The year was 1938, the date was October 6th the place was London England, the speaker was Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and this was the message "We should seek by all means in our power to avoid war, by analysing possible causes, by trying to remove them, by discussion in a spirit of collaboration and good will. I cannot believe that such a programme would be rejected by the people of this country, even if it does mean the establishment of personal contact with the dictators."
It would appear that Chamberlain was the embodiment of the seventh Beatitude, where Christ said Matthew 5:9 (NIV) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Another warm fuzzy beatitude. Stopping trouble should make everyone happy, am I right. Yet the word that is used here by Jesus is Shalom which is the word that all good Hebrews used in greeting one another. So if we were Jewish and met on the street I would say Shalom, actually I would say, Shalom Aleichem and you would respond by saying Shalom Aleichem. But this word Shalom which we translate as peace is totally unlike our concept of peace.
You see our concept of peace is an absence of trouble whereas Shalom meant everything which makes for a man’s highest good. When the greeting is used it does not simply mean that you wish a person absence from bad things, but it also means you are wishing him all possible good things. In the Bible therefore Peace means not only freedom from all trouble it means enjoyment of all good.
And so we need to be very careful to realize that the blessing in on peacemakers, not necessarily the peace lovers. A person can love peace and through his actions cause more trouble then peace, taking us back to our opening quote by Neville Chamberlain. In his First inaugural address Richard M. Nixon said "The greatest honour history can bestow is that of peacemaker."
But it isn’t with honour that Neville Chamberlain is remembered as a matter of fact he is seen now as a compromiser and the blame for a good portion of the Second World War is often laid at his feet.
When Chamberlain gave into Hitler’s demand for Czechoslovakia, he thought he was a peacemaker, when in reality he was a peace lover, and ultimately he was simply trying to avoid conflict. You see you can either win your peace or you can buy it: You win it, by resistance to evil; You buy it, by compromise with evil. And it’s your choice. The peace spoken of in the Bible is not a passive acceptance of wrong, but the ultimate triumph of good even if it involves conflict.
Too often we see peace as non aggressive coexistence where you leave one another in peace. A judge once asked a fellow he was sentencing, "Does your conscience ever bother you? Have you ever thought of what God thinks of your actions?" to which the criminal responded "I’ve always been at peace with God, he don’t bother me and I don’t bother Him." Jesus though had an entirely different concept of peace, not a détente, but instead reconciliation. Peace is "We" not "You" and "I". Even with the cold war over international peace is still maintained by what is referred to as "The Balance of Terror", but that isn’t peace. Married couples do it through a communal relationship but that isn’t peace either. They think that peace means the coexistence of two separate entities. But peace will never be gained until all sides have found peace with God.
To say that we can declare peace while others are committed to aggression is a hopeless task. As one person so aptly put it "There is little use in the sheep passing a resolution in favour of vegetarianism while some wolves still like mutton." If we are truly going to be peace makers it will be a result of introducing people to the peace of God. And introducing our world to the Kingdom of God.
And the result of being a Peace maker? Jesus goes on to say "They shall be called the sons of God" God is the supreme peace maker and to be singled out as a peace maker is to be singled out as one who shares the characteristics with our Father, or as Jesus said in Matthew 12:50 (NIV) For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
The next beatitude isn’t nearly as easy to comprehend as the first seven, compared to number eight they were down right self explanatory, Matthew 5:10 (NIV) Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, Not only does Christ say happy are those who are persecuted but he adds happy are those who are punished for doing right. Now I think the is only one thing that would bug me more then being persecuted for doing wrong. Hey we may know that we need to be punished but we don’t have to enjoy it, do we? What would really bug me is being punished for doing good.
Thank you very much we certainly appreciate the wonderful job you’ve done, off with your head. Doesn’t make much sense does it? Not only is the basic principle of unjust persecution causing happiness confusing the very idea is downright bizarre. You don’t understand how we could be persecuted for righteousness sake, try this. Take your bulletin and a pen, write down your shoe size rounded down if it’s a half size not up. Multiple it by two, add five to the number you get. So far so good? Now multiply it by fifty and add 1746 now from that number subtract the year of your birth. The last two digits ought to be your age. Do you understand what we just did?
But isn’t it the person with the lofty ideals, high principles and fine behaviour who draws the applause from the world. Think about it, at Madam Tussauds Waxwork museum, 35,000 international visitors were asked over a 10 year period to name the people they admired most in history, the tope five choices were, 1) Winston Churchill 2) Joan of Arc 3) Jesus Christ 4) John F. Kennedy and 5) Robin Hood. Doesn’t that prove that society recognizes and heaps honours on those who serve it’s causes and contribute to it’s welfare. Isn’t that the tenant of the Canadian dream, do right and you’ll be rewarded for it? Just think about Albert Swetzer, Mother Theresa, and Florence Nightingale. It’s a long way from Canada to Australia but every September Aussies around the country laced on their sneakers for the Terry Fox run.
Our world revolves around those who do good and seek peace right, sure just ask Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Joan of Arc, Jim Elliot and Yitzac Rabin. And yet many of us still feel that if we are good enough and kind enough, and loving enough long enough that the whole world will hug us. And it’s a real shock to discover that that just aint the way it is.
After all we have to recognize that if society, and society is just made up of people, and people is people is people. If society could persecute and eventually murder God when he came as the man Jesus Christ, then the same society will ultimately persecute those who follow Jesus Christ and call themselves by his name.
If Jesus Christ suffered what he suffered at the hands of mankind, then it would be absurd for us to expect to escape. As a matter of fact Christ didn’t leave his disciples in the dark, he discussed in great detail what they could expect. He told them in John 15:18-21 (NIV) "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ’No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.
Bet that’s not your favourite passage of scripture, I’d even be willing to wager that you forgot it was there or doesn’t think it should apply to you. Now we have to realize what Christ is saying and that is that everyone who calls themselves by His name will eventually suffer persecution. That is inevitable, so if we are going to have to suffer the key question is what are we going to suffer for. Something that won’t cause happiness or something that will make you happy?
Jesus states that happiness happens to those who suffer for the right reasons. In other words since we are going to suffer anyway, then you ought to do it for the right reasons. Now if you suffer persecution because you are odd, strange or absurd in your conduct then it probably won’t cause happiness. Christians aren’t called to be exhibitionist, we weren’t called to stand out by our appearance but because of our actions. Some Christians call attention to themselves by outlandish behaviour or bizarre conduct but when they attract abuse by their absurd lifestyles they act outraged. But really aren’t they just getting what they deserve? After all Daniel may have been in the Lions Den, but he wasn’t pulling any tails. I don’t think that Jesus was calling us to look for persecution, but I think he was telling us that there’s a pretty good chance it will find us without any help at all.
In his book "Salt for Society" Phillip Keller states "Christ called us to be gracious in spirit, humbled in heart, easily entreated and disciplined to do his will in the world with mercy, peace and good will." Jesus didn’t say blessed are those who are persecuted for absurdity sake, but blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. Or again happiness happens to those who suffer for the right reasons. And what are the right reasons, the one thing we keep going back to the Kingdom of God.
Persecution that comes from our attempts to establish the kingdom bring happiness because they aren’t in vain. But when we think about it we really have it easy today. Historically Christianity affected every area of a persons life, from their work to the social life to their family life. In the generation after Christ’s death and resurrection believers literally lived in fear for their lives. Each year citizens of the Roman Empire had to pay tribute to the Emperor by offering a pinch of incense and saying "Caesar is Lord." After you made the statement you were free to do whatever you wanted. The problem was that the early Christians refused because of their belief that only Christ is Lord and because of that their lives became very cheap.
Those who belonged to the early church were often burnt at a stake, wrapped in animal skins and thrown to wild dogs or tortured on racks. The physical suffering they endured is beyond our imagination. Today Christians would have to wear labels that said "The Surgeon General of the United States has determined that being a Christian is hazardous to ones health and well being"
We might not be tortured or killed in Canada in 1996, but persecution still exists for Christians. Even if it’s the way we are depicted in the media and on Television. Even if it means that you can’t advance in your career because of the moral high ground you have claimed. Even if it means you are ostracized from your peers because of your stand. Why? Why are Christians still persecuted today? Why are those who live righteous lives so often wronged? Why is it that though out history the Cains continue to attack the Abels?
1) Good and Evil are mutually exclusive Truth and deception cannot coexist anymore then decency and degeneration, or right and wrong.
2) The evil person, the wrong doer, the decadent individual always feels threatened by the righteous. And the easiest way to stop feeling threatened by something is to eliminate it. And so those who are evil attempt to eliminate the righteous through outright attack, abuse or condemnation.
3) The vast majority of people aren’t good moral righteous people. Regardless of what people say we don’t live in a Christian country, believers are in the minority, as a matter of fact with less then seven percent of the population attending evangelical churches we don’t even come close.
God’s people are in the minority, facing a unfriendly majority. Now the average man on the street isn’t overly hostile to the church as much as he is apathetic. As long as the church feeds the hungry, clothes the naked and doesn’t rock the boat everyone is happy as can be. But when the church begins to do what it was called to do, and that is to change the world that’s when the world begins to get upset. And it’s at this point that we will be persecuted whether we deserve it or not. I’ve said it before but it bears repeating. The world loves having the church as a lap dog, but let the puppy show it’s teeth and see how long before it’s in the backyard on a chain.
The more godly and more righteous we are the greater the chances are that we will be abused and persecuted. Joseph was dumped in a well then thrown in prison, Elijah was hunted like an animal, Daniel was thrown to the lions and Stephen was stoned to death. As a matter of fact Christ warns us in Luke 6:26 (NIV) Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. How are men speaking of you these days? The reward, Christ tells us for theirs is the kingdom of God. When you are persecuted for the kingdom’s sake the kingdom grows in you. Persecution today may not mean being to the lions but it is still around. It may affect you in your work, your social life, and your family. If you’ve been there you don’t need me to explain. And so the beatitudes end the way they began with the promise of receiving the kingdom of God.
It is here that something strange happens, Christ does something that he hasn’t done in the previous eleven verses, he repeats himself. Every other beatitude is mentioned only once but listen to verses eleven and twelve Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV) "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Now I wonder why Jesus felt it necessary to repeat that last thought? I wonder if maybe it was for the same reason that we sometimes repeat ourselves, because we think that what we’re trying to communicate is important. We don’t want folks to miss what we’re saying. But again the emphasis is not on what others are saying about you nearly as much as why they are saying it. Christ specifically said when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me Did you catch the important part? What they say has to be false, if they say you’re a phoney and you really are a phoney you’re not going to get a blessing.
And Jesus said when this happens, don’t be discouraged, don’t be frustrated, don’t get angry and upset, instead he says Rejoice and be glad, the NJKV says Be exceedingly glad. Why rejoice? For two reasons, the first is that if you’re being persecuted because of Christ it is indicative that you are doing something for Christ and the enemy considers you a threat. Charles Spurgeon was a great preacher in last century and he said "The best evidence of God’s presence is the Devil’s growl." Does Satan consider you a threat? When was the last time you heard him growl?
The second thing that we need to rejoice about is that your reward is in heaven. A couple of thoughts on this, the first is that God is no man’s debtor and the second is that not all of His debts are settled this side of eternity.
Ray Stedman tells the story of an old missionary couple who had been working in Africa for many years and were returning to New York City to retire. With no pension and broken in health, they were discouraged, & fearful of the future.
They happened to be on the same ship as Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from a big game hunting expedition. they watched the passengers trying to glimpse the president, the crew fussing over him, and the hoopla that accompanied the president’s entourage.
But no one noticed them. The missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everyone one makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us."
At the dock in New York a band was waiting to greet the president. The mayor and other important people were present. Reporters were there to fill the papers with news of the event. But the missionary couple slipped off the ship unnoticed.
That night, in a cheap little apartment the man’s spirit finally broke and he said to his wife, "I can’t take this; God’s not treating us right, it’s not fair." His wife suggested that he go into the bedroom and tell the Lord how he felt, so he did. A short time later he came out of the bedroom and his wife could tell just by looking at him that something had changed. And so she asked, "Dear what happened?" "The Lord settled it with me" he said "I told him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. and when I finished it seemed as thought he Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply
said, "But you’re not home yet"
The third reason we need to rejoice is laid down in the thought Christ ends on for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You’re not alone
