Enduring Word and Commentary
Matthew 5:10-12
The world’s reception of these kind of people: persecution.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake: Jesus brings insults and spoken malice into the sphere of persecution. We cannot limit our idea of persecution to only physical opposition or torture.
In Matthew 5:10 they are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; in Matthew 5:11 they are persecuted for the sake of Jesus. This shows that Jesus expected that their righteous lives would be lived after His example, and in honor to Him.
- It did not take long for these words of Jesus to ring true to His followers. Early Christians heard many enemies say all kinds of evil againstthem falsely for Jesus’ sake. Christians were accused of:
- Cannibalism, because of gross and deliberate misrepresentation of the practice of the Lord’s Supper.
- Immorality, because of gross deliberate misrepresentation of weekly “Love Feast” and their private meetings.
- Revolutionary fanaticism, because they believed that Jesus would return and bring an apocalyptic end to history.
- Splitting families, because when one marriage partner or parent became a Christian there was often change and division in the family.
- Treason, because they would not honor the Roman gods and participate in emperor worship.