Jesus said, “Rejoice
and be thrilled, for in the heavens you will receive a rich reward, for they
persecuted the prophets who were before you in the same way.”
—
Matthew 5:12
(USC)
Persecution has a strong sense
of suffering about it; intentional bullying, maltreatment, and harassment are
implied. We have all been persecuted in some way, but some people – for reasons
of colour or gender or religious stance, etc. – are particularly systematically
targeted.
The Jews of Jesus’
time were regularly subject to racial and religious persecution.
The Jews were no
foreigners to that which many of our indigenous are accustomed to; many will
relate to feeling like second- or third-class citizens. So, Jesus is
endeavouring to encourage them – and he’s probably managing to do just that.
I imagine Jesus is
just arriving at top gear and is about to go into overdrive as he transitions
through the next several sections of his Sermon. Verse 12 of chapter 5 is the
culmination of the brisling opening section – the Beatitudes – of the Sermon on
the Mount.
***
What Jesus says –
above – either inspires us or it annoys us.
If we are inspired,
we have already experienced a life situation of major suffering, and, because
we decided we could only endeavour to obey the Lord in our pain, we were
eventually blessed. If we are annoyed, the probability is we suffer now, and
have not experienced, yet, the blessings of going Jesus’ reverse way. But it’s by faith we are blessed. And if that’s
our hope – to go by faith despite the pain – our faith ultimately vindicates
our hope.
Either way, enduring
that which we suffer is never easy. But what can ease our pain is the thought
of what treasures in heaven are being stored up.
***
It may not make
sense to focus on a time when we are dead. It may even frighten us to imagine
such a morbid thought. But death is the doorway into the Presence of God for
eternity – if we follow Christ.
Thinking on our
deaths won’t make us want to be there as much as it will give us purpose to
make the most of this life now.
To think there is
purpose beyond the earthly dimension in the fact of our persecution; that is
verily good. To ease one’s pain, can’t we meditate silently on how blessed God
has ordained we be? We are not far from the finishing post – we must keep
straining forward in our stride despite the headwinds of human resistance.
***
QUESTIONS in REVIEW:
1. How do we “consider it pure joy”
when we face “trials of many kinds” (James 1:2-4)?
2. What is it like to be genuinely
persecuted? The persecuted church is one thing, but what about in egalitarian
Western society? Can we even relate to Jesus’ Jewish context? Maybe yes, maybe
no.
© 2015 S. J. Wickham.
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