Church Fathers Commentary Luke 6:24-26

"But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you, ye that are full now! for ye shall hunger. Woe [unto you], ye that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe [unto you], when all men shall speak well of you! for in the same manner did their fathers to the false prophets." — Luke 6:24-26 (ASV)

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Having said before that poverty for God’s sake is the cause of every good thing, and that hunger and weeping will not be without the reward of the saints, he goes on to denounce their opposites as the source of condemnation and punishment. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

St. John Chrysostom: For this expression, "woe," is always used in the Scriptures for those who cannot escape from future punishment.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Although an abundance of wealth presents many allurements to crime, it also provides many incitements to virtue. Virtue requires no support, and the offering of a poor man is more commendable than the generosity of a rich one. Still, it is not those who possess riches who are condemned by the heavenly sentence, but those who do not know how to use them.

For just as the poor man who gives without grudging is more praiseworthy, so the rich man is more guilty who ought to give thanks for what he has received, and not hide away the sum given to him for the common good. Therefore, it is not the money but the heart of the possessor that is at fault. And although there is no heavier punishment than anxiously preserving what is meant to benefit one's successors, yet because covetous desires are fed by the pleasure of accumulation, those who have had their consolation in this present life have lost an eternal reward.

However, we may also understand "the rich" here to mean the Jewish people, the heretics, or at least the Pharisees. Rejoicing in an abundance of words and a kind of hereditary pride in their eloquence, they have gone beyond the simplicity of true faith and gained for themselves useless treasures.

The Venerable Bede: Woe to you who are full, for you shall be hungry. That rich man clothed in purple was full, feasting sumptuously every day, but he endured that dreadful "woe" in hunger when he begged for a drop of water from the finger of Lazarus, whom he had despised.

St. Basil the Great: It is plain that the rule of abstinence is necessary, because the Apostle mentions it among the fruits of the Spirit. For the subjection of the body is obtained by nothing so well as by abstinence, by which, as with a bridle, we ought to check the fervor of youth. Abstinence, then, is the putting to death of sin, the removal of passions, and the beginning of the spiritual life, blunting the sting of temptation.

But lest we seem to agree with the enemies of God, we must accept everything as the occasion requires to show that to the pure all things are pure. We do this by partaking of the necessities of life but abstaining completely from things that only lead to pleasure.

Since it is not possible for everyone to keep the same hours, manner, or proportion of fasting, let there be one shared purpose: never to eat until you are full. For a full stomach makes the body unfit for its proper functions, sleepy, and inclined toward what is harmful.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, if those who always hunger for works of righteousness are happy, then on the other hand, those who please themselves with their own desires and feel no hunger for the true good must be counted as unhappy. It follows, Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

St. Basil the Great: Since the Lord reproves those who laugh now, it is plain that there will never be a house of laughter for the faithful, especially since there is such a great multitude of those who die in sin, for whom we must mourn. Excessive laughter is a sign of a lack of moderation and the stirring of an unrestrained spirit, but to express the feelings of our heart with a pleasant expression is not improper.

St. John Chrysostom: But tell me, why are you distracting and wasting yourself with pleasures, when you must stand before the awesome judgment and give an account of all things done here?

The Venerable Bede: Because flattery is the very nurse of sin—like oil to the flames—it tends to fuel those who are already on fire with sin. Therefore, He adds, Woe to you when all men shall speak well of you.

St. John Chrysostom: What is said here does not contradict what our Lord says elsewhere: Let your light shine before men. This means we should be eager to do good for the glory of God, not for our own. For vainglory is a destructive thing; from it springs iniquity, despair, and avarice—the mother of all evil.

If you seek to turn away from this, always raise your eyes to God and be content with the glory that comes from Him. If in all other matters we must choose the more learned as judges, why do you entrust the judgment of virtue to the masses? Why not entrust it instead to Him who, above all others, knows virtue and can both give and reward it? Therefore, if you desire His glory, you must avoid the praise of men.

For no one excites our admiration more than he who rejects glory. And if we admire this, how much more does the God of all. Be mindful, then, that the glory of men quickly fails, for in the course of time it passes into oblivion. It follows: For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

The Venerable Bede: "The false prophets" refers to those who attempt to predict future events to gain the favor of the multitude. The Lord on the mountain pronounces only the blessings of the good, but on the plain He also describes the "woe" of the wicked. This is because the uninstructed hearers must first be brought to good works by terror, while the perfect need only be invited by rewards.

St. Ambrose of Milan: And note that Matthew called the people to virtue and faith with rewards, while Luke also frightened them from their sins and iniquities by denouncing future punishment.