Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted
April 9, 2015 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments
Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement | Tags: persecution
Note: This is part 8 of an 8 part series reflecting on the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount. These values of the Kingdom of God are also values of our church. How do our values shape who we are and what we do?
Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
In the 20th century more Christians died for their faith than in all of the previous centuries combined. That’s an astonishing reality. And the trends seem to indicate that the 21st century will surpass the 20th. Of the 200 nations in the world, Christians face persecution in 133 of them. According to the evangelical group Open Doors some 150,000 Christians are killed each year for their faith.
This final Beatitude from Jesus is just as applicable today as it was for the early church, which faced the lions in the Roman coliseum. Notice in the following verse that Jesus expands the scope of persecution beyond that of just physical harm, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matt. 5:11).
Persecution is a normal experience for the Christian. Jesus says in John 15:18-20, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you… because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you… If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” And the apostle Paul says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12). And Peter says, “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial [speaking of persecution] when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Pet. 4:12). Even in America, where we enjoy religious freedom, persecution (verbal, emotional, relational, etc.) is to be expected.
Persecution is blessed only if it is on Christ’ account (or “for righteousness’ sake”). Christians can be persecuted for being political blowhards, grumpy neighbors, critical coworkers, or careless drivers. But these are not “blessed” persecutions. A true Christian is “not of this world” and has been chosen “out of this world” by Christ (John 15:19). A true Christian is a “new creation” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). A true Christian has a new life in Christ and exhibits newness of life that is foreign to the world. It is for the sake of this conformity to Christ that a Christian faces persecution. In fact, Bible scholar D.A. Carson says that persecution can be a litmus test for the genuineness of one’s profession of faith. He writes, “If the disciple of Jesus never experiences any persecution at all, it may fairly be asked where righteousness is being displayed in his life. If there is no righteousness, no conformity to God’s will, how shall he enter the kingdom?” (Carson, The Sermon on the Mount: An Evangelical Exposition, p. 28)
The blessing for the persecuted is the enjoyment of the Kingdom of Heaven. Just like the blessing for the poor in spirit (the first Beatitude), the persecuted can be sure of eternal pleasures in the presence of God. Enduring persecutions for Christ’s sake affirms “the tested genuineness of your faith” (1 Pet. 1:7). There is assurance of eternal life. More than that, though, this blessing gives strength for the Christian to endure hardship. “The eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” puts the “slight momentary affliction” into its temporal and insignificance perspective. Nothing that can happen to you in this life makes giving up Christ and all of the eternal blessings with Christ worth the compromise.
