8 Blessed Are The Persecuted
8 Blessed Are the Persecuted
The first verse of this beatitude says that the disciples of Jesus can expect to be persecuted for doing good – pursuing holiness or righteousness.
Matt. 5:10-1210 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.11 "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
It started in the early years when the Jewish leaders ordered the apostles to stop telling others about Jesus. The apostles refused to stop, and the early followers of Jesus started being physically persecuted. We read about it in: Acts 4:5-205 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7 They brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?"8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene,[a] the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,ÔÇÿThe stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' (Ps 118:22)
12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. 15 So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber[c] and conferred among themselves.16 "What should we do with these men?" they asked each other. "We can't deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus' name again." 18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.19 But Peter and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard."Jesus warned us that the world would hate us and persecute us because it hated Him.John 15:1818 "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.John 15:2020 Do you remember what I told you? ÔÇÿA slave is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listento you.The unkind words and attitudes are still being spoken two thousand years later.How should we respond? For millennia the prophets, apostles, and Christians from all walks of life, countries, cultures, languages, and races have suffered for Jesus. Jesus predicted it, and He was correct. Some of the prophets were ignored, and others were murdered by their own people.Hebrews 11:36-3836 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons.37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half,[a] and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
All of the apostles were murdered, except for the Apostle John, because they preached that Jesus Christ was the Only Way.
Many Christians other than the apostles also died because they believed in Jesus. Stephen was the first martyr for his faith (Acts 7). History records that Nero, Caesar of the Roman Empire, wrapped Christians in animal skins and released hungry dogs into the coliseum to have dinner. Christians were also plastered with pitch and then torched to light the night. Some Christians had molten lead poured on their abdomens. Many Christians experienced unbelievable and exotic tortures and yet would not renounce Jesus as their God.The current wave of persecution in the western world has come because Christians are declaring that certain conduct is sin. Christians are standing for holiness or righteousness just as they did in the early church.
Jesus was not talking about suffering because a disciple insulted someone, lacked grace, was unkind, committed a crime or hurt someone. God warns us that the followers of Jesus can suffer for sinful conduct. If we sin, we should not be surprised when we suffer.1 Peter 2:2020 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.1 Peter 3:1717 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!
There are times when we deserve what happens to us. If God warns us and we disobey, then we should not be surprised when heartache and suffering follow.Gal. 6:77 Don't be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.
But we can still ask for mercy.
Let's look at the last beatitude in detail
Is Jesus’ Teaching on Persecution Outdated? The first question I would like to take up this morning is whether Jesus’ words about persecution are relevant in these days. Has modern society become so tolerant that talk of persecution is outdated? The answer is that these verses are very relevant and not at all outdated. Let me mention two reasons why this teaching on persecution is still relevant today.
1. The Global Perspective
The first reason comes from a global perspective. Let’s just take two countries as examples. Peru’s National Evangelical Council has documented the killings of 90 evangelical Christians from 1983 through 1985. 70% were Pentecostals, and 20% were Presbyterians, the rest undetermined. The Maoist SenderoLuminosooppose the evangelicals because they refuse to join the armed struggle of the guerrillas. And the government police oppose them because they treat the wounds of guerillas. Besides the 90 killed in the last three years, another 20 have disappeared after being detained by police for questioning.
The other country I will mention is Romania. I just received a letter a couple weeks ago from John Swanson, the pastor of Elim Baptist in Anoka, in which he told me of a businessman who just returned from Romania with tragic stories of the persecution of Baptists in that land.
According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, 2.2 billion people lived in 79 countries under significant restrictions on their religious freedom in 1980. 60% of all Christians live in these countries. And 16% (224 million) of all Christians live in countries where there is severe state interference and harassment.So the least we can say is that from a global standpoint the words of Jesus are very relevant, and indeed very precious, for millions of our brothers and sisters who live under the pressure of constant surveillance.
2. Convictions About Sinful Nature and New Creation
My second reason for saying that these words about persecution are relevant today is taken from the words of Paul2 Timothy 3:1212 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecutionHow could Paul make such a sweeping statement?Acts 14:21-22 21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia,
22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. John 15:2020 Do you remember what I told you? ÔÇÿA slave is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.Matthew 10:2525 Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons,[i] the members of my household will be called by even worse names!He makes it on the basis of a deep conviction about the nature of Christianity and the nature of the sinfulness of man. He is convinced that there is such a tension between the message and way of life of Christians on the one hand and the mindset and way of life of the world on the other that conflict is inevitable.
This conviction is rooted in the nature of fallen man and the nature of the new creation in Christ. Therefore it does not go out of date. It is still true today. Sooner or later a deeply God-centred Christian will be mistreated for the things he believes or the life he lives.
So these words of Jesus about persecution are relevant for today not only because millions of Christians in the world today are being persecuted for their faith this very day, but also in some way or another all of you who are dead earnest about putting God first in your life will bump into some form of opposition sooner or later. And none of us knows when our freedoms may cease or when we may be called by God to go to a dangerous place or take a stand here that will cause many to dislike us.
What is Jesus teaching us here?First, let’s focus on why the persecutions come. This is important because not all persecuted people are blessed. Only those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.Verse 10: 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.At the beginning of our study of the beatitudes I pointed out that there are two groups of four, and each group ends with a reference to righteousness. The first group ends with verse 6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” The second group ends with verse 10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”The three beatitudes that lead to hunger for righteousness are described as a kind of holy emptiness. Blessed are the poor in spirit, Those who mourn over their needy condition, and The meek who hand their cause over to God. It’s natural that these three descriptions of emptiness and need should be followed by a description of hunger. If you don’t have something, you hunger for it.
Then the next three beatitudes are descriptions not of emptiness but of fullness. The hunger is beginning to be satisfied by an overflowing mercy, a pure heart, and a power to make peace. So the righteousness longed for in verse 6 is given in the form of mercy, purity, and peacemaking. The result is persecution for this very righteousness.
Righteousness and a Relationship with Jesus
Another way to define the righteousness of verse 10 is to look at its parallel in verse 11. In verse 10 the persecution is “on account of righteousness,” but in verse 11 it is “on account of Jesus.”11 "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. “Because you are my followers” and “on account of righteousness” probably mean the same thing.
So what we learn from this is that true righteousness-the righteousness that surpasses the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (5:20)-always involves a relationship with Jesus. True righteousness is not done for its own sake. It is done for Jesus’ sake. The mercy and the purity and the peacemaking of a disciple of Jesus comes from Jesus John 15:5“without me you can do nothing,” and when you do something it is for the honour of Jesus. It’s this attachment to Jesus that gives our righteousness its distinct character.
Why Is Righteousness Persecuted?
But that raises another question:If that is what righteousness means-being merciful and pure and peaceable by relying on Jesus and living for his glory-why would anybody persecute that? It doesn’t seem very offensive.
The answer that goes to the root causewe find after Jesus told the Pharisees “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”Then we read in Luke 16:14-15. Here comes the persecution, the mockery. Verse 14 says,14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him. 15 Then he said to them, "You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.There is the persecution and part of its explanation: “they were lovers of money.” In other words, Jesus’ attitude toward money is an attack on their love of money.
Then comes the rest of the explanation of their mockery. Verse 15: “15 Then he said to them, "You like to appear righteous in public."So the root of persecution has two reasons. One reason is the love of something evil or untrue and the other reason is the need to justify that love. This is the root cause of persecution.
Jesus comes on the scene with a way of life and a message that implies that the love of money is treason against God. “No servant can serve two masters!” This is not an antagonistic insult. It is part of his purity. It is true. It is essential to know if you are going to be saved. But it goes against the Pharisee’s love of money. So to justify themselves they put Jesus down. This is standard operating procedure for self-justification. And this is the root of all persecution.
A Life Devoted to Righteousness Will Be Persecuted
So we can see why a life devoted to righteousness or godliness will be persecuted or reviled or spoken against.
Two Responses to a Righteous Life
When you desire to be godly in all your affairs and relationshipsWhen you follow the righteousness of Jesus in his strength and for his gloryThen there are two possible responses people can have who stay around you.These are described in John 3:20-21.
20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants(Or can see God at work in what he is doing.)
The first possible response is :verse 20Hating the light and not accepting it.The other possible response is in verse 21Doing the truth and coming to it and freely admitting that all good in us is accomplished by GodThe two options are persecution or conversion. Matthew 5:10 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.Matthew 5:16 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. But, we ask, what about all the unbelievers in my life who are neither converted nor persecuting-who are just civil, or even polite? There are at least two possible explanations.
One is that your light is under a bushel. You are keeping the stumbling block of the cross well concealed Galatians 5:1111 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised-as some say I do-why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended.Galatians 6:12-1312 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don't want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13 And even those who advocate circumcision don't keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.You don’t let your distinctive values show.
The other is that you are letting them show and the people around you are moving toward one or the other of these two polls: persecution or conversion. Neither of these must happen immediately. There are all kinds of factors that can hinder expressions of persecution. We see these often in the gospels when the Pharisees were angered but were hindered by convenience from expressing their anger in outright persecution. Neither persecution nor conversion will always happen immediately. In fact, many people are torn inside themselves, partly hating the claims of Christianity in your life, partly attracted by them.
So we should all examine ourselves to see if we are playing a kind of cowardly Christian pretending to be somebody else. And if so, we should repent and resolve to be more sincere in the expression of who we really are. But we must not assume that, because there is no persecution right now and no conversion right now, the fault must lie with us. The growth period for the new birth may be nearing a happy end. Or the storm may be ready to break against you.
But in either case you can be very content. Which leads us to our other consideration this morning:
The Blessedness of the PersecutedVerse 11: 11 "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers“12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! Now this is a shocking piece of counsel. What can possibly justify the command to be glad when we are hated and mocked and tortured and killed? And make no mistake about it-Jesus does have death in view here. This is what they did to the prophets (Matthew 23:30; 1 Kings 18:13; 19:10; Nehemiah 9:26; Jeremiah 26:23). This is what they would do to the disciples. So he says in Matthew 24:9, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.”
Why This Shocking Counsel from Jesus?
What can justify such advice to people in pain?–Be happy about it! Be very glad! Again we have two possibilities: either this is the talk of an insensitive, academic theologian who has never known what it is to scream with pain, or this is the talk of one who has seen something and tasted something and knows something about a reality that most people have never tasted or glimpsed.
But this not just someone speaking this is the Lord speaking. It is not some inexperience pastoral novice that blunders into a funeral home slapping people on the back, saying, “Praise God, anyhow.” This is the Lord. And he says to his disciples, most of whom will drink the cup of martyrdom, “Rejoice and be glad” when you are persecuted, when you suffer. How can Jesus say that?He can say it because he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the reward of heaven will more than compensate for any suffering we must endure in the service of ChristBe happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. There is a mystery here-the mystery of joy in the midst of agony; the mystery of gladness in the midst of misery and groaning. And this mystery is contained in a miracle, namely, the miracle of faith-the concrete assurance that heaven is a hundredfold compensation for every pain. To the degree that you believe what Jesus sees in heaven, to that degree you will be able to rejoice and be glad in suffering. “Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.”
Suffering’s Relationship to Reward in Heaven
But this raises a question: In order to rejoice and be glad in the suffering of persecution, must you not believe that the suffering itself enlarges your reward in heaven? If the same reward in heaven could be obtained without suffering, would we not cry out against the uselessness of suffering rather than being glad to embrace it?If nothing more comes of suffering than of not suffering, why embrace it with joy? I think the answer is that the more your faith is tested through suffering, the greater will be your reward. I think this is taught in Matthew 19:29 (“And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life”)But especially in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18,
17 For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.One can say that affliction “prepares” or “brings about” an eternal weight of glory.
God has seen fit to reveal his purpose not only to reward with exceeding joy the afflictions of his people, but to make those afflictions the means of working out that joy
In other words, rejoice and be glad in the midst of suffering for righteousness and for Jesus, because that very suffering will receive a very great compensation and a very great reward. And the greater the suffering your faith endures, the greater the reward you will receive in heaven. So rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven!
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Keeping Our Hearts in Heaven I close by pressing home one of the clear implications of this text. Jesus wills for his disciples to desire the reward of heaven more than we desire the reward of the world. Jesus wills for us to have our treasure in heaven not on earth (6:19-20). Jesus wills for your heart to be so set on heaven that to leave this earth is a cause of rejoicing. Not without tears!-as Paul said, “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing,” and as Jesus sweat blood in Gethsemane in the face of his own pain, but for the joy set before him endured the cross.Jesus wants us to have our: Hearts, our Hopes, our Longings, our Joy primarily in heaven. There is no other way that you can rejoice and be glad at the loss of your earthly joys. How shall we rejoice and be glad when these things are taken from us if we have not loved heaven more?So what shall we do? How shall we keep our hearts in heaven? Make a regular practice of your life to consider the prophets of old who were persecuted and killed for the cause of God and righteousness. Turn often to Hebrews 11:36-38 and read how by faith they suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated-of whom the world was not worthy!Go often to these great men and women of old and get inside their hearts. Put yourself on the rack with them and learn how to love heaven with them. Listen what they say about Moses: Hebrews 11:2626 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward., “Abuse suffered for the Christ is greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for we look to the reward”Consider Those Who Have Given Their All for ChristRead the testimonies of those who have given their all for Christ.Look to the prophets! Look to the martyrs! Whatever you must do to get your heart in heaven and off the world, do it! Otherwise you will not be able to obey the command of our Lord, “Rejoice and be glad in persecution, for great is your reward in heaven.”It was Jim Elliot who said (He was a martyr for Christ)“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”If someone should ask whether having our heart in heaven will make us useless on earth, the answer is given by Jesus in the very next paragraph of the Sermon on the Mount. People who have their hearts so much in heaven that they fear no man but rejoice in persecution-such radically free and joyful people are the “salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”!!!!Believing in Jesus as Savior and Lord doesn’t mean your life will be a bed of roses. It will get hard. That’s a tough truth to swallow, especially in light of a lot of Christian teaching these days that would have us believe we are entitled to “heaven on earth.” But the Bible alerts us that, if we’re really going to follow Jesus, we will go through tough times for His sake (e.g., 1 Peter 2:19-21).But isn’t He worth it? He shed His innocent blood on the cross for us. He paid the ultimate price for us. He gave His life as a ransom for us. Shouldn’t we be willing to do anything, give up anything, go through anything for Him? (1 Peter 3:19-21)Yes, it costs to be a Christian. But we also know that, even in the midst of our trials, we are never forsaken. The assurance of eternal life that comes as a result of believing in Jesus brings with it hope and peace for this life, too. As the Apostle Paul discovered, Romans 8:35-39“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (). We can be just as persuaded as Paul was – come what may. Matthew 10:22-39 gives an excellent sense of the costs and compensations we should expect as we endeavor to live for Christ. Verse 22 says, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.”Have you ever been singled out because of your stand for the truth of God’s Word? That’s a cost for committing your life to Christ. But the rest of the verse gives the compensation: “But he who endures to the end will be saved.” Galatians 6:9 comes to mind: “Weary not in well-doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.”We have additional promise at Matthew 10:32-33: “Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Freely and unashamedly claiming the name of Jesus, is our eternal shield. Of course, there are some more costs, like having to change our priorities in life, and this is where it literally hits close to home. As Matthew 10:37 warns, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” Jesus is to come first before everything. Period. Then Matthew 10:38 brings it to the truly ultimate cost: “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” We have our own crosses of suffering and sacrifice to bear; and our commitment to Christ is partly measured by how willing we are to bear those crosses for Him just like He bore His for us. Our commitment to Chrit is measured by how willingly we bear our cross for Him, as He bore His for us. But – Hallelujah! – the accompanying compensation is, once again, right there! The very next verse (Matthew 10:39) says it, but John 12:25-26 elaborates: “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My father will honor.”It costs to follow Jesus, but it “pays” with worthiness and honor from God!
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