The Beatitudes – Part 4 – Persecution

Introduction

The beatitudes are recorded in Matthew chapter 5, verses 3-10 and have been grouped together by Lloyd-Jones as follows:-

Our inward needs	Satisfaction of the need	Result of being filled	Outcome of all earlier characteristics
3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.	6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.	7. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.	10. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

In previous blogs, we looked at the beatitudes in the groups shown above:-

Our inward needs

• being poor in spirit – realising that we are nothing in the presence of God.
• mourning for our sins – recognising that we are sinners living in a world full of sin.
• being meek – letting go of all self-reliance and humbly accepting that we rely on God for absolutely everything.

Satisfaction of the need

• once we get to this position, we should go on to hunger and thirst after righteousness – the message of the Gospel is that we can only be counted as righteous in the eyes of God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We also saw that while we instantly receive this legal righteousness at the point of salvation, we should continue to hunger and thirst after moral and social righteousness. All of this is only possible through the inner working of the Holy Spirit.

Result of being filled

• being merciful – being patient and forgiving toward others.
• having a pure heart – single-mindedly trying to glorify God in all that we are.
• being peacemakers – looking for ways to bring reconciliation to every situation.

Ideally, we should show all of these characteristics in our Christian life, and this will lead us to the final characteristic.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:10)

In addition to Matt 5:10, this beatitude is unique in that Jesus enlarged upon the statement in the following couple of verses 11-12 : ‘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.’

Stott says, “Since all the beatitudes describe what every Christian is intended to be, we conclude that the condition of being despised and rejected, slandered and persecuted, is as much a normal mark of Christian discipleship as being pure in heart or merciful.”

What is persecution for righteousness sake?

Lloyd-Jones stresses that the blessing only occurs when we are persecuted ‘because of righteousness’. In other words, persecution for other reasons does not warrant the blessing, i.e. if we are objectionable, fanatical, or over-zealous, bringing suffering upon ourselves. The blessing also does not apply to persecution due to working for a “good cause” or some good political reason or even just being noble or good in some other way. No, “The Beatitude and the promise refer specifically to suffering for righteousness sake.” Lloyd Jones goes on to say that this righteousness, “really means being like the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Why are Christians persecuted?

Stott sees persecution as the Christian being at odds with the culture of today – “the values and standards of Jesus are in direct conflict with the commonly accepted standards of the world.” He describes persecution as “simply the clash between two irreconcilable value-systems.”

In this beatitude, Jesus is telling his disciples that as we become more like Christ, then we can expect to be persecuted, just as He was persecuted.

Who persecutes Christians?

You might expect that persecution comes from people/institutions opposed to the gospel. However, as Jesus experienced, persecution can come from the Church, religious people, and nominal Christians. Lloyd-Jones argues that “Formal Christianity is often the greatest enemy of the pure faith.” He goes on to say that Jesus was persecuted “not because He was good; it was because He was different”, and it is the same today.

As well as personal persecution, it also happens for political reasons within different countries. Whole communities of Christians can be targeted by governments who view Christianity as a threat to their authoritarian regime, or if they are in a minority culture or faith. Please refer to the World Watch List maintained by Open Doors for up to date information https://opendoorsuk.org/persecution/.

What form does the persecution take?

In so-called western developed societies, persecution might be fairly mild e.g. being bullied or being ostracised amongst friends or colleagues. However, in some societies, the persecution can take the form of kidnapping, physical beatings, torture, imprisonment or even death.

What is our reward in heaven?

If we are truly persecuted for righteousness sake then we must ‘Rejoice and be glad’ because this persecution can be seen as “a certificate of Christian authenticity” (Stott) and

“the final proof of the fact that you are a Christian.” (Lloyd-Jones) Our human language cannot fully express how wonderful the reward will be. Lloyd Jones says “But the Bible does tell us something like this. We shall see Him as He is, and worship in His glorious presence. Our very bodies will be changed, and glorified, with no sickness or disease. There will be no sorrow, no sighing; all tears shall be wiped away. All will be perpetual glory. No wars or rumours of wars; no separation, no unhappiness, nothing that drags a man down and makes him unhappy, even for a second.” And, “If we are truly Christian, our desire must be, however much we fail in practice, to live for Christ, to glory in His name and to live to glorify Him.”

Practical implications

So, if persecution is inevitable for the Christian, how should we react when persecuted? We should NOT retaliate, nor even feel resentment, or be depressed by persecution. No, Jesus tells us to ‘Rejoice and be glad’!! Why, ‘because great is your reward in heaven’. We must keep our sights on heaven – Lloyd-Jones says that the Christian life “should be controlled by thoughts of heaven and the world to come”. As with all the other beatitudes, the Holy Spirit has a key role in helping us develop this characteristic.

We should also be prayerfully aware of the plight of others that suffer persecution.

Examples of this beatitude

As with the other beatitudes, all these characteristics are exemplified in the life of Jesus. He was betrayed by his friends, falsely arrested, beaten, spat on, mocked, and then crucified. The book of Acts records how the apostles Peter and Paul were imprisoned on various occasions, and Stephen was martyred for his faith. In more recent times, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned for over two years and then hanged just before the end of World War 2. Current persecution stories and data can be found on various websites including https://www.opendoorsuk.org/ and https://globalchristianrelief.org/.

SUMMARY

In the very next section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his disciples that they are ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’. We are to be as distinctive in the world as salt is to bland food, or as light is to darkness. Being this different will lead to being persecuted. We must not be deterred by persecution. Instead, it should be welcomed as a sign of Christian authenticity, and we can look forward to our reward in heaven.

Similarly, as a body of believers, the Church must not shirk its responsibilities in speaking out against injustice and standing up for biblical Christian values. More on this next time.

Acknowledgements

All scripture references taken from the New International Version of the Bible.

Lloyd-Jones – Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones

Stott –  The message of the Sermon on the Mount by John Stott