and "weep" to speak about a deep, present discomfort that most people try to avoid. This isn't about just feeling a little peckish or sad, but about experiencing a profound emptiness that makes you ready to receive God's fullness, and a sorrow that opens the door to His lasting joy.
Jesus has just come down from a night of prayer and is about to choose his twelve apostles. He then addresses a large crowd and his disciples gathered on a level place, contrasting the blessings of those who are poor and suffering with the woes of the rich and comfortable. These words offer a radical reorientation, declaring that present suffering, hunger, and sorrow are signs of future joy and fulfillment in God's kingdom.
Jesus starts His most famous sermon with 'Blessed are you...'. But the people He blesses are the ones experiencing hardship. What does this tell us about God's perspective?
In Luke's account of the Beatitudes, Jesus directly addresses the poor and suffering. He declares them 'blessed' – not because of their suffering itself, but because of what it signifies: a deep reliance on God and an openness to His Kingdom.
A Different Kind of Fullness
Jesus uses the word 'laugh' to describe the future joy of those who weep. It sounds so different from the 'comforted' in Matthew. What's going on here?
Luke's choice of the word 'laugh' (γελάσετε - gelasete) for the future reward of those who weep is striking. While Matthew uses 'comforted,' Luke paints a more vibrant picture of future joy.
A Deeper, Grander Joy
Understand the original words
makarioi · Greek Adjective
A state of spiritual wellbeing and joy that comes from God’s favor, often contrary to outward circumstances. It describes the favorable condition of those who belong to the kingdom of God.
peinōntes · Greek Adjective/Participle
A literal or metaphorical state of lacking essential sustenance, often used in Scripture to describe a spiritual yearning for righteousness and dependence on God.
klaiontes · Greek Verb/Participle
To mourn, lament, or cry; in a biblical context, it often refers to sorrow caused by the brokenness of the world or conviction of sin, which precedes divine comfort.
Jesus' words here speak directly to the profound grief and devastation experienced by the Judeans during the Babylonian exile, offering comfort and a future hope that transcends their immediate suffering.
c. 760 BC
Assyrian Empire's Growing Power
The Neo-Assyrian Empire began a period of expansion, exerting increasing pressure on the northern kingdoms of Israel and Judah. This geopolitical tension created an environment of fear and instability for the Israelites.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The Assyrian king Sargon II conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its inhabitants. This event served as a stark warning to the southern Kingdom of Judah about the consequences of disobedience and foreign entanglements.
605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeated the Egyptians and began deporting Judean elites, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile and a period of profound national trauma.
587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem
Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling most of the remaining population to Babylon. This catastrophic event plunged the Judean people into deep mourning and a crisis of faith.
Matthew's parallel beatitude clarifies that this hunger is primarily a deep spiritual longing for righteousness, which God promises to satisfy.
Psalm 107:9This Old Testament passage beautifully echoes the theme of satisfying the longing soul, showing that God has always been about filling those who yearn for Him.
Isaiah 61:3This prophetic passage speaks of God giving 'a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness' and 'beauty instead of ashes,' directly paralleling the transformation from weeping to laughter and satisfaction.
2 Corinthians 6:10Paul uses the imagery of sorrowful yet always rejoicing, and poor yet making many rich, to describe the paradox of Christian suffering that leads to abundant spiritual wealth and joy.
Revelation 21:4This future hope paints a picture of God wiping away every tear and eliminating all mourning and pain, directly fulfilling the promise of satisfaction and laughter for those who weep now.
barnesLuke 6:21: "Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh."
That hunger now - Matthew has it, "that hunger and thirst after righteousness." Matthew has expressed more fully what Luke has briefly, but there is no contradiction.
gillLuke 6:21: "Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh."
Blessed are ye that hunger now,.... Not only suffer hunger and thirst in a literal sense, in this present life, but who have hunger and thirst in a spiritual sense, after righteousness and eternal life, as in Matthew 5:6 where it is also said as here: for ye shall be filled: with righteousness and life; See Gill on Matthew 5:6. blessed are ye that weep now; under afflictions an…
Jesus’ word choices here are striking: he uses "hunger" and "weep" to speak about a deep, present discomfort that most people try to avoid. This isn't about just feeling a little peckish or sad, but about experiencing a profound emptiness that makes you ready to receive God's fullness, and a sorrow that opens the door to His lasting joy.
Jesus has just come down from a night of prayer and is about to choose his twelve apostles. He then addresses a large crowd and his disciples gathered on a level place, contrasting the blessings of those who are poor and suffering with the woes of the rich and comfortable. These words offer a radical reorientation, declaring that present suffering, hunger, and sorrow are signs of future joy and fulfillment in God's kingdom.
Jesus has just come down from a night of prayer and is about to choose his twelve apostles. He then addresses a large crowd and his disciples gathered on a level place, contrasting the blessings of those who are poor and suffering with the woes of the rich and comfortable. These words offer a radical reorientation, declaring that present suffering, hunger, and sorrow are signs of future joy and fulfillment in God's kingdom.
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c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered the Babylonian Empire, allowing the exiled Judeans to return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple. This marked a new era of hope and restoration.
"“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh." — Jesus’ word choices here are striking: he uses "hunger" and "weep" to speak about a deep, present discomfort that most people try to avoid. This isn't about just feeling a little peckish or sad, but…
