Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:10-12).
Persecution is the natural result of this blessed lifestyle Jesus describes. Notice how Jesus describes this elusive group of people called “blessed”, then changes the pronouns, indicating that the blessed life is attainable for his disciples— those listening to him then and those reading his words now. As followers of Jesus reflect his humility, righteousness, mercy, purity, and peace, there’s a strong possibility of being misunderstood, slandered, criticized, and even persecuted for his sake.
A key phrase in this passage is “falsely on my account”. Warren W. Wiersbe writes, “We must be sure that our suffering is not due to our own foolishness or disobedience.” 1 At times, well-meaning Christians can be argumentative, caught up in issues we’ve decided are black and white while failing to consider how our views affect our relationships. Eager to prove we’re right, we forget that our purpose isn’t winning arguments, but reconciling ourselves and others to God through Jesus Christ. As a result, nonbelievers can perceive Christians as narrow-minded, thoughtless, and ignorant. When we don’t see eye to eye with someone, we can ask our gracious God for clarity in expressing our views in a way that reflects his love in those relationships. He’ll either direct our words in answer to that prayer or direct us to let it go. We don’t have to engage every time someone disagrees with us.
Peter gives great advice: “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:15-16). When we defend our faith with gentleness and respect, as Peter suggests, we do so with a good conscience. Whether we see positive results or not is irrelevant; we have honored God and reflected him accurately.
- In what ways are we honoring God or not honoring God in our interactions?
- How do we show others that we value them even when we disagree with their opinions?
Merciful God, forgive us when we get it so very wrong. Help us understand what we believe and why, as well as how to communicate it with gentleness and respect. Make us aware of how others perceive us. Give us the courage to correct that perspective. Help us to not think in terms of issues we are passionate about, but relationships in need of restoration.
Footnotes
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament, Vol. 1, 2nd ed. (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1997), 22.
