Blessed are Those Who are Persecuted

Matthew 5:10-12

SERMON SUMMARY:
The last beatitude may come as a surprise.  One wouldn't expect Jesus to speak of persecution, let alone the blessing of it.  In this message we'll look at the characteristics of the persecution he predicts and see just how blessed a true follower will be.

Message begins at approx. the 27:30 min mark.

"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

The beatitude before us this morning is unique among all the other 7 beatitudes.  For at least two reasons.  One reason is simply because there is more here.  All the beatitudes we’ve looked at so far have been quite short.  They were contained in just one verse.  This one envelops 3 verses (v. 10-12).  It may even be said that its uniqueness requires more explanation.  I think you’ll see that as we go. 

But it is also unique in that this beatitude is not so much a description, as it is a consequence.  We’ve been saying that these beatitudes describe the essential traits of a Christian.  A Christian is defined by his poverty of spirit, his mourning of sin, his ability to show mercy, his peacemaking.  Those things stand out in his life.  At the very least we could say that these are things he does.

But today we’re talking about how he is persecuted.  This isn’t so much an attribute that describes him as it is an affliction that happens to him. 

All in all, this is the irony of the passage.  Everything has been flowing smoothly up to this point.  Things may have been a little weird, but you could say it was all good.  To say, “blessed are the poor” was not what we might expect.  It may have been a little surprising—things were a little different than what we are used to, but I kind of get what he’s getting at.   

But this one comes as a plot twist.  If you were listening to this for the first time, this probably wouldn’t be the ending that you were expecting. 

After all, he’s just talked about being a peacemaker.  Think about that, peace making.  It’s so harmonious.  Its so peaceful.  Look at how everyone is getting along.  Their all so friendly.  Then in the very next breath, he says, “blessed are those who are persecuted.”  That’s anything but peace.  It seems to be the very opposite of peace.  I didn’t see that one coming.

And that’s the thing though.  He wants to impress upon us the fact that the Christian life is not an easy one.  It is one of happiness, but it is also one that involves a great deal of suffering.  And as we look at these verses today, we’ll see that is certainly the case.

Well, as is our custom, we may ask two questions.  Who is blessed? And how are they blessed?  And when it comes to that first question, it is clear from our verse that those who are blessed are those who are persecuted. 

I. Who is blessed?
But, of course, we need to flesh this out a little bit.  We need to break it down and get a fuller understanding of what Jesus is talking about.  So, let me give you a four characteristics of this persecution.

A. The certainty of this persecution
One thing that should stand out to you is that persecution is unavoidable.  This beatitude, you’ll notice, gets three verses.  There is a doubling up here.  Jesus wants to make sure that no one is mistaken about what he says.  It is as if he says, “Let me repeat myself, to make sure you heard me:  God’s people will at some point and at least in some way be persecuted.”

As a matter of fact, if you want to be true to the original language, this is the way you should translated:  “Blessed are those who have been persecuted.”  The verb is a perfect passive.  It’s like Jesus assumes that the person has already experienced persecution of some kind.

That’s how certain it is.  Jesus can talk about it as something that has already been happening. 
So, Jesus says, there’s no escaping it.  If you follow me—if you emulate the characteristics of a Christian (i.e. these beatitudes) then you are someone who is going to experience some sort of hostility.  It’s inevitable.

I like what Steven Lawson says on this verse.  He says that there’s “no fine print with Jesus.”  Jesus always wants to make sure that people know what they are getting into.  He doesn’t hide the fact that his followers are going to face difficulty.  He warns people.  He makes sure they understand that being his disciple is costly.  As a follower of Jesus Christ, you’ll often find yourself on the wrong end of the ugly stick.

It’s odd, isn’t it?  This is Jesus’ inaugural address.  We mentioned before that this is the Greatest Message ever Spoken.  And here Jesus comes to the pulpit and he tells everyone, “If you choose to follow me, you need to make sure you understand what you are getting yourself into.  Before you sign on the dotted line, you better think twice.  Wherever I go, people get angry.”

And don’t you forget, that every true believer has his battle scars.  You don’t go into this thing called Christianity and come out unscathed.  As a matter of fact, this is one of the telltale signs that you really are a Christian.  In some way you’ve been ostracized.  You’ve been rejected.  You’ve been made fun of.  You’ve been treated with contempt.  That just goes with the territory.  You will be persecuted.
The second thing I want you to notice, besides the certainty of this persecution, is the cause of this persecution. 

B. The cause of this persecution
Look again at the verse 10.  It says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.”  The reason they are persecuted is because they have been obedient to God.  Not because they’ve been stupid.  Not because they have been rude.  Not because they have been lazy. It’s not because they’ve been overly strident or ill-mannered.   It’s because they have been righteous.

Let me tell you about Leon.  Leon had become a Christian and he was told he had to go see a counselor.  Leon told the counselor that ever since he became a Christian he was experiencing all kinds of persecution.  His boss was all over him every single day.  His wife was giving him all kinds of grief.  His coworkers too; they would harass him while he was on the job.

After a little probing, the counselor discovered what was really behind it all.  Leon was lazy.  He wasn’t getting the work done.  He was wasting his time; that’s why his boss and coworkers were riding him.  His wife was not persecuting him, she was frustrated with him for not being a good husband.

That’s not persecution, at least not the kind that Jesus is speaking about here.  He’s talking about someone who ends up being disliked because he’s too good of a worker; because he won’t cheat like everyone else.  He won’t go along with the crowd.  He actually has to report when things are wrong because his conscience can’t allow the employer to be defrauded like that.  And so when he tells the truth, that ends up getting people mad.

I can’t remember who it was who said it.  I think it might have been Chuck Swindol.  Someone had become a believer and they asked him if he needed to get rid of all his friends now that he was a Christian.  Swindol replied, “Actually, if you are doing it right, they will get rid of you.” 

In other words, if you are really converted, and you are not one who is really trying to pursue a righteous life, you’re friends will likely not want to be your friends anymore.  You’ll become a stench to them.  Your obedience to God will make them angry and they will end up turning on you. 

You can simply recognize that if you are righteous, then you will be persecuted.  That’s the one thing that people most admire and hate about a person.   

Thirdly, notice the channels of this persecution.

C. The channels of this persecution
In other words, from whence does this persecution come?  Of course, we know that persecution can come from any sector.  The world is not a hospitable place for righteous people.  Those outside the church have often persecuted and oppressed the people of God.  It is rare to find a place in the midst of the nations where Christianity is accepted and given any kind of warm welcome. 

And we are seeing in our day more movement in an anti-Christian direction.  And we can see that the temperature is rising in the boiling pot of America.  But I want you to know that is not the greatest threat.  The greatest threat of persecution is typically not found outside the church, but within it. 

Notice what Jesus says at the end of verse 12.  He says, “For so they persecuted the prophets before you.”  Who was it that persecuted those prophets?  It wasn’t so much the Pharaohs or the Greeks or the Edomites, though they were by no means kind to the people of Israel.  The ones who persecuted the prophets were Jews themselves.  They were the rulers of Israel and the priests (i.e. the churchmen).  Isaac had his Ishmael.  Moses had his Dathan.  Elijah had his Ahab. 

You look on down through church history and you will find that this is par for the course.  Luther wasn’t oppressed by the Turks, it was his own church.  Machen wasn’t rebuffed by the president of the United States.  He was attacked by members of his own denomination.

Listen to what some of the commentators have said about this very thing. 

First, from Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  He says, “You will find that as you go through the Scriptures and as you study the history of the church, that the persecution is not confined to the world.  Some of the most grievous persecution has been suffered by the righteous at the hands of the Church herself, and at the hands of religious people.  It has often come from nominal Christians.”  Then Lloyd-Jones goes on to give examples.

Here’s what John Calvin had to say.  He says, “For this was no light temptation, to be thrown out of the Church as ungodly and profane. Christ knew that there is no class of men more envenomed than hypocrites, and foresaw with what furious madness the enemies of the Gospel would attack his small and despised flock.”  Calvin goes on to point to the Catholic Church of his day and how they needed not fear being excommunicated from it.

Now why would Jesus mention this?  Why would he want us to understand that persecution typically is associated with religious people?  It’s so that you are not surprised.  Sure, you may expect persecution from someone who is not a believer.  You understand that they are in opposition to you.  But a lot of times people get blindsided.  They find that their greatest opposition came from someone who they thought was supposed to be on their side. 
 
D. The cruelty of this persecution
Jesus doesn’t gloss over the difficulty of the persecution.  As I said before, there’s no fine print with Jesus.  He lets people know up front what is in store for them.  He does not downplay the cruelty.
He uses three words to describe it.  And he does so in order that you might be prepared.  That you might not waiver.  That you might see their tactics, know their evil, and (as a result) not waiver in your devotion.

One of their cruelties will be insults that they fling at you.  Jesus says they will revile you.  They will call you names and ridicule you in order to make you feel embarrassed of your allegiance to Christ.  Their aim is to belittle you and attempt to make you feel inferior to them.  It’s an attack on your emotional state.

Then there may be attacks on your very person.  That’s what the word persecute represents.  The word actually means “to pursue” or “to hunt.”  The idea is that they are like a dog that is on the chase of some wild game.  All the while it is biting and clawing at its prey.  It’s just like the Apostle Paul prior to his conversion:  He was willing to travel mile on end to Damascus to arrest and imprison Christ’s followers.  He had a vendetta and wanted to hunt them down.

Christians are often persecuted in this way.  For all the talk of toleration in our day, let’s not be fooled.  That’s the last thing they want.  And they will hunt and they will take homes, jobs, and children.  They can brutalize your person and do great harm to you.  They become physical victims just as much as emotional victims.  

But the last one is one of the most difficult.  They are slandered.  Jesus says they will utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  The emphasis here is on the falsehoods.  The question your motives, they twist the truth, they take things out of context, they embellish and outright lie. 

It’s one thing to be called a name.  It’s another thing to take blows to your flesh.  But to have your reputation defamed or have lies bandied about or false accusations believed.  There’s a sense of betrayal that leaves you feeling completely helpless.

I am going to refrain from going into any further details.  We could listen to stories from Fox’s Book of Martyrs and hear all the terrible things that have happened to the saints through the ages.  We could recount how loved ones—family members, of all things—do horrible things to their sons and daughters who convert to Christianity.  There are no end of the cruelties that have been perpetrated against the people of God.

But what is said here is enough to give you a sense of how cruel the persecution could be. 

When it all comes down to it we understand that Jesus does not sugar coat what it means to be his follower.  As a believer you will have a hunger and thirst for righteousness.  But you better understand where that strong desire will take you.  You better understand what it will mean for you.  You may become a peacemaker, but peace is not something you’ll always experience.  It may even be something that becomes quite rare.

You can be assured that if you follow in the footsteps of Christ, then you will find that you have the same sort of experiences that he had.  You will find yourself experiencing the same kinds of suffering that he himself did.

And when you do, you should recognized how blessed you are.  You’ll notice how our passage goes on to talk about why you are blessed.  As a matter of fact, I believe there are four blessings that are enumerated here.
 
II. How is he blessed?
A. He is blessed because of the kingdom that he possesses
You notice that we end right where we began.  We began by saying that the poor in spirit are blessed for the very same reason.  “Theirs is the kingdom.”  We end these beatitudes with the very same blessing.

There’s a sense in which the repetition reiterates that all of these blessings are yours.  But it is a special reminder that we have a land and a place.  There is a place that is ours.  And it is a place where we are accepted and welcomed..  It is a reminder that though we are mistreated in this world and perhaps lose what we may have in this world, we have something that can never be taken from us. We have an eternal reward, a home who’s glory and grandeur far surpasses anything that this world could afford us.

We may even go to the most extreme case scenario.  If we would find ourselves tortured and if they would threaten to take our lives, here is our hope—here is the thing to which we may hold on: though this life may end, God in his grace will bring us into his eternal kingdom.  And there we will enjoy the blessings of God forevermore.

It is a joy to remember that though you be persecuted, you there is a kingdom that you possess.

B. He is blessed because of the comradery that he experiences.
When you are persecuted, you are numbered among some of the most elite believers that have ever existed.  Jesus says, “Consider yourself blessed because that’s the same way they treated the prophets before you.”

It’s as if your picture gets hung on the same wall as all the other prophets.  Here is a wall of honored souls who were martyred and molested for their faith.  And your picture is right there with them.

They say that one of the things that gives people hope in the midst of their difficulties is knowing that they are not alone.  Others have dealt with the same problem.  There’s hope because they have some connection with people who have already experienced the same thing.  They went through it and that means God can help you through it too.

And that’s what we have here.  You are blessed because you are being treated just like Elijah and Elisha.  You are hanging with the likes of Isaiah and Jeremiah.  You might consider them to be your contemporaries. 

That’s can be a pretty significant boost.  When you are dealing with people you may admire, and you are taking flak from them because you are making a stand for righteousness and that goes against them, that might be a good thing to remember.  You may be supported by the fact that David and Moses, Abraham and Ezekiel and Micah and Zephaniah all went through the same exact thing that you are.  You get to count yourself among that very same crew. 

But you’re blessed, not just because of the kingdom you have and the comradery you enjoy, but because of the exuberance you can express.

C. He is blessed because of the exuberance can express
Jesus tells you, “Rejoice and be glad.”  Persecution can be hard.  The natural response is that of sorrow and sadness.  The suffering that you experience can get you down. 

And that is why Jesus tells you to rejoice and be glad.  You have to understand that this is a command.  And the blessing Jesus is that you are made to focus on the blessings.  You are blessed because Jesus has blessed you.  And you can concentrate on that.  Jesus wants you to revel in it. 

Sure, your spirits may be down, but you don’t have to remain there.  You don’t have to wallow in that or drift towards despair.  You can put your mind in a completely different frame. 

When Paul and Silas were in prison for preaching the gospel, you remember what they did, don’t you?  They didn’t sulk or become gloomy.  They began to sing.  They lit up the whole prison with songs of praise and worship.  In the midst of their misery, they could lift their voices and express great delight in their God.

I highly doubt that that prison cell had ever experienced events like that up to this point.  The jailor probably had not had to listen to too many singalongs over the course of time.  Karaoke night probably wasn’t a thing up until Paul and Silas.

But that’s the beauty of Christianity.  There’s a blessing of joy.  There’s an exuberance we can express.
But there’s one more blessing to note in this passage. It’s actually one that I can’t describe all that well.  It’s the blessing of rewards.

D. He is blessed because of the rewards he will be given.
Jesus says in verse 12, “Great is your reward in heaven.”  Jesus just said that yours is the kingdom.  Now in a pithy, cryptic way he tells you that that kingdom is going to be chock full of wonderful things.  There will be rewards of innumerable proportions.  Great will be your reward.  He doesn’t tell us what they are, he just uses the word great.  It may be high recognition.  It may be a special crown.  It may be certain comforts or some unique status.  We don’t really know what it is, but we know at least this one thing:  God doesn’t go throwing around the words “great” and “reward” in some willy-nilly fashion.  There’s a sense in which we are tantalized by these words.  There’s some glorious surprise that will be waiting to be revealed when Jesus comes again.  And so there’s some degree of anticipation and expectation.   There will be yet astonishing things that meet God’s people because he has something special in store for them as a result of their persecution.

Thus as we close these beatitudes, we are once again called to think about this whole idea of being “blessed.”  We began by saying that the word means “happy.”  But I wonder if that, after all that we’ve seen in this study, that’s sufficient to describe it. 

I would say that the word is pregnant with meaning.  And those who are persecuted would do well to understand just how blessed they shall be.