Luke 6 v 24. “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.”
The “woes” Christ pronounces here have no parallel in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. They are peculiar to the writings of Luke who wanted his friend Theophilus to know them. This expression “woe” is a mixture of Sorrow and indignation. Just as those who are rejected for Christ sake are numbered amongst the prophets, those who are spoken well of by men are numbered amongst the false prophets. Our Lord was thinking of the hostility he experienced when he exposed the teaching of the Pharisees. This hostility would eventually lead to his death.
The bible often divides people up into two groups – those who believe in and trust God and those who do not. This is what Jesus does here once again. On the one hand there are the poor, hungry and oppressed, and on the other those who are rich, full, and laugh. These are meant to be understood in spiritual terms. The rich, full and satisfied are those who are IN THEIR OWN EYES rich and full toward God, while the poor and the hungry see themselves as unworthy and look to God for His mercy.
Some people just do not see or feel a need for God, for Christ or His salvation. They are blind to this true condition and cannot understand why anybody should consider them in need of salvation. They look at their lives and feel content. They feel “Rich, well fed, happy with laughter” and well-spoken of”. All their emotional needs are catered for. Why should they need God? All they have now is all they get. They already “received their comfort” v 24. But that is all they get. They have nothing but judgement to look forward to because they are satisfied with themselves.
Self-righteousness is a terrible thing. It blinds the human mind and deadens the conscience to any spiritual need. Pray that God will deliver you from this as well as praying for others you know who feel no need of Christ.