Positively Harassed || Behind the Beatitudes || Week 8 (FINALE)

Welcome back to the finale (more info at the end) of our “Behind the Beatitudes” series! This series takes a deeper look at what the Beatitudes mean and how they apply to us today. Today’s beatitude comes from Matthew 5:10-11 and says this:

Matthew 5:10-11 – Great blessings belong to those who suffer persecution for doing what is right. God’s kingdom belongs to them. People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do that, know that great blessings belong to you.

Great blessings belong to those who suffer persecution for doing what is right. People who are bullied for doing what the right thing is will receive God’s blessing. This makes sense to me. Often times I see people receiving criticism for doing the right thing because it doesn’t fit the narrative of one’s beliefs or society’s beliefs. Those scolded for doing the right thing see those benefits in the long-term instead of the short-term, hence why they get scolded. Let’s look at some scripture that talks about that!

Haters Gonna Hate!

Luke 6:22 – People will hate you because you belong to the Son of Man. They will make you leave their group. They will insult you. They will think it is wrong to even say your name. When these things happen, know that great blessings belong to you. 

Persecution isn’t something we should go after, but when an evil thing is said about us and for Christ’s sake, that persecution comes with God’s blessing. 

Jesus says that following him will not be easy. It will come with strife and persecution. You may lose friends and family members because of what you believe and what you do. They will isolate you, bully you, gossip about you, and generally just not like you. Thankfully, we don’t HAVE to rely on who likes us on Earth. The only relationship that should matter is the one between Jesus and us. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t value what our family and friends say about us or that we should allow those to speak venom over us. I’m saying that at the end of the day, you are still loved. You are still cared for by the one who does all things. People will do things against us because it benefits their agenda. Still, you will act on things that benefit God’s agenda. Let’s now look at Peter at what Peter had to say:

Suffering for the Sake of God

1 Peter 4:12-14 – My friends, don’t be surprised at the painful thing that you are now suffering, which are testing your faith. Don’t think that something strange is happening to you. But you should be happy that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings. You will be happy and full of joy when Christ shows his glory. When people say bad things to you because you follow Christ, consider it a blessing. When that happens, it shows that God’s Spirit, the Spirit of glory, is with you.

Peter probably wrote this when the burning of Rome happened and at the start of a horrendous 200-year period of Christian persecution. Peter gives four different attitudes that are needed to overcome persecution: 

• Expect it
• Rejoice in it
• Evaluate its cause
• Entrust it to God

To not think that something strange is happening during a time of persecution is tough. Happening means “to fall by chance.” We, as believers, shouldn’t think that being persecuted like that is something that happens accidentally. God let it happen for our testing, purging, and cleansing. 

A whole lot to unpack there, and that’s just my notes from verse 12. Peter does list some intriguing attitudes to take when dealing with the feeling of persecution. We should expect it. Expect that people will talk about you in a way that doesn’t honor you. We should rejoice in it. A funny way, to me, to look at it is that if someone wants to talk about you when you’re not around, it means you’ve made such an impact that has left you on their mind. We should evaluate its cause. Every argument has a rooted foundation somewhere. Sometimes it’s easy to fix; sometimes, it’s easier to leave it alone; sometimes, you want to sign someone up for therapy. Looking at why you’re being talked about is a way to decide how you should handle it. We should finally entrust it to God. At the end of the day, God will handle it. Give it to God and let him guide you through the persecution. He will protect you, walk with you, and love you more than you feel you or others could love you. 

Verse 13 talks about sharing in Christ’s suffering. If we’re persecuted for our faith, we share the same suffering Christ dealt with. When it’s said that Christ’s glory will be shown, it refers to when he comes back to Earth. He’s glorified up in heaven currently, but his return will take it to a whole new level. Someone who is persecuted for doing what is right in our life should have a lot of joy in the future because of our eternal present. 

This verse focuses on a tricky spot for me. Obviously, Peter refers to the persecution of sharing faith, while I focused on others talking bad about you. It’s hard to compare that, in my opinion, to the suffering that Jesus went through. I think the thing to say here is that your test will become your testimony. You’re hurt in the short-term will show as a learning experience in the long term. It’s okay to look back at the pain and see the good in it. We don’t do that because pain is associated with hurt, anger, and more. Pain is also a part of growth. As you’re gaining muscle, your muscles go through pain to recognize the change and growth. It recognizes the adjustment of using parts that hadn’t been used before to get them more robust than ever before. 

Insulted because of what we believe is something we can use as a blessing. Not as a term of general happiness, but a benefit in that suffering can produce more good in the long-term. In that time of suffering and persecution, God is with us. We can find rest in Him through the Holy Spirit. That rest helps us gain our strength and endurance beyond our physical limits. 

Being talked about can suck, especially if it happens often and involves someone we care about deeply. I’m not trying to make a light out of it, but I guess God’s light is trying to shine through it. We need to stand up for what we believe it regardless of the societal pressures and all that. If we have to be insulted for what we believe is right in our eyes, then so be it. It sucks in the short term while we recognize the hate and persecution within our social circle, but it’s also a blessing because it can show who has our back and who doesn’t. It can suck to see people’s true colors, but God walks with us through it all, as Peter and I have stated. He sees the hurt we have, the frustrations we grow, the anger we hold on to, and the sadness that comes through and takes all of that for us as well. He guides us through it and comforts us along the way. His light shines towards a better tomorrow, even while we deal with the hurt today. 

Believers in Christ, and generally any believers, will be persecuted when standing up for what is right. Whether it’s what you believe is right or what is actually correct, because as we’ve seen the past year and a half. There’s a difference between these two perspectives. Fear not the persecution of the truth and stay strong as we get harassed positively. 

This was the unexpected finale, so apologies if some of the word choices in previous parts don’t flow together. I started writing the blog for Matthew 5:11, but I couldn’t quite work with the scripture references, and it felt too much like this message, so I figured to combine the scripture. Over the next 2 weeks, I’ll be doing two installments of “Let’s Listen To…” It’ll be a good break for me before we start our next series, which you will hear about in two weeks. Until then, stay blessed!