Devotional: Matthew 5:11-12

“Blessed are you whe people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5:11, 12

This month we are finishing off the series on the beatitudes. The verses above are basically an extension on what Jesus had said beforehand (”Blessed are those who are presecuted…”) but here he elaborates and even builds up on the idea of persecution.

Persecution can take many forms ranging from a mere insult to the death sentence. Satan has indeed found many ways to try to discourage the church but few have come to realize that the more the church is persecuted, the more it grows. In the United States, there is no legal way that we can be sued or fined for being Christians, although there are those being hassled for showing that they are. Insults, however, aren’t illegal and we should rejoice for all insults we receive because we are Christians.

To be persecuted for no reason is one thing, but to be persecuted for our hope in Christ, our trust in the Gospel, and for the sake of the Word of God is an honor only exceeded by martyrdom. This is why it says in Acts 6:41 that “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” This persecution would be considered negatively by anyone who is yet of the world but we who are in Christ should rejoice at this.

Verse 12 shows what we who suffer “for the Name” receive in eternity. We will receive reward for everything. God himself will compensate us, to countless times over, with eternal blessings to the extent that we will never figure out what we did to deserve it.

In conclusion, we should rejoice at persecution and, someday, we will receive our reward for it. James 1:12 says “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.”