Jesus said in Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (NKJV).
Simply put, we will receive a great reward in heaven if we are persecuted. What is it to be persecuted? Let’s examine this passage based on the scripture to see just how we will be persecuted.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia describes persecution as, “Suffering or pressure mental, moral, or physical, which authorities, individuals, or crowds inflict on others, especially for opinion or beliefs.”
Other definitions of persecution are: “To pursue, (as hunters pursue their prey), to vex, to oppress, and the repeated acts of enmity.” I think we can all relate to one or more of these definitions. Most of us can say that we have been pressured, teased, laughed at, or belittled. Can we say it has happened because we were standing for the cause of Christ? Can we actual say we have been persecuted in the way Matthew 5 presents it.
There are all types of persecution. There are false accusations as referred to in Matthew 5:11. There is disparagement as found in John 8:48. We can see how people were excommunicated on account of Jesus in Luke’s version of the Beatitudes in Luke 6:22. There are others, but these are all examples of persecution found in the New Testament.
Jesus said that we would be persecuted as the prophets were persecuted. Maybe you have never thought about the prophets being persecuted. Just because they had the ability to communicate directly with God doesn’t mean they weren’t persecuted.
Isaiah is said to have been sawn in pieces. Jeremiah was thrown into a dungeon. He was scourged, Jeremiah 20:2. Elijah was hunted by Ahab and Jezebel, and Jezebel threatened to kill him the way he killed the prophets of Baal in I Kings 19. Zechariah was stoned, II Chronicles 24:21. Matthew says we will be persecuted as well. We may not be persecuted in the same manner, but we will suffer because of our beliefs.
New Testament Christians were persecuted much like the prophets. Jesus warned them that they would be. Let’s think about some of the examples of persecutions in the New Testament. Jesus is the most obvious of those persecuted for His teachings about the Father. He was tortured, belittled, beaten, and finally murdered.
The disciples were warned by Jesus in Matthew 10:16-17, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues”. Jesus warned His followers that persecution would surely come, yet they followed Him anyway. All of these things came to pass for His followers.
Stephen was the first Christian to be killed because of his beliefs after the establishment of the church. The Jews were so angry because of his sermon that they stoned him to death (Acts 7).
A man named Saul of Tarsus was present at the stoning of Stephen. He held the coats of the men that threw the stones. He is best known to us as the man that persecuted the Christians because they professed Jesus as the Messiah. His life took a different turn when he was struck blind on the road to Damascus. Later, in the city, Ananias proclaimed to him the gospel. Saul was baptized and changed his life. He became one of the greatest supporters of the gospel of Christ. You can read his story in Acts 9.
In chapter 12 of Acts, we read about King Herod who, “stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.” Herod took James the brother of John and killed him with the sword. He was an evil king that wanted to make an example of James. When he saw how much it pleased the Jews, he planned to kill Peter also.
How did these examples react to their persecution? Elijah despaired and ran away. Most stood against the enemy. Some prayed to be delivered from their physical harm.
How should we react? Jesus tells us that we should, “Rejoice and be exceeding glad.” We should welcome our persecution because we know by the level of our persecution how faithful we are.
There are values that come from persecution. In the Bible, those that were not committed to Christ were easily discouraged and withdrew themselves from the church. Others took the persecution and became leaders in the Church, proving to others the power of the gospel of Christ. They also provided strong examples to both Christians and non-Christians. Because of their commitment to Christ and willingness to be persecuted, they were drawn closer to God. Being in the brotherhood of faithful Christians provides a peace and comfort like nothing else can.
Remember the reward! The willingness to endure persecution will bring about a reward in heaven. Our text confirms that. If you want to go to heaven, you must know that there will be persecution; but God will be there with us. He will be there to the end.
Sandra Oliver