Matthew 5:11-12- “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Good morning!

As we wrap up this week’s devotionals, we are finishing up the first section of the Sermon on the Mount called the Beatitudes. Throughout this past week, we have seen Jesus call groups of people blessed, and if we’re being honest, blessed would be the last way we’d think to define such groups. However, in the “kingdom of heaven,” these groups are blessed beyond measure.
The reason we have a hard time seeing these groups as blessed is because of the culture we live in. The groups Jesus mentions represent an outlook radically different from our world. For instance, the world praises pride, not humility… The world endorses sin while mocking purity… The world tells us to get ahead by any means possible, even if it is at the expense of others… In other words, the world’s teachings are at odds with God’s.

Today as we conclude with the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches His followers that they will be insulted, persecuted, and people will speak all kinds of false evil against them because of their connection with Him. I’m sure we have all seen this happen in our lives. The world has a strong disdain for those who are truly seeking Jesus. Though we don’t usually experience the persecution like other countries, it’s clear that our culture is against followers of Jesus. Christians are oftentimes mocked for their beliefs, portrayed as uneducated, and so on… I want to remind and encourage you today, this type of insulting is to be expected. Jesus was clear that this will happen to all of us who truly follow Him.

Yes, it’s tough. We all know that the saying, “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” is complete nonsense. Words hurt…They’re personal… and it’s hard not be upset when we know our intentions are pure. However, rest assured, when someone speaks insults and evil against you because of your faith in Jesus, you are blessed! In fact, Jesus tells us to “rejoice and be glad” and that we’re in good company. Talk about being “counter cultural” …

Jesus was 100% transparent and clear that we will experience persecution because of our faith! However, you are blessed! How? Because this is not all there is… The kingdom of heaven will outlast the things of earth…
Maybe you find yourself in one of these groups that Jesus is speaking to in this section. If so, I pray one thing has been made clear: you are blessed, and your reward is in heaven! My encouragement today is to continue to seek Jesus with all you heart! This world may knock us down… they may count us as “down and out”, but in the kingdom of heaven, we are blessed!

Have a great weekend!
-Taylor