Blessed Are They Which Are Persecuted For Righteousness' Sake ( Matthew 5:10-12 )

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 5:10-12

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Good evening and God bless to my brethren it has been some time since I last wrote and in fact the last I wrote it was 2009. Now we are nine days into the new year and already I've seen a great deal of blessings. As I've told different people at different times as I see blessings everyday. Truly when a younger believer my idea of a blessing was material and granted that is a blessing,but now nearly three years since the Lord saved me I've continued to see more things as blessings. From seeing friends and family to drawing breathe another day to live and serve Him. The point I wish to draw is we as believers are blessed truly for being called His. So tonight I'm going to finish with the last beatitude, the last of the eight blessings in which the Lord talks about in the beginning of His sermon on the mount.Now as I've stated previous and as I believe I've come to shown. I want to go in deep and show the blessing of being persecuted. Now I know right off hand that doesn't too wonderful, much less sound synonymous with the word blessing, but I pray by the end you all with be edify and this brings God glory. Now let us dig into the text.

Starting in verse ten we have, blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the kingdom of God. Well, this to me in some manner of speaking needs to be understood. What I mean by this is that everyone wants to know about their calls, their blessings, who am I going and other such related question in the context of biblical understanding, but sadly in American Christianity persecution barely comes across. In fact the best knowledge we have here is it happens in other places, we might have read it in Foxe's Book of Martyrs or hopefully they have read of the persecution in the scriptures. Sadly the reality persecution is not to well understood and while one needs not spend their whole life digress on it they need to have a grasp of what it is. While in other parts it may involve physical harm, in our part of the world it is happening via censoring of material and limiting what can be taught in schools. Not to mention think of what someone in our country is thought of for thinking of the biblical view of marriage. In fact My brothers and sisters consider what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy," Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. ( 2 Timothy 3:12 )" To me that sounds very inclusive as of we, all those who follow Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Consider the very words of the Lord himself,"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. ( John 15:20 )"

So yes this is a reality and we must not wear rose tinted glasses. Now please don't think I sound harsh or rough out of being mean,but quite different out of love. I feel it important to remind my brethren that these times will come,but let me assure you this that while these times will come know this we have comfort in knowing the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us( Hebrews 13:5 ). These persecutions while trying and quite difficult are always meant for refining and to bring God glory. Consider what James wrote in his epistle,"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. ( James 1:2-4 )" Another point I'd like to note is what the Lord says that theirs is the kingdom of God. So despite the fact they so suffer persecution theirs or their reward is the kingdom of God. This reminds of passage in Matthew where the Lord says,"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ( Matthew 16:24-26) " Another words the Lord was very clear there is a cost to discipleship. He made it quite clear that no man, no person could be His disciple that loved other things, even their life more than Him. Hence we see the blessing in being persecuted for in it we partake in the sufferings of Christ and know this as well He also shall comfort us as well and give us strength through it.


Now I'm going to move on to verse eleven to something in particular Christ notes of the persecution. First off know this just as He was persecuted so shall we be reviled as well as I stated earlier that the servant is not above his Lord. Next the Lord goes on to say they shall speak falsely about you for My(Jesus) sake. Consider these words from the Apostle Peter's first epistle,"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. ( 1 Peter 4:14 )" Notice the point while it may seem that your getting an injustice done to you, remember ultimately whom they will have to stand before and unless they repent and trust in Christ alone to save them they are just storing up wrath. My friends one thing I've come to feel for the lost is great pain. What I mean by that is I pray for them to come to saving knowledge. For my brethren we know what the scriptures say about those who not found in Christ where they shall be cast. Instead of getting angry and seeking revenge let us pray for them. Remember the Lord avenges His own and just as the verse says evil is spoken of on their behalf and on yours God is glorified. This is not because were special in a manner of speaking,but remember our lives are to be living sacrifices( Romans 12:1)

Moving on to verse 12, the Lord says to rejoice and be exceeding glad. Just think about it, blessed are those persecuted for righteousness' sake, reviled, and all manner of evil spoken of about you, but then the Lord says rejoice and be exceeding glad. I believe we can begin to have a clearer understanding that unless a person is truly converted they won't see the blessings in this beatitude much less the rest of them. The reason for this is simple for this is quite simple they will be thinking carnally. So while it seems odd to the carnal mind the spiritual mind understands blessings. It see reason to rejoice and be glad. For it knows its reward is in Heaven. Look at what the writer in the book of Hebrews writes, " For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. ( Hebrews 10:34)" The writer clearly depicts what the Lord is stating to rejoice in these trials for the reward you have in Heaven is better and not only that it is eternal or as the writer writes, an enduring substance.

The Lord then goes on to mention the persecution of the prophets and that they shall persecute you as well. This should be noted for us today. As I stated earlier we here in America don't have as firm of grasp on this topic as we think we do. My friends here it more mental than physical and with that sadly there are those reacting in wrong measures. My friends after recently reading through some of the book of Acts it was most encouraging to read how they responded to persecution in the very beginning. The response was boldness. They didn't cower back or tried to compromise. No they were bold and continued to preach the Word. Now some will say we are still preaching the Word today or we have religious freedom. What most Christians in America don't realize is they aren't nearly as bold as they think. We don't call things for what they are for fear of persecution. We do this for a number of reason,but we need not do this. Instead we need to stand boldly and adhere to Truth of the scriptures no matter what it costs us. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter," Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.( 2 Corinthians 12:10)" I realize the stances I take on issues will go over like a lead balloon, but I seek to please God and not man. This means I shall suffer persecution for the scriptures assure this,but praise God for He will never leave me nor forsake me and give me the strength to endure through the various trials.

In closing my brethren I pray this has been edifying to you and may you take this in. Consider the blessing spoken of here in Matthew 5:10-12. Realize as the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in his second letter to him all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. It will happen, we know not when or how, but instead let us just pray for the strength to endure and ask to be used in it for God's glory and His praise as it would be good in His eyes. Let me leave you with this passage from the book of Hebrews for encouragement my brethren:

"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;"

( Hebrews 11:24-25 )

Good night and God bless,
John W. Whybrew III <><