For the next 10 weekdays, we'll be studying Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5 on what it means to be blessed. Follow along here on the blog, download the whole booklet here, or pick up a copy on Sunday. As part of our Festival, we'll be talking about "The Pursuit of Happiness" at church for the next three Sundays as well.

"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you"

WHAT JESUS SAID
“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.”

WHAT EARLY CHRISTIANS SAID

Many people become our enemies because of our belief in God, but they do not persecute us openly. Nevertheless they go all about and slander us and say deplorable things about us. The Scripture says “You will be blessed when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” … If somebody wrongs us, even with a single, slight word, your soul will not be lacking a reward.

--Anonymous, in Homily on Matthew (fifth century)

But to keep you from supposing that being slandered of itself makes people blessed, he has added two qualifications: first, that it happens for Christ’s sake, and second, that what is said is false. Do not expect to be blessed if you are being reviled for something evil and what is being said is true.

--John Chrysostom (fourth century)

We are not to suppose that this refers only to those who suffer per-
secution from alien nations for not worshiping their idols. This refers
also to those who are blessed for not abandoning the truth when
they suffer persecution from heretics. They too suffer for the sake of
righteousness. While the heathen nations deny Christ, the heretics
deny Christ’s truth. … there is no doubt that a person who suf-
fers something for God’s cause today, even if one suffers it at the
hands of one’s own people, receives an eternal reward.

--Anonymous, in Homily on Matthew (fifth century)

A LIFE OF WORSHIP
Of all the beatitudes, this one is the most baffling at the outset. Jesus has taken us through a list of qualities befitting his children, and though they all clearly run contrary to the world’s ways, these qualities seem benign enough in nature. At least compared to the graphic darkness of this.

But I don’t think it’s a mistake that these last two beatitudes fall at the end of the line. They are not qualities to seek but are, perhaps, the result of such cultivations. What do poverty of spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking add up to in this world? Likely? Some very rough pushback.

The good news is, if we’re at the place of experiencing such persecution, it must be that we are also experiencing the abundant blessing Jesus has been promising all along. So, he says, rejoice. Be glad—receive all of this blessing! The world will not understand it, but you are no longer subject to the world; you are a servant of Christ.

A LIFE OF MISSION
The ninth beatitude proves to us that Jesus wants us out in the world bearing his name. The beatitudes are not a code of personal development or piety; rather, the beatitudes give us a framework by which to engage the world.

And why would the attacks of the world be cause for rejoicing? Because being reviled would not happen if we were not making true, effective efforts under the Lord’s leading to show the world a new way—the way of creatures rightly dependent on their loving Creator.

Something to be mindful of in light of this beatitude: there is no need to look for persecution; it is a measure of obedience to God insomuch as it happens to us as we seek to follow him, not in our pursuit of it.

In what ways have you experienced disdain from people because of your obedience to God? How have you experienced the presence of Christ amidst even the most subtle persecution?

Thoughts by Sarah Scherf

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