The Peacekeepers and Pesecuted

The Peacekeepers & The Persecuted

Matthew 5:9–12 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

The Jesus Way: When your heart has been touched by Jesus on the inside, your lifestyle begins to line up with Jesus on the outside.

In other words, you can’t start with rules and regulations and ever expect to see the Kingdom of God in the earth!

It has to been born in your heart…then it will begin to form your mind, will, and emotions.

These Final Two Beatitudes

I don’t think I’ve been more concerned about the task of preaching a passage of Scripture than I have been about this passage.

Principle: We live in a culture of wars, and military, and violence. We are also more aware today (globally) of oppression and persecution that exists right in our own community (it’s not just someplace far away!).

It seems odd that Jesus suggests you can be both a peacemaker and persecuted at the same time.

We associate peacemaking with being a dominant force or power.

We associate persecution with being dominated.

Chris Stapleton Lyrics: Peacemaker

I'm a cool 3 lbs of cold blue steel I shoot even deader than the way I feel Made to fit right in your hand Why I'll never understand

I coulda been a hammer or a railroad spike I coulda been a train rollin' through the night But they gave my voice such a terrible sound That I wish they'd left me in the ground

I'm a peacemaker Don't know how I got my name I'm a peacemaker If I don't deserve the credit Why do I deserve the blame

A peacemaker doesn’t look like a Smith & Wesson pistol…a peacemaker looks like Jesus…who strips violence and hatred of its power, and calls everyone to give their own lives to God in the service of others.

A Third Way

When it comes to peacemaking and persecution we typically can only imagine two options: Flight (Freeze) or Flight

Principle: One of the greatest obstacles to living the beatitudes for the Church is a lack of prophetic imagination!

Let me explain…we often became so indoctrinated with this-worldly thinking that we let culture frame the choices we have rather than looking to Jesus.

A prophetic imagination is a way of seeing the world and seeing life through the lens of Christmas & Easter!

(Let me give you an example…)

Jesus on Retaliation

(Walter Wink)

Matthew 5:38–42 ““You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. As for the one who wants to sue you and take away your shirt, let him have your coat as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and don’t turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Three Situations of Persecution and Violence:

Physical attack (slapped in the face)

Financial attack (wrongfully sued)

Oppressive control (forcing one to go one mile)

To understand what Jesus suggests here you have to understand Matthew 5:38-39

Matthew 5:38–39 CSB

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you, don’t resist an evildoer. On the contrary, if anyone slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

Most translation are going to translate that statement as “Don’t resist evil.”

The problem is this does not get at the core of what Jesus is suggesting. What Jesus actually says there is “But I tell you, Violence against evildoers.”

“You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth (Deut 19:21).’ But I say to you: don’t use violence to resist evil!”

Jesus Alternative Solution (prophetic imagination)

When they strike on the right cheek, offer them the left cheek.

When they wrongfully try to take sue your shirt, strip down and give them your cloak.

When you are forced against your will to go one mile, insist on carrying their load another mile.

Making Peace the Jesus Way

1. We follow the way of Jesus:

(repeat) Viewing Jesus was not a nice, moral leader nullifies the power of the gospel!

Jesus did not flinch in the face of threat. He not only spoke the truth and boldly paraded that truth before Rome (triumphant entry)...he also taught his followers to do the same (turn the other cheek, give them your undergarment, carry the extra mile were all ways of flipping the power of violence and shame on its head).

2. We learn to take joy in persecution, rather than mount up armies in cultural wars.

"Blissfully content are you when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Matthew 5: 11-12

Its interesting that in all of church history it was a great honor to be martyred for the cause of Christ, yet we take the social media every time someone violates our rights or our beliefs!

3. We remember and care for those who are persecuted.

In our first-world setting, very few of us know the meaning of persecution. Sadly, even the church that dilutes the gospel in exchange for a pop-culture message has avoided persecution.

Jesus reminds us that the persecuted are typically the ones telling the truth! They are saying what no one wants to hear.

Many of us (I’m including myself) live from a place of privilege (I know that is a trigger word for some). But it keeps us from seeing through the eyes of Jesus.

Principle: We best hear and see the way of Jesus when we remember this simple teaching:

Matthew 18:3–5 ““Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.”