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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus isn't just predicting future states of hunger and sorrow; He's highlighting a present spiritual emptiness hidden behind superficial satisfaction and outward joy. The "fullness" here refers to a self-sufficient reliance on earthly comforts, and the "laughter" is the hollow mirth of a life that ignores deeper needs, making them ripe for a reckoning.
Just before these verses, Jesus had chosen his twelve apostles and then descended a mountain to teach a large crowd. He begins by declaring "woes" and "blessings" that directly contrast the earthly status of people with their eternal one, flipping worldly values on their head. These pronouncements warn those who are currently comfortable and self-satisfied that their temporary abundance will turn to emptiness and their present joy to future sorrow.
Understand the original words
penthēsete · Greek Verb
To experience deep sorrow, lamentation, or regret, especially in the context of judgment or separation from the presence and favor of God.
Jesus' stark warnings about present fullness and laughter leading to future hunger and weeping directly foreshadowed the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem and the intense suffering experienced by those who had lived lives of self-indulgence and ignored God's call to repentance.
c. AD 30-31— this verse
Jesus Delivers the Sermon on the Plain
Jesus, after a night of prayer, teaches his disciples and a great multitude, including principles of the Kingdom of God that contrast earthly values with heavenly ones.
c. AD 30-60
Jewish Roman Relations Tense
The decades following Jesus' ministry saw increasing unrest and friction between Jewish factions and Roman rule, setting the stage for future conflict.
c. AD 40s-50s
James Writes His Epistle
The New Testament letter of James echoes Jesus' teachings, warning against worldly wealth and superficial joy, and calling for mourning over sin.
c. AD 64-66
Jewish-Roman War Begins
A major revolt against Roman rule erupts in Judea, leading to widespread conflict and devastation across the land.
This passage directly condemns those who live in luxurious ease and self-indulgence, paralleling Jesus' 'woe' to the 'full' who are destined to hunger.
James 4:9James echoes Jesus' words, calling those who laugh now to 'mourn and weep,' highlighting the spiritual consequence of present pleasure that ignores future reality.
Ecclesiastes 7:2-4This text contrasts the perceived wisdom of celebrating or laughing with the greater wisdom found in mourning, reflecting Jesus' reversal of worldly values where sorrow is ultimately more profitable than shallow joy.
Luke 16:19-31The parable of the rich man and Lazarus powerfully illustrates the 'woe' pronounced here, showing how present fullness and laughter can lead to eternal hunger and weeping if not tempered by compassion.
Matthew 5:4This verse from the Sermon on the Mount offers the counterpoint to Jesus' 'woes' in Luke, stating 'Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,' showing the spiritual upside-down nature of God's kingdom.
pulpitLuke 6:25: "Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep."
Verse 25. - Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. This saying points to men who used their wealth for self-indulgence, for the mere gratification of the senses. "The fulness," writes Dean Plumptre, "is the satiety of over-indulgence." Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. These are they who, proudly self-satisfied, dreamed that they needed nothin…
jfbLuke 6:12-49: "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
Lu 6:12-49. The Twelve Apostles Chosen—Gathering Multitudes—Glorious Healing.12, 13. went out—probably from Capernaum.all night in prayer … and when … day, he called, &c.—The work with which the next day began shows what had been the burden of this night's devotions. As He directed His disciples to pray for "laborers" just before sending themselves forth (see on…
Jesus isn't just predicting future states of hunger and sorrow; He's highlighting a present spiritual emptiness hidden behind superficial satisfaction and outward joy. The "fullness" here refers to a self-sufficient reliance on earthly comforts, and the "laughter" is the hollow mirth of a life that ignores deeper needs, making them ripe for a reckoning.
Just before these verses, Jesus had chosen his twelve apostles and then descended a mountain to teach a large crowd. He begins by declaring "woes" and "blessings" that directly contrast the earthly status of people with their eternal one, flipping worldly values on their head. These pronouncements warn those who are currently comfortable and self-satisfied that their temporary abundance will turn to emptiness and their present joy to future sorrow.
Just before these verses, Jesus had chosen his twelve apostles and then descended a mountain to teach a large crowd. He begins by declaring "woes" and "blessings" that directly contrast the earthly status of people with their eternal one, flipping worldly values on their head. These pronouncements warn those who are currently comfortable and self-satisfied that their temporary abundance will turn to emptiness and their present joy to future sorrow.
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AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Roman legions conquer Jerusalem, brutally suppressing the rebellion and destroying the Second Temple, a catastrophic event for Jewish people.
"“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep." — Jesus isn't just predicting future states of hunger and sorrow; He's highlighting a present spiritual emptiness hidden behind superficial satisfaction and outward joy. The "fullness" here refers to a…
