The Beatitude Attitude, Part 6
(NRSV)Matt 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Well, friends, we have reached the end of our study of the Beatitudes. Persecution is not a pleasant topic. Persecution means ill treatment of a person or group, especially on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender, religion or ethnicity.
People sometimes believe because they are Christian and because they have experienced persecution, that they are the subject of religious persecution. However, we must be careful to look at persecution objectively. Sometimes we make poor choices, and it is our choices, not our association with Jesus Christ, that causes us to be persecuted.
Persecution does not necessarily measure whether we are Christians, but rather how much we are behaving like Christ. For instance, if we retaliate against those who malign us, then we are allowing our human nature to prevail over living according to Christian principles.
Christians in the United states have been so fortunate to escape, in large part, the persecution that has been reported around the world. But, there is growing concern over religious intolerance even here in America as our country becomes increasingly secular.
I have read of home churches in China that have to meet underground. They do not have enough Bibles to go around, so they tear pages out of a Bible and disburse them, with instructions for each person to memorize the scripture and then pass the pages to someone else.
There are other stories of churches being burned to the ground, sometimes with people still inside. Since 2009 over 50,000 people have been murdered in Nigeria by Islamic extremists.
So how can persecution be positive in the church? Persecution gives us an opportunity to grow: grow in grace, grow in sanctification, and grow in our Christian witness. Persecution drives us to God like nothing else. Remember how the book of Acts records that the early church would grow in one day by 1000, 5000 and even more? If we can return love to those who persecute us, then our Christianity is proven sincere, and not shallow.
Jesus turned the religious community of His day on its ear as He tried to change the perception of what it meant to be blessed. Whenever Jesus used the phrase “you have heard it said, but I say…” Jesus was trying to correct misunderstanding and misapplication of the Law. No longer should the idea prevail that the rich were being blessed by God while the poor were living under a curse. Instead, Jesus taught the need for all people to recognize their great need for a Savior.
Likewise, Jesus broke down cultural barriers when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. He tore down gender barriers by elevating women beyond their station in the patriarchal system. Mary the sister of Martha was allowed to sit at His feet in the traditional Rabbinic student position of learning and when Martha complained, Jesus responded that Mary had chosen the better part. Was Mary learning from Jesus for her own edification, or so she would be prepared to teach others?
Today we must still recognize the poverty of our spirit, mourn, become meek, seek righteousness, be merciful to others, become peacemakers, and love those who persecute us. When we can incorporate these principles into our daily living, including loving those who persecute us, we are living kingdom lives now and we can conquer anything the world throws at us.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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