The author of Luke has Jesus delivering what have come to be known as “The Beatitudes” to the disciples on a “level playing field,” rather than from a mountain. And in this case, Jesus de. After all, when we examine our own lives, it seems we fit much better into the parameters of the unblessed livers them directly in second person: “Blessed are you . . .” Further, without stopping after the blessings, Jesus delivers a series of woes: “Woe to you . . .” that may well make us uncomfortable. What is Jesus trying to tell us?