When You Are Reviled Series

WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

OPERATION GREIF

The year was 1944. In the runup to Germany’s last major offensive of World War II, Hitler gave orders for English-speaking German soldiers to form a special unit called Panzer Brigade 150. Members of the brigade would pose as American and British soldiers, wearing the uniforms of captured men as well as drive captured tanks, jeeps, and trucks. Their mission: to sneak behind enemy lines to sow chaos and confusion ahead of the German offensive. This effort, known as Operation Greif, fizzled out not long after it began; the Germans managed to send fewer than 50 Panzer Brigade 150 soldiers into the field, not the 3,300 they had hoped for. But as soon as the United States and its allies caught wind of Operation Greif, they became obsessed with ferreting out any “Allied” troops who were actually English-speaking Nazis in disguise.

One of the most effective means for doing this was through the use of questions that quizzed soldiers on information that Americans would be likely to know, and that German soldiers would not. Soldiers were asked the names of state capitols, the name of President Roosevelt’s dog (Fala), and other trivia that only real Americans would know. Baseball was a popular topic: soldiers were asked which teams played in the 1944 World Series (St. Louis Browns and the St. Louis Cardinals), and which team won (the Cardinals).

Not every American serviceman followed baseball closely though. One brigadier general named Bruce Clarke was detained for half an hour and nearly arrested as a German infiltrator after he mistakenly identified the Chicago Cubs as belonging to the American League instead of the National League. “Only a German would make a mistake like that!” his questioner exclaimed. The last major German offensive ultimately failed in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge, and at least 17 German soldiers who were captured wearing U.S. and British uniforms were executed by firing squads.

General Clarke was reviled for his ill-knowledge of the American pastime. Baseball knowledge is such a minor issue. Some here today might have found themselves in the same situation because hearing the Chicago Cubs are in the National League might be news to you today. But how do we handle being reviled when WE are being persecuted over following Jesus?

Jesus had things to say about this.

We are at the end of our series on the Beatitudes here in Matthew chapter 5. It has been a great reminder to hear the good news Jesus gives through the introduction of his Great Sermon on the Mount. We are finishing up this week by reading the second half of the last beatitude. Remember that last week, I said we would spend some time with the last beatitude and we talked about verse 10:

MATTHEW 5:10

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

This week, it gets even more personal. Let’s read our passage this morning and spend some time examining what Jesus is teaching us.

MATTHEW 5:11-12

11 “Blessed are you when others 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 so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

As we talked about last Sunday, Jesus speaks to that hillside crowd about knowing they are blessed for being persecuted for righteousness’ sake. He uses in the previous 7 beatitudes and then in this one that “Blessed are THOSE…”

Here in today’s reading, we read a switch from the “those” to YOU. Blessed are YOU…

That is personal. All of the previous blessings were spoken as though to an anonymous recipient. But then Jesus changes his vocabulary. He says, “Blessed are YOU…” Taking on all these different qualities like meekness, poor in spirit, merciful, hungering and thirsting for righteousness are good qualities. They would be the kinds of character traits I personally would love to have. And then he says, those people who are seeking to be righteous, they will be persecuted. Well, that’s a little tougher…I don’t know if I want that.

Here in verse 11 and 12, Jesus makes this personal. He says now, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you…” He uses the word you or a variation of that personal pronoun 6 times in 2 verses. Jesus wants the hearers of that day of the Mountain Sermon to know this has always been about you.

This isn’t about just those out in the world who do not yet know Jesus…though it is for them too. This is for all of humanity. But especially, you need to take these qualities on as my (Jesus’) disciples if you want to follow me.