Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
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Anger
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"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 opening section (5:3–10) pronounces blessings on eight categories of people.
The “poor in spirit” (5:3) are those who,
conscious of their own inadequacy,
The expression occurs also in the Qumran texts (and cf. ).
rely on God’s grace;
lacking material wealth,
they are inwardly rich.
The mourners (5:4) refuse to close their eyes to human sorrow; they sympathize with the tragedy of life.
The “meek” (5:5) are the opposite of the self-assertive; their reward has been announced already in .
"But the humble will inherit the land and will enjoy abundant prosperity.”
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Those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (5:6) are consumed with the desire to see God’s will done—in themselves and among mankind at large.
The “merciful” (5:7), the “pure in heart” (5:8) and the “peacemakers” (5:9) reflect the character of the God of mercy, purity and peace.
In a world where the accepted standards of value are the reverse of these, such people are not likely to have an easy time.
In fact, they are almost bound to be “persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (5:10).
But, says Jesus, here is no ground for complaint, but rather for exultation:
people such as he describes are the truly happy and fortunate people;
on them their friends should press warm and sincere congratulations.
This brings us to the main point of our text.
MAIN THEME: True Godliness is usually attended with persecution.
MAIN THEME: True Godliness is usually attended with persecution.
Let’s unpack it together.
Let’s see the CHARACTER of the persecution.
“persecuted” (v10).
They are persecuted, hunted, pursued, run down, as noxious beasts are,
that are sought for to be destroyed; as if a Christian were an outlaw.
Paul spoke to the Corinthians about how they were received as apostles.
He says that they were slandered and “we are like the scum of the earth, like everyone’s garbage.”
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"when we are slandered, we respond graciously.
Even now, we are like the scum of the earth, like everyone’s garbage.”
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"...Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.
"Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment.
"They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated.
"The world was not worthy of them.
They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.”
()
Paul speaks about the things that cannot separate us from the love of God.
He talks about
affliction, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, the sword?
"As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
() This has been the effect of the enmity of the serpent’s seed against the holy seed,
ever since the time of righteous Abel.
It was so in Old-Testament times.
Christ has told us that it would much more be so with the Christian church, and
we are not to think it strange,"Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”
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This is the Character of the persecution.
Look at “… they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me.” (v11).
“insult” meaning reproach.
Heaping insults upon believers.
For example, "“You were born entirely in sin,...and are you trying to teach us?” ()
Surely, those who did not hesitate to address Jesus as follows, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan and have a demon?”” ()
would not hesitate to heap insults upon his disciples also (cf. ).
This is exactly what our Lord says: "Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’
If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”
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v11 says that they “falsely say every kind of evil against you...”
This is slander.
Similarly, a little later, during the early persecutions of the church,
Christians were going to be called atheists because they did not worship a visible God;
immoral because helplessly they would frequently meet in secret places;
and unpatriotic because they confessed loyalty to Christ as their King and refused to worship the emperor.
“… they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me.” (v11).
Let’s see the CAUSE of the persecution.
“because of righteousness” (v10)
When the faith of God’s children has developed sufficiently to be outwardly manifested
so that those who do not share it with them begin to take notice, persecution results.
The persecution to which Jesus refers does not spring from purely
social,
racial,
economic, or
political causes,
but is rooted in being in relationship with Jesus.
It is distinctly a persecution “for righteousness’ sake.”
Which is because the people to whom reference is made (followers of Jesus)
wish to be and to live in harmony with God’s holy will
that they endure persecution and continue to hold out under it
no matter what happens to them.
There is no need to change the definition of the word “righteousness” here: it is the same as in verse 6.
The wicked cannot tolerate those who in the eyes of God are accounted “righteous.”
Their very character is a constant protest against the character of their opponents.
For that reason the “world” hates the children of God (; ; ; , ).
"You will be hated by everyone because of my name.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
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"“Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you.
You will be hated by all nations because of my name.”
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"If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own.
However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.”
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"unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother.
And why did he murder him?
Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
"Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”
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This hatred underlies the persecution of which 5:10 speaks.
The Lord assures the persecuted ones that they are blessed.
By constant reading of this beatitude, or perhaps having committed it to memory in childhood,
we have become so accustomed to it that it has lost its original impact.
The impression upon those whom Jesus was addressing must have been tremendous,
because it was a rather common idea among the Jews that all suffering, including persecution (see ),
was an indication of God’s displeasure and of the special wickedness of the one afflicted with suffering.
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