Persecuted

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”—Matthew 5:10

In The Sermon on the Mount, our Lord describes for us the characteristics of those who are blessed, or happy. It may seem odd that one of the Beatitudes describes happiness or blessedness for those who have been persecuted for pursuing Christ. But how can this be? How can one who is persecuted experience the blessing or joy of God? By showing His all surpassing worth in the face of opposition, which means that if we experience persecution for pursuing Christ, we experience the joy of God because He delights in being shown to be the supreme desire or pursuit of our lives.

Let me explain. If someone were to come to my wife and tell her what a fool she was for marrying and loving me, I would delight in her because she shows by her life that I am her husband, and she loves me, and delights in me. I would see her enduring criticism because of me as a sign of her love for me, and I delight in her all the more. The same is true with God. When we suffer for God, we are tangibly demonstrating that He is our best and highest pursuit and the ultimate desire of our lives, far more valuable than the opinions and praise of people who reject us because of Him. And when we do this, we are blessed; we experience the joy of knowing that God delights in us, and we receive the promise of heaven. When the suffering or persecution we endure is because of our love for God, God delights in giving us the fullest expression of His love: Himself. And when we are given the kingdom of heaven, we are given the promise of eternally being in the presence of Him who is our hearts’ desire, Jesus Christ Himself (cf. Psalm 37:4).

May the Lord our God establish our hearts, and may we be strengthened in our love and knowledge of Him in the midst of persecution so that God may be glorified in and through us. Amen.