Matthew 5:9-12

Matthew 5:9-12

Blessed are the ones who work for peace, because they will be called sons of God.  Blessed are the ones who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.  Blessed are you when they should unjustly speak disparagingly of you all and persecute you all and speak every evil against you all because of me.  Rejoice and be glad!  Because your reward in heaven is great.  For in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The first Beatitude for today is profound on such a simple lesson.  We think about the term “sons of God” and we think Jesus is talking adoption language here.  But I don’t think that He actually is talking adoption language.  I believe Jesus is talking discipleship language – specifically the language of imitation.  Jesus was a Son of God.  What was Jesus sent here on this earth to do other than to provide the means for us to be at peace with God!  Jesus came and died on the cross so that we might have peace with God.  Therefore, when we make peace – that is, sacrifice of ourselves as Christ did in order to allow others to draw closer to God – we too are sons of God because we are imitating Christ.  Now don’t get me wrong.  Only Christ’s death on the cross can grant us peace with God.  But we can be a part of the process of how other people see Christ in action through our lives!

Are you a peacemaker?  How do you sacrifice of yourself so that others can draw closer to God?

Second Thought:

The last two Beatitudes have to deal with persecution.  I don’t think there is any doubt why Jesus saves these two for the last.  They’re not easy to hear!  When people persecute you, you are blessed!  When people slander you, you are blessed!  When people speak ill of you, you are blessed!  This is not an easy message to hear.  Most of us do not enjoy persecution.  But the reality is that Jesus lived most of His ministry in persecution.  People were coming all the time to Jesus to watch Him do miracles and then walking away.  Even many of His disciples – not the Twelve – walked away from Him after the feeding of the 5,000!  Jesus was always being challenged by the religious leaders.  Crowds that cheered for Him on the Triumphal Entry chanted for His death a few days later.  Jesus lived with persecution.

Where are you persecuted for the sake of Christ?  Does it make it easier to know tha thte persecution is for the sake of Christ?

Third Thought:

Then Jesus makes the passage even harder.  He gives us two commands (Imperative voice).  Have you ever tried to rejoice in the middle of persecution?  I have.  It’s not easy.  It took every ounce of character that I had and a whole lot more that I got from God.  It’s not easy to look persecution into the eye and to give God the glory for the persecution.  But that’s exactly what Jesus did.  He not only talked it here, He lived it when He was arrested and then hung on the cross.  Rejoice and be glad.  For the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are persecuted for the name of Christ.

Have you ever been able to rejoice in the midst of persecution?  If so, how did it feel?  Why do we often fail to rejoice in the midst of persecution?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 5:13-16