WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
YOU LIVE FOR JESUS
“Blessed are those who are persecuted…”
Persecution.
A sermon
on persecution would typically focus on the fact that there are more Christians
being persecuted today than ever in the history of the world. It is true.
I could
tell you that each month, 322 Christians are killed for their faith; that 214
churches are destroyed; and that 772 forms of violence are committed against
Christians (rape, beatings, abduction, arrests, forced marriages).
But to
all of you who live in Kleefeld, Manitoba, Canada, such statistics are
abstract. They are true, but they are not your reality. You should care that
our brothers and sisters in the Lord are being hurt for their faith. You should
visit Voice of the Martyrs website and pray for the persecuted. But you are NOT
persecuted and you and I do not even faintly understand what it means to be
threatened for loving Jesus in our North American bubble.
And yet
the world is closing in on us. We may not have noticed it, like the proverbial
frog in the kettle. Culture and popular opinion have long influenced the way we
think in the church, yet now more than ever the church is thinking like the
world. It is safer that way. Living for Jesus is not a safe way to live; Jesus
never intended it to be. To be safe is to agree with the world and to disagree
with God.
What
happens when you live for Jesus? Paul answers, “…everyone who wants to live a
godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Ti. 3:12).
As we
consider this last beatitude in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, we have to ask
ourselves here, today, this morning, what place does persecution have in the
life of the Christian? The answer is plain: If a Christian lives for Jesus that
person can expect to be persecuted. Not just in Iran. Not just in North Korea.
But right here in central Canada too. And if you are persecuted for loving
Christ – bless you.
1. Why would we be Persecuted?
Persecution is the hunting down and harming of those who
have religious or political beliefs that are contrary to society. “Persecution
is simply the clash between two irreconcilable value-systems.”[i]
Why
would we be persecuted? Some people believe they are persecuted because they
speak up, because they have opinions that are not appreciated. Some are simply
paranoid. Some people have too high an opinion of themselves.
Righteousness and
Jesus – Jesus makes a specific point of saying that those who are blessed
are those who are persecuted because of
righteousness. Not self-righteousness. Righteousness! What is that?
Consider
the structure of the beatitudes. There are two groups of four, each ending with
a reference to righteousness. The first ends with v. 6 and those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness. The second ends with v. 10 and those who are
persecuted for righteousness.
The
three beatitudes that lead to hunger for righteousness describe a holy
emptiness. The poor in spirit realize they have nothing; they mourn their
condition; the meek trust God for their cause. With this emptying comes the
natural hunger for filling. You realize you are missing something and hunger
for it.
The next
three beatitudes speak then of fullness. Our hunger is beginning to be
satisfied by an overflowing mercy, a pure heart, and power to make peace. That
righteousness we hunger for is given in the form of mercy, purity, and peace.
This is what ends up being the cause for persecution.[ii]
A
relationship with Jesus is a relationship that surpasses the righteousness of
the Pharisees (5:20). This is the only beatitude that is repeated, so we know
that righteousness is equated with Jesus (v.11).
Why is
righteousness unacceptable? You would think that a people who love God and
love their neighbors, who pray for their governments and try to be good
citizens, would fly under the radar of hostility. Who has a quarrel with a good
person? Why can’t we all just get along?
The
answer is simple: There is a natural enmity between the righteous and the
unrighteous, between the godly and the world. This is seen in Jesus’
confrontation with the Pharisees in Luke 16:14-15. Jesus said that no one can
serve two masters, God and money, because he will hate one and love the other.
You can’t serve both. The Pharisees, who loved money, heard this, and ridiculed
Jesus. If you love something that is contrary to loving God you will seek to
justify it. When you cannot reasonably justify that object, you will resort to
ridicule, insults, slander, and even violence. Your way of life is threatened
and you lash out at that which threatens it.
Two responses to a
righteous life – If, as followers of Christ, we uphold the biblical view of
marriage and purity in sexuality, we will be seen as attacking culture’s love
of free sex. If you live a life of self-control, your life will be an
indictment of any excess. When you live a life of godliness in your business
and in your relationships, there are two responses: persecution or conversion
(see John 3:20-21).
Hearing
this you might say, “Neither has happened. Why is that?” One reason may be that
you are hiding your righteousness; you are living in shame of the testimony of
Christ.
One
writer put it this way: “Approve the world's morals and ethics at least
outwardly. Live like the world lives, laugh at its humor, immerse yourself in
its entertainment, smile when God is mocked, act as if all religions converge
on the same road, don't mention hell, draw no moral judgments, take no stand on
moral issues - and above all: don't preach the Gospel to others!”[iii]
That is the safe way to live.
Another
reason that you are neither persecuted nor converting your neighbors is this:
You are letting your distinctive Christian values show and people are in a
state of moving toward you in agreement and possible conversion, or are trying
to decide what to do with you since they deeply oppose what you stand for.
Truthfully, many people are confused by their own emotions about Christianity
because they hate Christ’s exclusivity and claims, and at the same time are
attracted to them.
Righteousness
is not something we do but is something we are through faith in the blood of
Christ. He makes us righteous. As we confess our sins, turn from sins to Jesus,
and acknowledge the necessity of the cross of Christ, God declares us
righteous. That alone incites people who don’t believe they are sinners or
sinful to hate what we stand for, who we stand for.
2. How are the Persecuted Blessed?
“Blessed are those
who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven,” (10).
How can Jesus say this? Let’s get on a
plane and go visit L&D in M and tell them when they are being harassed by
Buddhist monks that they are fortunate, that they should be happy.
My
friend, back when I was an assistant pastor in Winnipeg, was kicked out of her
home when she gave her life to Christ. Her parents said that she had turned her
back on their traditions and way of life. They put her belongings on the front
step. I was proud of her. But at that point I could not tell her to be happy
for being shunned. She was distressed that she might not see her family again.
How are
the persecuted blessed? First, this is Jesus talking, not some cheerful ninny
who sidles up to the grieving and says, “Praise God anyway.” This is Jesus. And
he says, “Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because
of me,” (11).
Jesus
has the right to say this because he knows that the reward of the kingdom of
heaven overshadows any pain and suffering we will endure on earth. Jesus knows
heaven and the glory of it. He came from there. And He knows the pain of being
righteous in an unrighteous world where darkness hides from His light. This is
a matter of perspective, a heavenly perspective, that something better awaits
us.
Being
heavenly-minded – There is an old expression, “Don’t be so heavenly-minded
that you are of no earthly good.” It’s a horrible saying; totally unbiblical.
Johnny Cash sang a song with this phrase in the chorus (too bad he got it
wrong).
Jesus
calls us to be heavenly-minded. Being heavenly-minded always inspires us to be
more earthly good. Paul encouraged this perspective, he said, “Set your mind on things above, not on
earthly things,” (Col. 3:12). He reflected the heart of Christ who said to
store up treasures in heaven – that’s where your heart should be.
That
doesn’t mean that we forget the matters on earth, the sick and the dying, the poor
and the lonely. With our hearts set on heaven we think of them more.
C.S
Lewis wrote, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did
most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.
It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that
they have become so ineffective in this.”
Rejoice in
suffering for Jesus – With this perspective in mind we can see where Jesus
gets the authority to say, “Rejoice and
be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you,” (12).
Jesus
wants us to have our hearts focused on heaven, our hopes based in heaven, our
desires aimed at heaven, our joy set on heaven. Only then can we rejoice and be
glad when we lose our earthly joys. How can we rejoice and be glad when we
suffer for Christ and suffer loss unless we love heaven more?
Discipleship
means allegiance to the suffering Christ, and it is therefore not at all
surprising that Christians should be called upon to suffer. In fact, it is a
joy and a token of His grace.[iv]
Some
five centuries ago, a believer in England was being burned at the stake for his
faith in Christ. As the flames licked at his feet and clothing, he began to
sing an old hymn. One of his persecutors picked up a chunk of wood and beaned
him on the forehead. The saint replied, “Come on now, you interrupted a good
old song,” and he started over. His courage and joy were overwhelming at the
thought of suffering for Christ, he could sing while dying.
The
prophets of old were heroes of righteousness. When society and culture were
against them, they spoke the Word of God even in the face of opposition. We are
called to be prophets in our society and culture too. We are in that line.
Responding to Persecution
If a Christian lives for Jesus Christ, that person can
expect to be persecuted. How should we respond to persecution if and, the Lord
willing, when it comes?
There
are a number of responses depending on the situation:
1) We could leave:
When Jesus confronted the Jews with the truth of His person, that He was the
Son of God, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid Himself and
slipped away (John 8:59).
There
are going to be times when the simplest thing to do is walk away. Just walk
away. If you are receiving verbal abuse or ridicule, you can always leave. It’s
a free country, so they say.
2) We need to
guard against compromise: More importantly, in a time such as ours, we need
to beware of taking the easy way out of trouble or avoiding persecution. Paul
addressed a situation like this when he wrote to the Galatians: “Those who want to make a good impression
outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do
this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ,” (Gal. 6:12).
We may
find it easier to bow to cultural or societal norms than to hold on to the
truth. Rob Bell, author of Love Wins, told Oprah that the Bible is just a dusty
2000 year old document that is out of touch with today’s issues. If the Bible
is irrelevant and we are going to ignore certain parts, who decides what parts
we do hold to?
God’s
truth is non-negotiable.
3) We need to love
our enemies: This is counter-cultural. Why is loving our enemies
counter-cultural? Because, generally, when you disagree with someone on social
media it invites all kinds of emotion, especially hate. If you don’t agree with
me, society declares, you hate me.
We do
disagree with many of the behaviors and practices of people in our world, but
that doesn’t mean we hate them. They may hate us for our stand however. Paul
said, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is
evil…Do not repay anyone evil for evil…Do not take revenge…” (Ro. 12:9, 17,
19). Jesus said, “Love your enemies.”
4) Pray for those
who persecute you: This too is counter-cultural. To pray for someone is to
seek God’s blessing on them when they are looking to somehow curse you. In
connection to loving your enemy, Jesus also said, “…pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father
in heaven,” (Mt. 5:44-45).
Since
all the beatitudes describe what a Christian is intended to be, being despised
and rejected, slandered and persecuted, is a normal mark of being a Christian
as is being pure in heart. To be a Christian, following Jesus, means that we
will suffer for bearing His name. Jesus says that is something to rejoice
about.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what
he cannot lose” (Jim Elliot).[v]
AMEN
