Why does Jesus predict misery for rich people?
But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
Luke 6:24–26
What sorrow awaits you who are rich, for you have your only happiness now. What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now, for a time of awful hunger awaits you. What sorrow awaits you who laugh now, for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow. What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.
Luke 6:24-26 (NLT)
Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount by teaching his followers that what is commonly accepted as “the way things are” is not, in fact, the way things are. He offers a series of memorable sayings that redefine wealth and poverty, and he points to a day when a great reversal in fortune will occur–a day when the poor, persecuted, and marginalized will be lifted up, and the powerful, popular, and self-sufficient will be brought down.