“Woe to you” Sayings of Jesus
Quick Summary
Jesus' “Woe to you” sayings are solemn warnings, spoken to religious leaders, cities, and individuals who resisted God's call to justice, mercy, and repentance. Found primarily in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, these prophetic denunciations echo the tradition of Old Testament prophets. They are not curses but urgent wake-up calls—meant to confront hypocrisy and expose the danger of outward religiosity without inward transformation.
Introduction
When Jesus says “Blessed are you,” our hearts lean in. But when he says “Woe to you,” we tend to flinch. Yet both blessings and woes come from the same heart—the heart of one who wants to rescue, not condemn. The word “woe” (ouai in Greek) carries grief, lament, and judgment. It is used not in anger, but in holy sorrow.
These statements are sobering. Jesus reserves his most direct warnings not for sinners in the street but for the self-assured, the powerful, and the religious elite. His woes are diagnostic, exposing the diseases of pride, legalism, and spiritual blindness. What follows is a complete list of Jesus’ “Woe to you” sayings, grouped by Gospel.
“Woe to You” Sayings in the Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 11:21–24
Woe to Chorazin and Bethsaida – For rejecting miracles and refusing to repent.
Woe to Capernaum – Despite witnessing Jesus' works, they remained unrepentant.
Matthew 18:7
Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks – Judgment awaits those who cause others to sin.
Matthew 23:13–36 (Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees)
Woe 1 (23:13) – For shutting the door of the kingdom in people’s faces.
Woe 2 (23:15) – For making converts twice as much a child of hell.
Woe 3 (23:16–22) – For blind guides who misuse oaths and temple practices.
Woe 4 (23:23–24) – For tithing herbs while neglecting justice, mercy, and faith.
Woe 5 (23:25–26) – For cleaning the outside of the cup while remaining filthy inside.
Woe 6 (23:27–28) – For being like whitewashed tombs: beautiful outwardly, dead within.
Woe 7 (23:29–36) – For honoring prophets they would have killed, completing the measure of guilt.
These woes escalate in intensity, leading Jesus to lament over Jerusalem in 23:37–39.
“Woe to You” Sayings in the Gospel of Luke
Luke 6:24–26 This is the Sermon on the Plain
Woe to the rich – For receiving comfort now.
Woe to the well fed – For future hunger.
Woe to those who laugh now – For future mourning.
Woe when all speak well of you – For false prophets were praised likewise.
Luke 10:13–15
Woe to Chorazin and Bethsaida – Echo of Matthew’s rebuke.
Woe to Capernaum – Will be brought down to Hades.
Luke 11:42–52 (Six Woes)
You can read about these passages here.
Woe 1 (11:42) – For tithing but neglecting justice and love.
Woe 2 (11:43) – For loving honor and greetings in the marketplace.
Woe 3 (11:44) – For being like unmarked graves people walk over.
Woe 4 (11:46) – For loading people with burdens without helping.
Woe 5 (11:47–48) – For building tombs of the prophets while sharing in the guilt.
Woe 6 (11:52) – For taking away the key of knowledge, neither entering nor allowing others.
Meaning for Today: Warning as Mercy
These sayings are not outdated condemnations. They are mirrors. Jesus' woes confront the very things that still tempt the faithful today: performative religion, spiritual pride, and injustice hidden behind piety.
But every “Woe to you” is also a chance to turn. Jesus issues warnings not to shame, but to invite. The woes are cries of heartbreak from a Savior who longs for healing and repentance. Even today, they speak to pastors, churches, communities, and individuals—calling all to examine their hearts and return to what matters most: love, mercy, truth, and humility
