“Blessed are the persecuted?”

Jeremy Stopford, Semi-Retired Pastor

“THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT – AND BEYOND !!!”

Beatitude #8: “Blessed are the persecuted – REALLY?”

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you,

and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven,

for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:10-12

We have come to the last of the 8 beatitudes of our Savior’s “Sermon on the Mount” {SOTM!) found in its entirety in Matthew 5-7. This study has a question mark (?) at its end – for who in his right mind would want any part of being persecuted? Sounds, well, PAINFUL!

I HAVE MY RIGHTS!” Well, we’ve been through much – not only in the past year or so with the Covid-19 pandemic. In the past 30 plus years, we have been inundated with RIGHTS: Woman’s Rights (well, what about “men’s rights”? Just asking for a friend). Gay Rights. Animal Rights. Whale Rights. Manatee Rights. Raccoon Rights. To everyone involved in each of these issues, these are important rights.

BUT the worse rights of all: MY RIGHTS!

The Lord Jesus Christ approaches this subject in a most unusual way, through the eyes of…PERSECUTION!!!

What is it? Webster’s Dictionary defines “persecution” this way:

  1. To harass with cruel or oppressive treatment
  2. To maltreat or oppress because of race, religion, or beliefs
  3. To annoy or harass

OK, I GET THAT. So who gets persecuted, according to the Scriptures? Let me give a few illustrations, right from the Word of God:

DAVID In the midst of persecution, he found encouragement in the WORD of God. See Psalm 119:86: “All Your commandments are faithful; They persecute me wrongfully; Help me!” And Psalm 119:161 “Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word.”

David also found hope through the WORKS of God:

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me dwell in darkness,

Like those who have long been dead.

4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;

My heart within me is distressed.

5 I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works;

I muse on the work of Your hands.

I spread out my hands to You;

My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

—Psalm 143:3-6

PASTORS Listen to Jeremiah:

As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You,

Nor have I desired the woeful day;

You know what came out of my lips;

It was right there before You.

17 Do not be a terror to me;

You are my hope in the day of doom.

18 Let them be ashamed who persecute me,

But do not let me be put to shame;

Let them be dismayed,

But do not let me be dismayed.

Bring on them the day of doom,

And destroy them with double destruction!

Jeremiah 17:16-18

EVEN THE APOSTLE PAUL! Listen to a portion of his testimony:

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

2 Cor. 4:8-9:

But the question must be asked, WHY DO THEY GET PERSECUTED? There is a common bond, a linking thread which connects all of the above: GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, or, better, HIS RIGHTS (Matthew 5:10) and HIS SAKE (v. 11).

But what about MY rights? Have you read Isaiah lately?

But we are all like an unclean thing,

And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;

We all fade as a leaf,

And our iniquities, like the wind,

Have taken us away.

—Isaiah 64:6

So WHY do I get PERSECUTED? First, I have God’s righteousness! Have you read Psalm 4:1 lately? “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness.” How about Psalm 7:17? “I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.” And how about Psalm 15:1-2?

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?

Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

2 He who walks uprightly,

And works righteousness,

And speaks the truth in his heart…”

God’s righteousness doesn’t leave me empty. In Him I have all things! I encourage you to read through the book of Proverbs each month! How? Read the chapter which corresponds with the day of the month! Today is the 5th, so today I read Proverbs 5! Look at Proverbs 28:25-26:

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,

But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.

26 He who trusts in his own heart is a fool,

But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

Let’s wrap this up! Our text says “REJOICE” when persecuted for His rights. For His sake – NOT for our rights nor for our sake.

The Lord Jesus already gave us great insight in John 15:20:

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’

If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they

will keep yours also.

The one who has turned over to God all of his rights, his goals, his ambitions, will find that the rights and glory of the Lord to be more than satisfying!

The one who makes God’s rights his own rights will become all that is summed up in one word: BLESSED! “Makarios”! “Happy” because I belong to the King of kings!

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.