The Cost of the Cross - Matthew 5:10-12 - September 21, 2011
Series: Kingdom Life - A World Turned Upside Down #8
300,000. Folks, right now that’s nothing but a number to you. And as a number it does not convey any particular significance whatsoever. For that number to have any significance, it has to be put in context – you have to understand what it is that that number represents.
So if I told you that that number represented the income of the average Canadian household last year, you would have something to grasp, something you could identify with. You would know right away how you stacked up against others across this country. That figure would assume a certain significance for you.
But if I told you that 300,000 was the number of Canadians who will be living on the streets this winter, that number would take on a completely different meaning for you, wouldn’t it?
Or if I went on to tell you that 300,000 represented the number of couples whose lives would be transformed by the birth of a child, or the number of farmers who would have to give up farming this year because they couldn’t afford to farm any longer, or the number of Canadian men who would be diagnosed with an incurable disease in the next 12 months, those numbers would once again take on new significance for you.
Context makes all the difference, doesn’t it? Depending upon the context those numbers could represent something of great joy; they could represent something of great sorrow.
I want to put them in a proper context for you now. You see, they really have nothing to do with income, or homelessness or childbirth or any of those other things. They have everything to do though, with our faith in Jesus. 300,000 is just one of many estimates, by different organizations, as to the number of Christians worldwide who have died for their faith in the last year.
Now those estimates range from a low of 56,000 to well over 300,000. It’s impossible to find exact figures. That’s because most of the deaths are never reported to any credible source. Our brothers and sisters who die for Jesus often do so alone and anonymous; their stories never told but in the halls of heaven.
And that’s just those who give their lives. In addition to those who die, the Voice of the Martyrs website estimates that there are another 200 million Christians who are denied basic human rights simply because of their faith in Jesus.
This is the world in which we live. This is the world in which thousands will die for their faith in any given month. In fact, using 56,000 as the number of those who will be martyred this year, in the time we spend worshipping together this morning, another 6 Christians will have been killed for their faith. Using 300,000 as the total, the number rises to 34. Around the world, the body of Christ is suffering and we’ll talk a bit more about that in November when we participate in the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. But it also touches on the Word of the Lord that we are going to look at together this morning.
So I invite you to open your Bibles with me to the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Today we wrap up our study of the Beatitudes. These words that Jesus has given us will, if we take them seriously, turn our world upside down. They clearly illustrate the way of living that we are called to as Christians and which is made possible by the Holy Spirit living in us and through us. So let’s begin reading in verse 1 …
“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Now read verse 10 out loud with me …
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
And … “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:1–12, NIV)
This is the word of the Lord and it’s a word we have to wrestle with because, like many of the other Beatitudes, it just doesn’t seem to make sense. According to the dictionary, “to persecute,” someone means, “to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically: to cause to suffer because of belief.” (www.merriam-webster.com) It doesn’t make sense that I ought to be blessed – deeply and profoundly happy and content – because people are mocking me, ridiculing me, telling lies about me, beating me, or even seeking my life. And yet this is the very thing that Jesus says ought to result in just such a happiness as He is speaking about in these verses.
So how do we understand that? Well, as we saw earlier, context makes all the difference. Jesus is very specific when He talks about persecution. People can be persecuted for many things but the persecution that results in blessing is persecution for righteousness.
What is righteousness? Righteousness is doing what God requires of you. When Daniel was taken away to a foreign land and told that he could no longer pray to his God on penalty of death, he had a choice to make. He could conform to the ways of the world in which he now lived or he could continue to do that which was right in God’s eyes. Daniel chose to pray and it resulted in his persecution but God was gloried through it. He remained true to God. In the book of Romans we read these words: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2, NIV)
The basic premise of this whole series has been that God is calling us to a life that is radically different than the life the world would call us to. It is the poor in spirit who receive the kingdom of heaven, those who mourn their sin who find comfort, the meek who will inherit the earth, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness that will be satisfied, the merciful who will receive mercy, the pure in heart who will see God, and those who seek to bring the peace of God to their world that will be called children of God. Every one of these Beatitudes is at odds with the ways of the world. The kingdom of God constantly clashes with the kingdoms of this world and so it should be no surprise to us, that as we are transformed, when we no longer conform to the ways of this world, as we begin to live for God, that we become the persecuted.
In fact when the apostle Paul writes his 2nd letter to Timothy he writes these words, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12, NIV) Not “a few.” Not, “some.” But everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. If you want to live a godly life you need to expect to be persecuted. That’s why we’re encouraged to count the cost before receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour. There is a price to be paid for such faith. There is a cost to the cross so to speak. The Christian life is not going to be all sunshine and roses and if that’s what you’re telling people as you’re sharing your faith with them what you are really doing is deceiving them. When we put our faith in Christ we ought to expect more trials to come our way because we find ourselves involved in a tremendous spiritual battle. All of a sudden we find ourselves on the front lines.
Persecution is likely to follow and that persecution can take different forms. Jesus mentions three of them in verse 11. It can be verbal. People might insult you, ridicule you, mock you, verbally abuse you because of your faith in Jesus. Has anyone here experienced that? … That is most likely what we are to experience here in Canada.
But that persecution can also be physical. It can involve beatings, imprisonment, loss of your job or your home or those things that are considered your basic human rights. It can be anything from a slap in the face to the loss of life. The key is that what is happening to you is happening because of your faith in Jesus.
And then the third form that Jesus mentions is slander. Your character, your integrity, your reputation might be attacked – not with those things that are true – but with falsehoods that seek to destroy you.
Regardless of what form it takes when someone is persecuting you they are actively seeking to tear you down or harm you in some way, shape or form. That’s what the government officials were doing in Daniel’s day. Let me read for you Daniel 6:4-5 … “At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”” (Daniel 6:4–5, NIV)
And it should be the same for us. If we are persecuted and suffer it ought to be for righteousness’ sake rather than for any wrongdoing on our part. If we suffer for wrongdoing that we have caused then that can’t be credited to our account if you will. If I go out and break the law, and I’m caught, and I have to face the consequences of that – well, that’s not persecution. You can’t say to the police officer who pulls you over for speeding that he’s persecuting you because you’re a Christian. You were in the wrong. He’s just doing his job. The only difference would be if the laws of the land were clearly at odds with the word of God as it was in Daniel’s day. Daniel was told that he could not pray to his God but he also knew that his allegiance to God came before his allegiance to the government.
In the book of 1 Peter, Peter writes these words … “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. In other words, ‘don’t be surprised that you’re being persecuted. It’s not something unusual or strange. Rather it’s to be expected.’ But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (1 Peter 4:12–16, NIV)
Folks, why does righteousness provoke persecution? Why does living for God get the world so riled up that it drives people to hatred, deceit and even murder? We see it in the life of Jesus, don’t we? As a man Jesus had a heart for God and a heart for people. He cured the sick, healed the lame, delivered the possessed. He spoke the truth of God. He shared the love of God. He lived out the word of God. And they killed Him for it. Why?
John writes this … “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” (John 3:19–21, NIV)
The people hated Jesus because He was the light that had come into the world. His righteousness threw their evil deeds into stark relief. Let me try and give you an example. We have been doing a bunch of work on our house lately. And you can’t tell it just to look at it but nothing in that house is really square. It’s not until you hold something straight up to a wall that you can see how out of square it really is. But the moment you see it you wonder how you could have missed it before. That’s something like the light of Jesus’ righteousness. We don’t realize how out of whack our priorities, values, beliefs, and morals are from what God has intended until God’s ways are seen lived out perfectly in Jesus. His light shone into the dark corners of people’s lives and the people hated Him for it because their evil was exposed for all to see. Darkness cannot stand the light.
And if we’re really living for God, rather than just playing at religion, it should be the same for us today. Our lives, while not perfect, should none the less shine with the light and the love of God. And because we know that the things of God are good, and because we know that the ways of God are good, we sometimes think the world should love us as we live out our faith and yet nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus Himself said, “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26, NIV)
And what He meant by that is this: If the way we’re living our lives, isn’t at odds with the ways of the world, then we’re probably not really living for Him after all. We might have a form of godliness but one without any power. When we tell people what they want to hear – rather than the truth of God’s word that they need to hear – we become like the false prophets.
The apostle Paul, under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, once wrote these words … “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Timothy 4:3–4, NIV) And so it is in our day that a great many flock to the pastors and the teachers and the evangelists and the self-help gurus who tell them the things they want to hear rather than what they need to hear.
The outflow of those first 7 Beatitudes is meant to reveal Jesus both to us, and through us, to the world around us. They bring to light the truth of Galatians 2:20 where Paul states, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, NIV) Folks, we know that Paul wasn’t literally crucified as Jesus had been. What he was saying was that his old way of life had been put to death and the life he was living now wasn’t about him so much as it was about Jesus because it was Jesus living in Him and through Him. And so it ought to be for us. And when that happens the world will rebel against us in ways great and small for the righteousness of Christ is exposing the unrighteousness in which the world revels.
There is conflict with the world because we are meant to be living differently than the world. If there is no conflict, no clash of values, no difference in priorities, we have cause to question whether we are really living the life that Christ has called us to and made possible for us.
Many of you will remember the shooting rampage that took place at Columbine High School a number of years ago. A horribly tragic story where gunmen worked their way through the school shooting and killing a number of students. At least some of those killed that day were killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. Cassie Bernall was in the library that day when one of the gunmen pointed a gun at her and asked if she believed in God. She could have said, “No,” and maybe saved her life but she didn’t. She said, “Yes,” and then they killed her.
Rachel Scott was another young woman who was shot and killed that day. A year before she died she had written these words in her diary, "I am not going to justify my faith to them, and I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. ... if I have to sacrifice everything, I will. I will take it. If my friends have to become my enemies for me to be with my best friend Jesus, then that’s fine with me." (As quoted in Beatitude 8 a sermon by Eric Snyder, www.sermoncentral.com)
When we refuse to compromise our faith, persecution will seek us out. When it does, how ought we to respond? The truth is, in the flesh we want to retaliate, don’t we? When someone speaks badly of us we want to speak badly of them. In our hurt and our pains we want to lash out and cause hurt and pain in another. That’s the way of the world. And you’ve heard it said, “Don’t get mad, get even.” And again, “Do unto others before they do unto you.” That’s the world’s mantra but that’s not God’s way.
When persecution comes sometimes the correct response is to flee – to leave the place of persecution. You see this in the early church. As the persecution spread in Jerusalem the people fled to other regions to live out the faith in those places. It’s part of how the Gospel spread so rapidly in those early years. Scripture does not condemn them for this.
Sometimes the correct response is to stand firm where God has planted you. Many of the disciples fled in that early persecution but the apostles, and some others, felt it important that they themselves remain in Jerusalem. It was a decision that would cost some their lives but it was the right decision in God’s eyes.
When faced with persecution we ought not to retaliate. Jesus spoke to the people saying to them, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” (Matthew 5:38–41, NIV)
And the prophet Isaiah, being abused for his faith, states, “I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.” (Isaiah 50:6–7, NIV)
When experiencing persecution we are called upon to forgive those that have set their hearts against us and against God. It’s the example Jesus set, isn’t it? On the cross, as He was dying in all the pain and agony that the cross entails, He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34, NIV) See, the vast majority of persecution will come from those that do not know the Lord. They are dead in their sins and transgressions and apart from Christ they are living without hope in this world. That truth ought to grieve our hearts.
And it ought to lead us to pray for those who persecute us as well. Again, it’s Jesus who says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. …. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:43–47, NIV) In other words the radical living that we are called to doesn’t stop just because the world sets it’s heart against us.
Scripture makes it clear that we are to overcome evil with good. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. ….” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:17–21, NIV)
And finally, even in the midst of persecution we can rejoice. Not rejoicing in the persecution itself – we are not to seek it out - but if we’re really living out the faith then persecution will come to us. What we can rejoice in though is what the persecution reveals. As persecution broke out against the early church we read in the book of acts that “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:41, NIV) They rejoiced because by the grace of God they had been enabled to share in Christ’s suffering and not just to share in it but to stand firm in it as well. And I think perhaps that that’s one of our greatest fears. That if persecution were to come upon us here, as it has in so many other parts of the world, that we would falter; that if an admission of faith resulted in a sentence of death, we would deny our Lord because we value our lives so highly. I think if such persecution were to come our numbers would quickly decline because there are some who are just playing at the faith because it’s convenient, it’s easy right now, it’s what’s always been done. But when the cost of the cross gets too high Scripture tells us that many will turn away. However, those that remain will be strengthened by God and I believe that they will receive the grace of courage to stand firm though it cost them their very life.
One of the benefits of persecution is that it makes us consider what it is that we really believe and what it is that’s worth dying for. When you are forced to consider your faith in the light of life and death, when out of necessity you wrestle with what your life is really worth, you emerge from that much bolder in your faith and with much greater assurance than before.
Persecution also makes us long for heaven. We all like the idea of heaven but few of us long for it because life is way too comfortable for us right now. Persecution strips the church of it’s comforts, and it’s delusions regarding it’s purpose and it’s future. I think if we were to know such persecution that our eyes would be opened as they have never been before and we would see God, and heaven, as we have never seen them before. Our priorities and values would undergo a profound and dramatic change over night. And that would be a good thing.
Persecution also reminds us of where our strength comes from. When the world turns against us it’s then that we lean most heavily upon the Lord. We are reminded of His goodness, His power, His truth, His mercy, His love and His grace in the midst of our need. Paul declares, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10, NIV)
And if we look back to Matthew 5:11 we read these words once more … “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12, NIV) Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven! I can’t tell you just what that reward is but Jesus has said it so I believe it to be true. It’s worth standing firm for. It’s worth anticipating for it will make the sufferings you face in this world pale in comparison. That’s why Paul encourages us with these words … “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18, NIV)
And that’s what we ought to be doing as well – fixing our eyes on the eternal. This will world and everything in it will one day pass away but the kingdom of Heaven will stand forever. I want you to notice that it is the kingdom of heaven that book ends the Beatitudes as well. We started this study with Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3, NIV) And we end it with the word that we have heard today … “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10, NIV) If you find yourself persecuted for righteousness’ sake understand that it is a confirmation that yours is indeed the kingdom of heaven.
Let’s pray …
Communion
On this table before us we have the elements of the Lord’s Supper. They remind us of the true cost of the cross, the price at which we were redeemed and set free from bondage to sin and darkness. They remind us of the price by which we have received God’s grace and they remind us of the depth of God’s love.
That grace is freely received but it was not freely purchased. It was by the shed blood of Jesus that God has redeemed for Himself a people from every tribe and nation and tongue upon the earth. It’s by the shedding of Christ’s blood that our sins are atoned for and that we have forgiveness.
Folks, we have new life in Jesus Christ because of the cross and because of the resurrection. This is what we remember today. It’s that new life, that certain hope, that we celebrate even as we acknowledge the cost of the cross that made it possible. Let our hearts rejoice and be glad even as we eat the bread and drink from the cup for great is God’s mercy and deep is His love!
Let’s pray …
Distribute bread and cups.
Let us eat and drink together with grateful hearts knowing that regardless of what persecution may come in the times ahead that we can stand firm in Christ Jesus our Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.
Eat and drink …
Pray …
