Blessed Are Those Who Have Been Persecuted

Matthew 5:10-11

Are we to be happy when we are persecuted?  Are we to rejoice and be glad when people speak evil against us?  There are two answers to this question.  Satan says, “My persecutions are too much for you to endure.  Give up Christ and enjoy life to the fullest!”  Christ says those who are persecuted because of righteousness belong in his kingdom.  Then he says “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great.”

Whatever persecutions we face are nothing new or unexpected.  Paul assures us we will face persecution for living a godly life (2 Tim. 3:12).  Paul faced persecutions, all of the apostles did.  Before them John the Baptist and the great prophets of the Old Testament were all persecuted for being righteous in an unrighteous world.  The most righteous of all, Christ the Lord, suffered great persecution.  When we are persecuted we should receive it joyfully thinking of the company we are in.  When we are persecuted for righteousness it is a sign that we are living as God would have us live.

Knowing this, we ought to copy Paul in our reaction to persecution and hardship.  Of his many trials Paul says he was, “in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.  Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned…”(2 Cor. 11:23-25).  And yet after all of that he remained joyful in the Lord saying, “We are afflicted, but not crushed, perplexed, but not despairing, persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison.” (2 Cor. 4:9-17).

Paul called his persecution momentary and light!  Because he knew that his heavenly reward was great.  Beloved, our short-lived persecutions are light, no matter how they seem at the time.  We too must look ahead to our heavenly reward.  When we do we will know we are indeed blessed.

Thomas Sneed