Sermon on the Mount 9 – Blessing and persecution
Today we look at the final Beatitude which can be found in Matthew 5v10:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
This final Beatitude turns the attention from what true believers are in their character to what true believers will experience as a result of their righteous character, behaviour and attitude. Like all of the Beatitudes this one is utterly shocking to worldly logic. Worldly logic would say that if you are following the right way and acting in the right way then you will enjoy prosperity and peace, wealth and happiness. But Jesus is saying here that if you live the life of a true believer, as laid out in the previous Beatitudes so far, then the result will not be an easy, comfy life but one of hardship, difficulty and persecution. Jesus, through this final Beatitude, lays bear the cost of truly following him. But we should not be surprised by this since Jesus himself was hated by the world. As the previous Beatitude taught us, Christians should be working for and praying for peace in the world, but the reality of the gospel message is that it will often bring conflict, hatred and persecution as it is shared. It is the inevitable outcome of a clash of two opposing views.
Why are believers persecuted?
The simple answer that Jesus gives is that it is for righteousness’ sake. It is a persecution that is unique to followers of Jesus as they are seeking to live lives in obedience to God. That is what righteousness is. Righteousness is obedience to God’s will for our lives that is revealed through His word as we seek to serve God. Living a righteous life does not merely mean doing good works - unbelievers can do that! It is about the heart attitude behind those good works.
When we become a follower of Jesus, through the power of the Spirit our hearts are regenerated, the heart of stone is removed and a heart of flesh given. At that point we decide to no longer live the way of the world but to put to death sinful desires and live a life worthy of being sons and daughters of God. This life is an ongoing daily battle but that is the life of a Christian. That life is radically different to the life of a non-believer who is still enslaved to sin and seeks to satisfy the desires of the flesh. As Christians we live in the world but we are not of the world and it is that tension that leads to persecution. Since as Christians we will continue to sin, we need to be careful at times that we do not confuse suffering because of our wrong attitudes (arrogance, unlawful or obnoxious behaviour) with persecution as a result of righteous living. Jesus is only talking here about persecution that comes as a direct result of godly, righteous living.What does persecution involve?
Persecution begins with hatred. When living in a non-Christian culture as a follower of Jesus, you come to despise sin within your own life and in the world. As you then live out that life amongst non-believers there will be some who are offended by your views that hold to biblical truth and some who hate you because your righteous living highlights their sin and depravity. Christians become hated because as they live a gospel-centred life, the gospel they display convicts and condemns those who do not follow Jesus.
After hatred comes exclusion. Luke 6:22 shows us this. “Blessed are you when
men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you”. Exclusion includes social,
economic and religious exclusion. Because of your faith in Jesus you may not be
allowed into certain places or you may be denied certain jobs or friends may
shun you from a group.
Persecution can and probably will involve insults. People will mock you for the way you live. They will point and laugh because they think that your decisions and life choices are stupid because they are not the way the world would do things.
So, persecution includes being hated, excluded, ridiculed, mocked, abused even to the point of death. Sadly, for many of our brothers and sisters around the world all of this is extremely common in their everyday lives, yet for the sake of living for Christ they endure it. I don’t think we as Western Christians truly understand persecution as a result of our faith.
The blessing as a result of persecution
Jesus gives the blessing here as He did with the first beatitude. The blessing is that ‘theirs will be the kingdom of heaven’. Those who are persecuted for Christ’s sake have already received this blessing since it is because they are a citizen of heaven that they are being persecuted. They have already been justified, sanctified and adopted into God’s family. They are saved and its a result of that salvation that is bringing the persecution.
As Christians our homes may be destroyed, we may endure insults being thrown at us, we may be excluded and we may even loose our lives for the sake of Jesus but as Christians we have an inheritance in a place that no robber can break in and steal. We have a citizenship in a place where there are no tears, pain or injustice and we have it all because of Jesus. Paul in Romans 8:18 said, “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”. Paul here shows us that the best way to cope with present persecution is to have a future perspective. When we focus on what is to come the trials of now fall into the background.
Jesus himself tell us in Matthew 5:12 that when we are persecuted we should rejoice and be glad because great is our reward in heaven. God knows and sees what happens to us here on earth as we live to display his glory and he will reward us for living righteous lives.
Prayer for today
Loving heavenly Father,
We thank you for your word that teaches us about who you are but also leads and guides us to the lives you would have us live. We ask now that through the power of your Spirit you may show us where in our lives we are not living as true disciples of you.
Father we ask today that you will help us to live righteous lives in obedience to you. We ask that as we live to serve you, that you will use us to bring your light to this dark world.
Give us strength in the face of persecution and endurance to run the race before us.
We ask all this in Jesus name,
Amen
Song for today
I think this song sums up the heart desire of a Christian who wants their life to best display Christ to the world as they seek to put the beatitudes into action in their own lives. The song is ‘Take my life and let it be’ you can listen here
1 Take my life
and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
2 Take my hands
and let them move
at the impulse of thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee,
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice
and let me sing
always, only, for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee,
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver
and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as thou shalt choose,
every power as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will
and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love;
my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee,
ever, only, all for thee.
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