Happy are the Mistreated (Matthew 5:10-12)

1. Offensive Gospel

We can certainly make peace with our fellow human beings but not at the expense of doing the right thing. Neither John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul nor other great leaders preached inoffensively. Quite the opposite! The gospel is offensive. A normal Christian will have trouble in this world, but those who preach the gospel are inviting even more trouble into their lives. The world hates the gospel.

When the world is carried away by lust, godly preachers must prepare for confrontation. True Christians are always exposed to the cross. Some estimate that an average of 400-500 Christians are martyred every day for their faith worldwide. Others reckon that 26 million Christians were murdered for their faith in the 20th century, more than all other centuries combined. Why do you think that Jesus said those who are persecuted for doing the right thing are very happy? Could it be that they know something the rest of us don't?

2. Double Blessing

The beatitudes say happy are those who are persecuted for doing the right thing. The 8th and 9th use of the word blessed (beati in the Latin Bible, from which we get the word beatitude) are perhaps a double blessing or double happiness for the persecuted. It seems to underscore the importance of living with discrimination, when we do the right thing. This insistence upon happiness when we are victimized makes it a unique hallmark of Christianity.

Martyrdom, imprisonment and enslavement are only one side of the persecution story. Insults, false accusations and other kinds of bullying are another side to the harassment of Christians. False accusation is a common weapon used against Christian believers. However, persecuted Christians are happy and are encouraged to rejoice and be exceptionally glad for such mistreatment. The only reasons given are that the kingdom of heaven is ours and that a great reward awaits us there.

3. Persecuted for the Right Thing

There are a lot of reasons for persecution. Vile criminals are persecuted. Nobody like rudely obnoxious people either. When Jesus said happy are the persecuted, he meant those who are mistreated for doing right. It is not for those who are hassled for doing wrong. Some Christians may indeed be abused for their own sins, and not for anything that they did which was right. That is not a reason to rejoice. But harassment for doing the right thing is a reason to be happy. Why?

The apostle Peter in his first letter writes that such suffering makes us partners with Christ in his suffering (1 Peter 4:12-14). If we are flattered by people and everybody seems to like us, we have a reason to doubt our Christianity, and such uncertainty cannot be a happy state. However, when we are persecuted for doing the right thing, it is a confirmation of our faith. The kingdom of heaven is ours, and our reward there will be huge.