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Response
As Jesus began His well-known Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12), He outlined a series of blessings bestowed upon true followers of God, along with the corresponding rewards they will receive in the kingdom of heaven. These blessings, referred to as the Beatitudes, were a crucial part of Christ’s thorough training for His selected apostles. In the eighth beatitude, Jesus proclaimed, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” « Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. », (Matthew 5:10, ESV).
The term blessed was well-known to Jesus’ audience in the first century. Instead of a fleeting happiness based on current circumstances, the blessedness that Jesus referred to is a profound, lasting, unshakeable joy rooted in the certainty of God’s favor, both now and in the future. Life in the kingdom of our Lord is characterized by deep joy and inner well-being that cannot be taken away by anyone or anything.
The individuals identified as “blessed” by Jesus embody a counter-cultural mindset that promotes values not typically embraced by society at large. All the Beatitudes illustrate God’s reversal of worldly values, with perhaps none more evident than the eighth one. How can persecution be considered “blessed”? Persecution is never easy and often involves suffering and significant pain. The key lies in Jesus’ specification that the blessed persecution is endured “for righteousness’ sake.”
Some individuals endure suffering as a consequence of their wrongdoing, which is not persecution but rather punishment. Others face persecution for reasons unrelated to righteousness. However, Jesus was not extending a general blessing to all victims of persecution for any reason. Instead, He offered it specifically to those who were persecuted for actively pursuing the kingdom of righteousness and because of their faith in Jesus Christ “Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”, (Matthew 5:11). Peter put it this way: “If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God” “For what glory is it, if, when you are buffeted for your faults, you shall take it patiently? But if, when you do well, and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”, (1 Peter 2:20).
Righteousness means more than just “being a good person.” It refers to a complete orientation of life toward God and His will. This kind of righteousness is highly visible: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
To endure persecution for the sake of righteousness requires uncompromising faithfulness to God despite every threat and pressure. The Old Testament prophets were considered heroes for facing this kind of abuse (Matthew 5:12; see also 2 Chronicles 36:16; Acts 7:51-53; James 5:10). Both the prophets of old and New Testament saints serve the same cause (the advancement of the kingdom of God) and the same King (Jesus Christ). Jesus promised that both would suffer mistreatment, but both would also receive inexpressible rewards in heaven.
In this eighth beatitude, Jesus expanded the “blessed are those” formula to add “rejoice and be glad” (Matthew 5:11-12). Rather than feeling discouraged, dismayed, enraged, or depressed, believers who find themselves persecuted for openly living for Christ and His kingdom have good reason to rejoice and be glad—for their reward in heaven is great. Our Lord offered this potent dose of hope and encouragement to those whose tenacious and brilliant pursuit of righteousness makes the enemies of God’s kingdom try to thwart and extinguish it.
True believers in Christ are righteous in God’s eyes (Romans 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 1:11). Our confession of faith in Jesus Christ and the moral way we live our lives prove to be offensive to the world, resulting in persecution for righteousness’ sake. Jesus faced persecution and was hated by the world, and so will all those who belong to Christ and boldly live for Him: “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” «If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. », (John 15:19).
