Luke 6:25b 25Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
The third woe gives the opposite of the third beatitude. Jesus’ statement is simple and short yet contains significant implications. Laughter is usually associated with happiness. Humor is a powerfully good feeling that can rejuvenate someone who has experienced hardship, loss, or sorrow. The Bible has many references to laughter and the joy it creates. Jesus was a jokester with some of his parables and sayings, such as sending a camel through the eye of a needle. Ungodly laughter in the form of jokes often comes at the expense of other people and may be attached to belittling or ridiculing. Neutral laughter results from a good experience or the creative use of language in the form of a joke. Some people laugh because of insecurity. There is also a form of laughter associated with certain positive personalities.
The type of laughter in this woe is not the genuine joy that comes from the blessings of God but is temporary and fleeting. It is the laughter that finds joy and satisfaction in things of this world. This woe is closely associated with the previous ones that refer to finding one’s identity, purpose, and goals in riches, possessions, and objects of this world. The implied warning is that the wrong kind of laughter will be reversed into a curse if the source is not the joy that comes from following Jesus and the values of the kingdom. God will judge those with misplaced priorities. The outcome will be the opposite of the experience on earth. The eschatology and view of eternity are important. There is a different kind of laughter awaiting those who follow Jesus. Though life may be difficult at times now, there is an award waiting those who genuinely seek God’s kingdom.
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