The first seven Beatitudes illustrate the spiritual journey from the time a man realizes he’s lost to the time he begins to develop signs of Christlikeness. We saw first of all that it begins with being "poor in spirit." To be "poor in spirit" means to acknowledge our total spiritual poverty before the Lord and our utter dependence upon Him. From that point, we begin to "mourn" our condition. This mourning is a deep and profound mourning as our hearts are broken before God. It is godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Our poorness of spirit and our mourning lead to meekness which is a broken will and receptive heart before God.
Next comes a hungering and thirsting after righteousness. At this point in the Beatitudes we have been made to see our deep need of a righteousness which we do not possess. It is at this point that we call out to the Lord, placing our faith and trust in Him as Lord and Saviour. What follows this initial hunger and thirst for righteousness is a continual desire for the same. The newly converted soul is no longer satisfied with what the world has to offer and begins to hunger and thirst after godly things.
Being "merciful", "pure in heart", and a peacemaker are all signs of spiritual maturity and the development of a Christlike life. What follows in verse 10 is the end result of becoming Christlike. In other words, the one who demonstrates genuine Christlikeness will be persecuted because they are a certain type of person who behaves in a certain way.
As we approach this eighth and final Beatitude, we must be extremely cautious. These verses are often misunderstood and misapplied by those who, to their way of thinking, are being unjustly and unfairly treated by those around them.
I. THE RECIPIENTS OF PERSECUTION
A. All Christians Generally
1. 2 Timothy 3:12
2. 1 Peter 4:12-13, 16
3. In his words to Timothy, Paul did not distinguish between laymen and ministers. And by the same token, Peter was writing to the "strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia . . ." (1 Peter 1:1), and used the word "all" in describing those who would be persecuted.
B. Ministers Particularly
1. Notice the change from "they" in verses 5-10 to "ye" and "your" in verses 11-12. In these verses, the Lord is speaking directly to His disciples.
2. Persecution has been the lot of all true men of God (Galatians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4) throughout the ages.
a. Abel - Genesis 4:3-8
b. David - 1 Samuel 18:9-11
c. Jeremiah 20:10
d. Daniel - Daniel 6:12-16
e. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - Daniel 3
f. Moses - Exodus 5:21,14:11, 16:2, 17:2
g. Samuel - 1 Samuel 8:5
h. Elijah - 1 Kings 18:17, 19:2
i. Micaiah - 2 Chronicles 18:7, 17
j. Nehemiah - Nehemiah 4:1-3
k. Amos - Amos 7:10-13
l. The apostles - Acts 4:1-3, 5:17-18, 12:5
m. Stephen - Acts 7
n. Paul - 2 Corinthians 11:24-28
o. This is not to mention the Lord Himself who was put to death by the people He ministered to.
3. There have been times when faithful men of God have had their ministries destroyed as well as their reputations, for simply preaching the truth.
4. It is interesting to note that throughout the Scriptures and throughout history some of the most grievous persecution against the godly came by way of the "religious" crowd. Such was the case with Jesus.
II. THE RANGE OF PERSECUTION
It is evident that the persecution experienced by Christians today is much less harsh than in the days of Christ and the apostles, but it is just a real nonetheless. God’s goodness has allowed us to escape much of the pain and suffering our forefathers were called upon to endure, but still yet the devil finds ways to make our lives uncomfortable by using those around us who do not know our God.
Persecution comes in many forms and can range from mild to severe. Verse 11 mentions 3 forms in which persecution can come. It can come:
A. Verbally "Blessed are ye when men shall revile you . . ."
1. To be reviled means to be verbally abused, insulted, scolded, or mocked.
2. The Lord was reviled (Matthew 27:39).
3. Verbal persecution can be in the form of laughter or whispering when a godly Christian enters the room, or it can be a more open and blatant form.
B. Physically "Blessed are ye when men shall . . . persecute you"
1. The worst persecutions suffered by the godly have been physical. One writer describes the persecutions that Christians have suffered in these words:
"All the world knows of the Christians who were flung to the lions or burned at the stake; but these were kindly deaths. Nero wrapped the Christians in pitch and set them alight, and used them as living torches to light his gardens. He sewed them into skins of wild animals and set his hunting dogs upon them to tear them to death. They were tortured on the rack; they were scraped with pincers; molten lead was poured hissing upon them; red hot brass plates were affixed to the tenderest parts of their bodies; eyes were torn out, parts of their bodies were cut off and roasted before their eyes; their hands and feet were burned while cold water was poured over them to lengthen the agony. These things are not pleasant to think about, but these are the things a man had to be prepared for, if he took his stand with Christ."
2. According to Fox’s Book of Martyrs, the following men all suffered physical persecution:
a. James, the son of Zebedee, the elder brother of John, and relative of the Lord was beheaded. It is said that on his way to be martyred, James’ accuser was so impressed by his courage and conviction that he repented of his sin, professed himself to be a Christian, and was beheaded along with James.
b. Philip was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified, A. D. 54.
c. Matthew was slain with a halberd (a sword-like weapon) in the city of Nadabah,
A. D. 60.
d. James the Less, at the age of ninety four was beat and stoned by the Jews; and finally had his brains dashed out with a fuller’s club.
e. Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded.
f. Andrew, the brother of Peter, was crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground. Hence, St. Andrew’s Cross.
g. Mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria.
h. Peter, it is thought, was crucified upside down at his own request because he did not feel worthy enough to be crucified in the same manner as His Lord.
i. Paul was beheaded.
j. Jude was crucified.
k. Bartholomew was cruelly beaten and then crucified.
l. Thomas was martyred by being thrust through with a spear.
m. Luke, it is believed, was hanged on an olive tree.
n. Simon was crucified, A. D. 74.
o. Barnabas was put to death about A. D. 73.
3. None of these men were without warning (Matthew 10:17-18; 24:9; John 16:2, 33;
1 Thessalonians 3:3-4). They knew what price they would have to pay to follow Christ, and they all paid it willingly.
C. Scandalously "Blessed are ye when men shall . . . say all manner of evil against you falsely"
1. The Psalmist wrote, "False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not" (Psalm 35:11).
2. The chief priests and elders sought false witness against Jesus (Matthew 26:59-60).
3. Stephen was persecuted scandalously (Acts 6:13).
4. Paul faced the same treatment (Acts 24:5-6, 12-13).
III. THE REASON FOR PERSECUTION
It is at this point that we must be careful in our interpretation of this passage of Scripture. The blessing and consolation of these verses is not promised to every person who suffers, nor is it for every person who suffers for the sake of religion. Much has been done in the name of religion that has resulted in persecution of some type, that does not necessarily fall within the scope of these verses.
A. What these verses DO NOT say
1. These verses do not say "Blessed are they which are persecuted because they’re obnoxious."
2. These verses do not say "Blessed are they which are persecuted because they were arrogant and abusive in their attempts to witness."
3. These verses do not say "Blessed are they which are persecuted because they had a ‘holier- than-thou’ attitude."
4. We can bring endless suffering upon ourselves and can create difficulties for ourselves simply because we act foolishly or self-righteously.
5. Peter makes it very clear in his writings that it is possible to suffer for the wrong reasons (1 Peter 4:15).
6. Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:16 how we are to conduct ourselves in the world.
B. What these verses DO say
1. It is not merely those who are persecuted that are blessed, but those who are persecuted for "righteousness’ sake."
2. To be righteous means to be Christlike. Those are blessed who are persecuted for being like Christ (1 Peter 3:14-17; 4:14-16).
3. John 15:18-22
a. Jesus was not persecuted because He was good, but because He was different. There was something about Him that condemned those in the world. His righteousness exposed their unrighteousness and it was their feelings of guilt that brought about their persecution.
b. The world persecutes Christians today for the same reason they persecuted Christ. It’s because they’re different, and that difference is a fundamental difference. Christians are not like everybody else with a slight difference, they are essentially different. They have a completely different nature than the unbeliever. At the time of salvation, the believer becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus. They begin to live their life differently. They begin to live and demonstrate a life of righteousness. They don’t compromise with the world and its sinful behavior. They realize that they owe everything to Christ and that they are not their own but that they were bought with a price, therefore they seek to live their lives for the One who died so that they might live. For this reason they are persecuted (1 Peter 3:1-4).
IV. THE RESPONSE TO PERSECUTION
A person can respond one of two ways when it comes to persecution. They can respond carnally or spiritually.
A. Responding Carnally
1. Retaliation
a. The first thing we want to do when we’re persecuted is to retaliate, but to do so would be a purely carnal response.
b. 1 Peter 2:21-23
c. Romans 12:14, 17-19
d. 1 Peter 2:19-20
2. Resentment
a. While it is carnal to openly retaliate against those who hurt us, it is just as carnal to harbor inward feelings of resentment toward them and toward the Lord for allowing persecution to come our way.
b. In Philippians 1, Paul demonstrates the right attitude toward persecution. Far from resenting it, he acknowledges the good that was accomplished through his suffering.
3. Religious Superiority
a. Feelings of religious superiority are sometimes the result of persecution. While we are called upon to "rejoice" and to be glad with "exceeding joy", it is not because we are so much more spiritual than everybody else. As a matter of fact, this kind of Pharisaical attitude is proof of a lack of inward spirituality.
b. Instead of manifesting an attitude of religious superiority toward their persecutors, the Christian ought to be grieved for them because it’s the domination of sin in their lives that’s causing them to persecute others. In most cases, the reason why people are compelled to persecute believers is because they don’t know the Lord (John 15:21; 16:3), and that ought to grieve our hearts.
B. Responding Spiritually
A spiritual response to persecution is one of rejoicing. Not in the persecution itself, no one likes to be persecuted, but in what the persecution does.
1. Persecution Confirms our Relationship
a. To be persecuted for "righteousness’ sake" is to be persecuted for being like Christ, and Christ-likeness is evidence of a genuine relationship with the Lord.
b. Such was the case with the prophets (Matthew 5:12).
2. Persecution Causes Reliance
a. 2 Corinthians 12:10
b. Paul did not necessarily enjoy persecution, but he knew that the power of God was at its strongest when he was at his weakest.
c. Sometimes it takes some persecution and suffering to bring us to the end of our own strength and to cause us to begin relying on the strength of the Lord.
3. Persecution Cultivates Righteousness
a. 1 Peter 5:10
b. Sometimes the Lord allows a time of suffering and persecution in order to cultivate Christ-likeness in the lives of His followers.
4. Persecution Confers a Reward
a. "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:12).
b. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
c. We are not told what our reward in heaven will be, but we do know that it will such that should cause us to "jump for joy", which is the literal translation of the word "exceeding glad" in verse 12.
