“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” – Matthew 5:11-12
How many of us REALLY believe this…when it happens to us? Jesus is crystal clear about what we should expect as His followers and the blessing that comes with it. However, the truth is we’ve seldom experienced it in this part of the world in recent decades. As a result, our ability to recognize the blessing of persecution for ourselves seems limited.
Are you prepared to receive this blessing? Is your faithfulness and loyalty to Christ sufficient to help you embrace the blessing of being reviled – hated, lied about, mischaracterized, and blacklisted socially or professionally? Are you willing to embrace the blessing of serious legal consequences for following Christ? Are you prepared to suffer the loss of health, freedom, or life for Christ – and to do so in the meek, humble, peacemaking, righteous way Christ described in the verses before these?
Such persecution may or may not come. Nonetheless, every Christian should spend time thoughtfully and prayerfully reflecting on the truth of these verses. Take time to meditate on them and whether you can embrace this blessing, because we’re called to. The time to prepare yourself and discipline your heart to follow Christ wherever He leads no matter the cost isn’t in the middle of persecution, it’s beforehand. So take time today and ask yourself what price you’re willing to pay for this reward in heaven!