What did Jesus mean by saying that we are blessed when people insult or persecute us for His sake?
Matthew 5:11 - 12
NKJV - 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.
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Asked September 07 2016
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Anonymous
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Danny Hickman
There was a time when the scriptures made absolutely no logical sense to me; if I asked the question that's asked here, and someone read Matt 5:12 to me, it wouldn't really explain to me what I would be asking. It says, "great is your reward in heaven." That's why Christians are blessed when we are persecuted for Jesus' sake.
That wouldn't satisfy my reasoning. That is what I think the asker is wanting; that is what I believe this kind of question is about.
One person's answer pointed out what vs 12 said about the heavenly rewards. That says nothing about the "reasoning" of being rewarded for suffering. Can't we be rewarded without having to suffer? That is what I think the asker is wanting to discuss.
My reasoning changed when I began to better understand the context of the Word.
What made Jesus say this? What brought this on?
He was teaching people the basics of being his follower:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, mourners, and the meek, but blessed also are those who thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and peacemakers. It seems that all are blessed right where they are.
How are persecuted people blessed?
We are salt. (vs 13) If salt isn't used for its purpose it will lose its saltiness. Salt doesn't serve itself, but sustains something else.
We are light. (vs14) Light gives of itself; its purpose is to serve others. It doesn't hide itself, it exposes itself for the purpose of helping others.
He's teaching his followers to live for God.
Danny Hickman
Continuing,
Do we FEEL blessed simply by living for God? Can we feel blessed even when we're persecuted? Yes and no!
The mistake that's made is because of the way this is taught. The "religious" teach that we are to FEEL blessed BECAUSE OF the persecution. That's close to impossible! That would call for us to want to be persecuted, to invite persecution, to seek to suffer in his name. Only a sadist would do that.
We are to live as followers of Jesus. He was vilified when he was here teaching and preaching the gospel. He is still defamed and slandered. (Many today deny that he's even an historical person; they say he never existed).
I've been called (not to my face but online) many versions of "simple-minded" for defending his authority and lordship.
That isn't real persecution; there’s no suffering in being called "sheeple." I invite that! If it was a lion's den or a fiery furnace I wouldn't respond to them online. I wouldn't respond if I had to face lions to do so!
Am I saying I'm not willing to be persecuted for Christ? I'm trying to explain Matt 5:11-16. (I ain't trying to exegete the whole Bible and what it says about suffering).
There are places where Christians are beheaded for their faith. They are discovered and killed; they don't put a neon sign over their meeting places.
Jesus wasn't teaching Christian activism; he was teaching that his enemy (ies) would be our enemy, and that we would be rewarded for our service to him.
Suffering is NOT a reward!