“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Noted 19th Century Biblical scholar and preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, was known in his day as the “Prince of Preachers” but at one point he also suffered from severe depression over the criticism he received in his ministry. His wife, Susanna, “printed all eight Beatitudes on a large sheet of paper and tacked it on the ceiling above his bed. She wanted him to remember, first thing in the morning and last at night, that the righteous will be persecuted.” *
As we come to the conclusion of Jesus’ teaching on the Beatitudes, He drastically switches gears. He has just shared with the Disciples the peace that God promises and how they will be blessed as peacemakers when they seek reconciliation through peaceful means. Now He is showing them the other side of the coin and what will undoubtedly happen when they seek to reconcile with others. The reality is, we who seek peace are not always met with a peaceful response. Reconciliation may fail and sometimes we may face insults, retaliation or even persecution. Let’s be clear, the kind of persecution Jesus is speaking of isn’t due to the color of one’s skin, what one’s political party affiliation is or one’s economic status. He is speaking of what believers will experience on account their relationship with Him.
Remember what has been shared previously, that Jesus Himself is righteousness, OUR righteousness. So what Jesus is saying is that we will be persecuted for HIS sake. When others persecute us they are persecuting Jesus. I can remember a time when I was persecuted for “rightousness sake” by writing about a particular volatile subject in one of my devotions. A regular reader criticized what she thought was a political tone I had taken with one subject but, in fact, the words were in line with scripture and I pointed that out to her. Sadly, I lost a reader but remained faithful to God’s Word.
Christ taught in Matt: 24:9 that in the end times, believers will be hated by all nations because of Him. As the world gets darker and moves further away from God, our light as believers will become more offensive. However, we must continue to call for righteousness, speak truth, and call out sin in our home life, social life, and work life. We are already seeing an increase in persecution all over the world as Christians boldly stand up for Christ.
Let us also remember, dear readers, and be encouraged “that the afflictions we experience in this life are light in comparison to the weight of glory and reward we will experience in heaven.” (2 Cor 4:17). There is a greater purpose; this world is not our home. We are citizens of the kingdom of Heaven and our eyes must always “look up!”
Our Father, even though it is hard for us to grasp, you tell us that there will be times when we will experience difficult times, afflictions, and even persecution for our faith. We ask that you would encourage and embolden us in our faith. As our eyes remain firmly fixed on You, guide us in Your plan and show us our greater purpose in this life. We trust You and pray in Your name. Amen.
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