Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds
of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:10-12 NIV
You mean we are really blessed by being persecuted for doing what is good and by being insulted for being righteous? Now that’s hard to take! Seeing ourselves blessed by God in such times is very tough. How can we be glad when we are persecuted, spoken about badly, and have evil lies told about us when we are trying to do good? But that is exactly what we see in the book of Acts. The early disciples considered it a privilege to suffer for the name of Jesus. In his first letter, Peter is constantly reminding believers to make sure that if they are going to suffer, they suffer because they have done what is right, not what is wrong. You see, the journey of discipleship is about developing the character of Christ and carrying on the great tradition of faithfulness demonstrated by the prophets. If they faced persecution for doing right, shouldn’t we think we will? Even more, history has repeatedly reminded us that those who suffer to bring a blessing to others have a witness that cannot be silenced. That’s why God is not ashamed to be called their God and why the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them. More than just being happy, Jesus said these people will have a great reward. Congratulations, you are blessed!
Gracious God,
thank you for reminding me
that the first goal in my life
is not to be protected,
but to be used to share your grace.
Help me to know that being persecuted
for doing what is right is
following in the steps of Jesus.
Give me the courage and the passion
to help lead others to
the wonderful discovery of you,
your grace, and your great reward.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Ken Crawford 