“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
– Matthew 5:10-12 ESV
These last two blessings might not be ones we want to think about. Who thinks being persecuted and being happy or joyful go together?
Jesus does. I do, too.
Why would I think that?
The answer is in the reason for the persecution. If I am persecuted for righteousness’ sake and on Jesus’ account, that means the world sees Jesus in me. My life reflects His love, grace, and peace. My choices to honor God and do things that please Him rather than myself is a rebuke to the world that says, “you do you.” And people don’t like to be rebuked.
We shouldn’t be surprised when this happens. Every gospel records Jesus telling us that the world will hate us. (See Matthew 10:22, 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17; and John 15:18-19.) When the world hates me because of Jesus, that means I’m doing something that pleases God.
That’s a pretty good reason to rejoice.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed,
because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. - 1 Peter 4:14 ESV
Not only can I rejoice in the moment, I also have the promise of great rewards in heaven. In the scope of eternity and all I have to look forward to with eternal life in Jesus, the struggles of this world are very small. With the help of the Spirit, I can endure. (John 14:26, 15:26-27, 16:13-14)
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison, - 2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV
Think About: Are you rejoicing because Jesus today?
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