Thousands filled the coliseum to see the lions. When the lions entered the arena a deafening roar comes from the wild fans gathered to watch the event. The lions are undefeated. No one has been able to tame this lions’ team, or stand up to them. The crowd knows this day will be no different. Lion pride is at an all time high; everyone wants to wear the team colors: red and black.
You didn’t think I was talking about the Detroit Lions did you? I’m talking about the lions that played in the Roman Coliseum. The Cleveland Browns were not the first to have a Dawg Pound. The Romans had a wild group of fans that wouldn’t just throw their team a bone. The Romans threw Christians to the lions.
It’s still lion versus Christian, or well at least it should be.
Matthew 5:10-12 10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NIV)
What two things are we supposed to remember when we look at the Beatitudes? [1] These are “BE-ATTITUDES” the beatitudes are the qualities and characteristics being developed in our lives making us to be like Jesus. [2] The beatitudes are PARADOXICAL STATEMENTS OF JOY.
If ever a beatitude was a paradox this one is. How can the persecuted be blessed? Can you even imagine someone saying, “I’m so happy I have people to pick on me and beat me up,” and actually mean what they are saying!? No one in his or her right mind finds pleasure in pain.
Jesus must have known his followers would have a hard time with this statement. Out of all the beatitudes this is the only one Jesus repeated for emphasis. Jesus doesn’t just say the persecuted are blessed once; JESUS SAYS IT TWICE! We are even told to “rejoice and be glad!”
As Americans we find it hard to “rejoice and be glad” if we have a bad day let alone if we should ever face persecution. The Apostle Paul apparently understood what Jesus said. He not only knew it to be true intellectually, but Paul lived what Jesus said. In Acts 16 when Paul was in the city of Philippi, he was overtaken by a mob, arrested, beaten, locked in chains and put into prison. This is not my idea of a good day. Most of us would have been inclined to just want to try to get some sleep and hope things looked better in the morning. Yet at about midnight Paul and his companion Silas were not sleeping and they weren’t up singing the blues, comparing cuts and bruises or telling sob stories. Instead these two sore, uncomfortable and weary men were singing praise to God and praying! Years later Paul would write to the church in Philippi from another prison in Rome, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philip. 4:4 NIV)
HOW CAN THE PERSECUTED BE BLESSED?
Persecution will bring you a blessing when you keep four “R’s” in mind: Righteousness, Reaction, Reminder, and Reward.
1. YOU ARE BLESSED WHEN PERSECUTION IS FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the persecuted; happy are the picked on and poked fun of people.” Jesus is not offering comfort to those who are mistreated with an “Akuna-matata,” no worries mentality. Look again at what Jesus said.
Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. (NIV)
God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God. (NLT)
You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. (MsgB)
Persecution is blessed by God when it comes as a result of righteousness.
What is righteousness?
Righteousness is first the DECLARATION OF GOD. Righteousness is not based upon anything we do; the Bible says our righteousness is as filthy rags to God. God says we are righteous through faith in Christ Jesus. The blood of Christ makes it possible for us to be made righteous. As we “come clean” before God confessing our sin, with the full knowledge that Jesus paid the death penalty in our place, God declares us righteous.
Righteousness is also the DYNAMIC POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Spirit of God within you empowers you to live a holy life. Righteousness is not living according to a legalistic set of “dos and don’ts.” Righteousness is a life lived under the control and influence of God’s Spirit living in you. Righteousness is not forced upon you from the outside, but flows from within you by the dynamic power of God for the world to see.
The Christian should live differently from those who are not. The values, priorities, goals and desires of the Christian should produce a different lifestyle. The child of God should “stick out like a sore thumb” compared to the culture of our world, or the American culture.
Living out the Beatitudes in your daily life means you can’t sit on the fence between Christian faith and the values of this world. The Beatitudes are the building blocks to be like Jesus. When we live our life consistent with the attitudes, characteristics, qualities and values of Jesus our life will be different.
Ephesians 2:19 . . . you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household. (NIV)
Would you like to know why we as Christians in America don’t face the same kind of persecution as believers in other parts of the world? When Christians lose their uniqueness, when we saturated with the things of this world to the point no one can tell who the Christians are and aren’t, when we no longer live a righteous life PERSECUTION WILL STOP.
Too often American Christians focus on God’s blessings and forget the price we must be willing to pay. God wants us to consider the cost and the dividends; last time I checked you still can’t get something for nothing. God wants us to come to Christ with our eyes wide open.
Luke 14:27-28 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? (NIV)
Jesus didn’t hide anything from us. He told us like it is; “If you are going to be my disciple, then expect persecution.” Jesus told us in this life we can expect:
• Persecution instead of praise
• Cruel insults instead of cordial invitations
• Harassment instead of honor
• Abuse instead of applause
• Slander instead of support
• Death instead of dignity.
Jesus wants us to be prepared for the difficulties that will come as a result of following Him.
John 16:33 I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world. (MsgB)
2. YOU ARE BLESSED WHEN PERSECUTION IS A REACTION TO CHRIST.
Jesus said you are blessed when you endure all kinds of persecution “because of me.”
Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. (NIV)
Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. (MsgB)
The Christian faith is not a cause or religion; it’s not about good works or living a moral life. CHRISTIANITY IS CHRIST. Our Christian faith is centered around a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
When you encounter persecution you are blessed when you remember it’s not you your attackers are outraged with. It’s not about you; it’s about Jesus!
In the early days of the Christian Church a zealous young man did everything in his power to bring it to an end. This man had believers arrested and put into prison; he threatened the lives of Christians and approved of them being put to death. However, he stopped hunting down the Christians whom he hated when this man became a Christian himself. Why did he change? He met the risen Christ. Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul was not opposing a group of people; he opposed Jesus, the same Jesus who had been crucified and lay dead in the grave for three days. But then Christ was brought back to life and now confronted the man who threatened his people! (See Acts 9)
People have continued to resist Jesus. The Lord wants us to remember when we encounter persecution it’s not about us. It’s about Him.
John 15:18 If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. (MsgB)
Don’t be surprised when people despise you, or treat you unfairly. As long as they hate Jesus, they will continue to hate you.
3. YOU ARE BLESSED WHEN YOU RECALL JESUS’ REMINDER.
Matthew 5:12 . . . And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. (MsgB)
Jesus wants us to remember we not the only one who has ever experienced persecution for our faith in God. The godless people of the world have always hated Christ and in turn His followers, all of them.
I guess one way to remember you’re not the only one experiencing persecution is to remember you’re not the only one to complain to God about it either. Elijah was a great prophet of God. He had been used mightily by the Lord to call the nation of Israel out of a lifestyle of compromise and pagan worship. On Mt. Carmel Elijah challenge the prophets of Baal to see who served the living God. It was no contest. God answered Elijah with fire from heaven. Yet when Queen Jezebel threatened to have Elijah killed after his great victory over the prophets of Baal Elijah ran for his life! He whined to God, “I’m the only one left,” but God gave Elijah a reminder. “Not so Elijah, I still have 7,000 others who have not bowed their knees to Baal. Your not alone!”
Isolation is an enemy of the soul. When we think we are all alone, we begin to give up hope; we even begin to doubt God. Jesus says, “Remember they have treated my other followers just like you.” The writer of Hebrews reminds us the grandstands of heaven are filled with those who have gone before us. They are watching and cheering us on to the finish line. (See Hebrews 12:1)
4. YOU ARE BLESSED BECAUSE OF PERSECUTION’S REWARD.
Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven (NIV)
Jesus promised a blessing truly out of this world for those who are persecuted. Those treated unjustly, maligned and falsely accused, beaten, bruised or betrayed, tortured or even killed will have a reward in heaven.
God will bless the persecuted with the kingdom of God. However, we need to remember God does not make this blessing available to just anyone who may get picked on.
The 98 pound weakling may never receive a blessing. Your persecution won’t be blessed if you are impatient, opinionated, or pushy. People who demand their “rights” always think someone is out to get them, and they may be right, but God doesn’t guarantee them a blessing. Those who are “holier than thou” may think they have God on their side, but persecution for the sake of legalism or tradition does not gain God’s attention.
If through persecution you are going to receive the blessing of God’s kingdom and have a reward in heaven, YOU MUST MEET GOD’S REQUIREMENTS. Now understand I’m not talking about earning a place in God’s kingdom. We can do nothing to earn God’s favor or His blessings. Only those who are persecuted for righteousness and because of Jesus have something to look forward to.
Standing up in the face of persecution is never easy, but it is easier when we keep the reward in full view. The kingdom of heaven will be ours if we don’t give up and quit. Keep your eyes fixed on the prize ahead of you!
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 17For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! 18So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. (NLT)
Let’s keep the prize we have to gain always in our sight. In this way we will be blessed, and it will help us to make the right response to any persecution we may face.
HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO PRESECUTION?
1. Sometimes we simply need to LEAVE.
We are not promised a blessing if we go looking for trouble. None of us need to develop a martyr complex. Just like Snagglepuss we need to sometimes say, “Exit, stage right,” and then we need to make our exit and leave.
Jesus knew when it was time to get out of a hot spot. On one occasion a mob wanted to stone Jesus to death, but He left (see John 8:59). Another time Jesus knew the Pharisees were plotting to have Him killed so He left withdrew to another area (see Matthew 12:14-15). Likewise the Apostle Paul knew when it was time to “get out of Dodge.” He was lowered in a basket from the city wall of Damascus (see Acts 9); a plot was devised against Paul in Iconium, so he went on to Lystra and Derbe (see Acts 14).
2. We need to GUARD AGAINST COMPROMISE.
As we said, one way to end persecution is to become like those who would oppose you. We need to remember we are called to please and obey God and not men. Peter and John were ordered to stop preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus, but their response should be ours, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God” (Acts 4:19 NIV).
Paul understood how compromise can take many different forms, but the motive is the same. Compromise seeks to escape possible persecution brought on by taking a stand for Christ.
Galatians 6:12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised are doing it for just one reason. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. (NLT)
3. We need to LOVE OUR ENEMIES.
It’s easy to think of way to get even when someone has hurt us or those we love. We can be quick to begin to scheme our retaliation against those who have wronged us. Unfortunately, revenge is bitter sweet. We may feel better for a moment, but before long we will get more of what we’ve dished out; like the saying goes, “What goes around, comes around.”
God wants us to love our enemies and break the cycle of revenge. Instead of lashing out with anger, we are called by God to love those who mistreat us.
Romans 12:17-21 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV)
4. We should PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US.
The bottom line is simple; HURTING PEOPLE HURT OTHER PEOPLE. The person who injures you is often the victim of personal pain that may be buried and forgotten. They attack others in the same way they have been hurt. Likewise, many of those who may be the source of persecution are not believers; they are people who need Christ.
Jesus challenged the thinking of His day. His teaching is still radically different from what many people believe today.
Matthew 5:43-44 43You’re familiar with the old written law, ’Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ’Hate your enemy.’ 44I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer. (MsgB)
It’s hard to love people who are not loveable. Prayer helps us to love the unlovable people in our lives. Likewise, we are powerless to change people; however, prayer does more than change things. PRAYER CHANGES PEOPLE.
Why should we love and pray for those who mistreat and abuse us? They are not our real enemies.
Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. (NLT)
The beatitudes: building blocks to be like Jesus. These are the attitudes, qualities and characteristics which produce in us a Christ-like lifestyle.
The beatitudes: paradoxical statements of joy. Christ offers us a blessed happiness this world and circumstance can not take away from us.
The beatitudes bring us into the life of peace. Peace in this life and the life to come.
