The Joy of Lament: The Blessing of Persecution Part One


 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven - Matthew 5:10

Persecution. Certainly not something we would categorize as a blessing or associate with happiness, but Jesus does and he does so with intent. As he continues his teaching he doesn't let up, he actually doubles down on this truth in the verses that follow and his delivery only gets stronger as he moves on through this 3 chapter sermon (Matthew 5-7) letting us know that God fully expects us to live this way and knowing that we can't. This sermon is designed, like the Law of Moses, to get us to cry out for help. He also lets us know that as we proclaim Truth persecution will follow. As one Pastor has noted, "If you stay silent, you stay safe. If you proclaim The Gospel and live out your faith, persecution will come, because persecution will always accompany proclamation.".
This truth is seen throughout scripture from Genesis to Revelation but Hebrews gives us a glimpse into what motivated those who have gone before us and those who are alongside us today. 

And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
  Hebrews 11:39-40


The Old Testament is a story in need of a conclusion and that need is met in Christ Jesus. Everyone in the Old Testament looked forward. We look backward at the historical redemptive work of Christ and we all find our hope, encouragement and life in Christ. This hope is what propelled Old and New Testament persons and continues to be the motivation for our brothers and sisters who face persecution and death on a daily basis for their faith in Christ. The Christian life is contrary to the standards of the world and as a result we will find ourselves being ostracized, made fun of, abandoned by family and friends, and in some cases put to death. 

 From the beginning Christ has been inviting us into life in him and he has given a promise to encourage us along the way. It is notable that the promise for the persecuted is the same as the promise for those who recognize their deep need for God, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is holding out eternal life for all who will put their trust in him. This is Christian Faith 101; anyone who wants to follow Christ must deny themselves and take up their cross (Luke 9:23-27)!

Jesus must become the greatest joy of our life. We must realize that we are citizens of a different kingdom and reckon ourselves dead to the demands and culture of the country in which we are exiled. As one person has said, "You can't kill a dead man." This is not our home! We are aliens and strangers and our great hope is to see our King face to face and be with Him forever. 

This eternal hope is how we endure all that the world will throw at us, even death. Our life is hid with God in Christ and we are secure, so we can count all the trials and temptations as joy (James 1:2-4).
May The Lord grant us such elementary faith in Him. 

In Christ, 

Storm Knight

photos courtesy of pexels.com

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