The Only Way to Happiness - Be Harassed
The Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted
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And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Introduction:
Introduction:
Joy and sorrow are part of the fabric of life that God weaves and lovingly fits as perfect clothing for His children.
To think about joy and sorrow and being a marvelous part of life is a mysterious and paradoxical statement.
However, there is great comfort in the fact that our loving God is the weaver.
As we take up the last Beatitude, we are reminded that each of the Beatitudes are a mystery of paradox.
These statements go against the grain of everything that society says it should be.
These are non-sensible statements to a world that is very far away from God.
Happy are the poor?
Happy are the sad?
Happy are the humble?
Happy and the hungry?
Happy are the thirsty?
Happy are those that show other people mercy?
Happy are the Holy?
Happy are the true peacemakers, by having true righteousness?
No, no, the world says, “Happy are the wealthy!”
“Happy are the ones that do not think about sin!”
“Happy are the ones that assert themselves!”
You get the idea.
The fact is, though, that the way of the world has never been the way of the Father and of His children.
John Calvin said of this Beatitude is particular:
Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke Matthew 5:1–12; Luke 6:20–26
The disciples of Christ have very great need of this instruction; and the more hard and disagreeable it is for the flesh to admit it, the more earnestly ought we to make it the subject of our meditation.
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The first three Beatitudes pour through the desire for righteousness and out of that flow to the next three.
Then because of the reality of the first seven Beatitudes being in the life of the Believer, the resulting Beatitude for which Jesus says that we are blessed is the Beatitude of being persecuted.
Jesus’ words may would have seemed to be a surprise to some of His hearers of the time who had already experienced some persecution.
For example, first century Christians would have come under the persecution of the infamous Nero, the Emperor of Rome; the great-great-grandson of Caesar Augustus, the Caesar who called everyone to their place of birth for a census when Mary was pregnant with Christ.
Show Bust of Nero
Nero lived from AD 37-68 and was the Emperor of Rome from AD 54-68.
He is known as one of the most brutal dictators of all time.
Nero began his reign of persecution with his false indictment against the Christians for the burning of Rome in AD 64.
To divert the suspicion that he has started it for his own entertainment, Nero accused the Christians, who the public was more than willing and prepared to accept to believe the worst.
And having forced the conviction for arson against certain Christians he conducted mass arrests, and among other tortures burnt his victims alive in public.
The attacks on the Christians were so severe that Nero’s actions had left a legal precedent for translating this popular odium into official action.
Now, folks, we are talking about a wicked guy.
So, when Jesus says that “Happy are those that are persecuted,” this seemed strange to them.
But Jesus speaks with an economy of words that is staggering; if you want to be happy, be persecuted.
Yet, we should not be surprised at the fact the persecution follows being a peacemaker.
Not only do we have peace with God because we given up our unrighteousness for the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
But we are also people that have come to preach the gospel of peace.
We come to live out the gospel of peace and are persecuted because of it to one extent or another.
And as we look at the passage, what we are going to discover is that is not, necessarily, the persecution that brings happiness, but the reason why we are being persecuted.
Because of righteousness.
This is the culmination of Kingdom living; which is why Kingdom Living is not for the faint of heart but only for the true repentant, because it will ultimately end in persecution.
We will notice three points in this final section of the Beatitudes: The Persecution, The Promise, and The Posture.
I. The Persecution (vs. 10a)
I. The Persecution (vs. 10a)
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Those that are persecuted are in the Kingdom because they are being persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
And Paul was speaking to Timothy certainly through words of experience as one who lived the kingdom life and he had been persecuted, and all others who live the kingdom life can expect similar treatment.
And listen, what was true in ancient Israel is true today and will remain true until the Lord returns.
But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
Imagine working at a new job with some particularly profane people.
And at the end of the day he is asked by his wife how is day was.
To which he replies, “Terrific! They never guessed that I was a Christian.”
Listen, as long as people have no reason to believe that we are Christians, at least an obedient and righteous Christian, we need not worry about persecution.
But as we manifest the standards of Christ we will share the reproach of Christ.
Because those that are born of the flesh will persecute those born of the Spirit.
The fact is that to live for Christ is to live in the opposition to Satan in his world and in his system.
Because are we are peacemakers and Christlikeness is being produced in us, it will have the same results as Christlikeness did in the apostles, in the rest of the early Church, and believers throughout history.
Living for Christ today will produce the same reaction fro the world that Christ Himself produced when He lived on the earth.
Listen, righteousness is confrontational, and even when it is not preached in so many words, it confronts wickedness by contrast.
A good illustration of this would be Abel.
Abel did not preach to Cain with words about being righteous, but Abel’s righteous life, typified by his proper sacrifice to the Lord, was a constant rebuke to his wicked brother.
Who, in rage over his righteousness, finally murdered him.
Persecution is one of the surest and most tangible evidences of salvation.
Persecution is not incidental to faithful Christian living but is certain evidence of it.
The Apostle Paul made this statement:
That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.
For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.
And suffering persecution is part of the normal Christian life.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
And if someone never experienced ridicule, criticism, or rejection because of your faith, we have that person would have reason to examine the genuineness of it.
For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Listen, persecution for Christ;s sake is a sign of our own salvation just as it is a sign of damnation for those who do the persecuting.
And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
And whether we live in a relatively protected and tolerant society or whether we live under a godless regime, the world will find ways to persecute the Church.
Listen, to live the redeemed life to the fullest is to invite and to expect resentment and reaction from the world.
And the fact that many professed believers are popular and praised by the world does not indicate that the world has raised its standards.
But what it probably indicates is that those who call themselves Christians have lowered theirs.
And as the time of Christs’ return grows closer and closer we can expect opposition form the world to increase and not decrease.
I believe the real truth is when Christians are not persecuted in some way by society is means that they are reflecting rather then confronting the society.
And when we please the world we can be certain that we grieve the Lord.
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Also, keep in mind that Jesus said that persecution should not be something that is surprising to his people.
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Every believer will have, at times, some resistance and ridicule from the world.
Others, for the purposes of God, will endure more extreme suffering.
But whenever and however affliction comes to the child of God, his heavenly Father will be there with him to encourage and to bless.
The way to avoid persecution is obvious and easy.
Live like the world, or at least to “live and let live,” will cost us nothing.
To mimic the world’s standards, or never to criticize them, will cost us nothing.
To keep quiet about the Gospel, especially the truth that apart that apart form its saving power men will remsin in their sins and are destined to Hell, that will cost us nothing.
To go along with the world, laugh at its jokes, to enjoy it entertainment, to smile when it mocks God and takes His name in vain.
And to be ashamed to take a stand for Christ, will not being persecution.
Listen, Jesus Christ does not faithlessness lightly.
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Jesus said:
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
He said that “Happy are the ones that suffer persecution because they are righteous....”
Now, I want you to notice the next word, “for,” and that is the Greek word “ὅτι” and is literally translated “because.”
“Happy are those that are persecuted because of righteousness, because to them belongs the Kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus spoke about three types of affliction that those that are in the Kingdom will face:
1. Physical Persecution
1. Physical Persecution
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“Persecuted” is the word “διώκω” in all three instances which has the basic meaning of chasing, driving away, or pursuing.
And it is from that idea that we see the development of the connotations of physical persecution, harassment, abuse, and other unjust treatment.
All the other Beatitudes deal with the inner qualities, attitudes, and spiritual character.
But this Beatitude speaks of external things that happen to believers, but the teaching behind these results also has to do with attitude.
The believer who has the qualities required in the previous Beatitudes will also have the quality of willingness to face persecution for the sake of righteousness.
It is the courage that says:
Matthew, vols. 1-4 (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Physical Persecution
“I will be in this world what Christ would have me be. I will say in this world what Christ will have me say. Whatever it costs, I will be and say those things.”
The Greek verb is a passive, perfect, participle, and could be translated: “allow themselves to be persecuted.”
And the perfect form indicates continuous action.
It is the idea of a willingness to continually endure persecution it if is the price of godly living.
This Beatitude speaks of a constant attitude of accepting whatever faithfulness to Christ may bring.
Because this kind of persecution is purely rooted in religion.
It is distinctly a persecution “for righteousness.”
The Gospel according to Matthew 2. The Beatitudes, 5:3–12
Those who undergo persecution for God’s cause and not for any fault of their own receive a blessing like that for “the poor in spirit” (v. 3), and it is given in exactly the same words: the kingdom of heaven is theirs. There is the same underlying attitude and the same ultimate reward.34
2. Pronouncing Persecution (vs. 11a)
2. Pronouncing Persecution (vs. 11a)
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
The word “revile” is “ὀνειδίζω” and it literally means “to speak against someone in a harsh manner that is not justified.”
When God’s people are living a righteous life, the persecution could come of physical persecution or it could be in the form of verbal persecution.
To be an obedient citizen of the kingdom is to expect verbal abuse.
Even when God’s people that are dong things that are unscriptural and if they are brought face to face with the fact that what they are doing is not Biblical they can and will many times, unless they repent, become verbally abusive to the person who is telling them of their sin.
Notice Paul’s words.
For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
Matthew, vols. 1-4 (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Verbal Insults
Paul drew the expression “become a spectacle” from the practice of Roman generals to parade their captives through the street of the city, making a spectacle of them as trophies of war who were doomed to die once the general had used them to serve his proud and arrogant purposes. That is the way the world is inclined to treat those who are faithful to Christ.
Also, notice Paul’s words of sarcasm to the Corinthian Church:
We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.
Matthew, vols. 1-4 (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) Verbal Insults
Many in the Corinthian church suffered none of the ridicule and conflict the apostle suffered because they prized their standing before the world more than their standing before the Lord. In the world’s eyes they were prudent, strong, and distinguished—because they were still so much like the world.
We can be sure that when we are pleasing to the Lord, that we will not be pleasing to the powers of Satan and he will use Proclaimed Persecution to those that are righteous.
3. Persuading Persecution (vs. 11b)
3. Persuading Persecution (vs. 11b)
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Whereas insults are abusive words that are usually said to our face, the second part of these words are usually said behind our backs.
The enemies of Christ did it to Him.
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
If the world said that of the sinless Christ, what things can His followers expect to be called and accused of?
Slander behind our backs is harder to take partly because it is harder to defend against than direct accusations.
This kind of persecution has the opportunity to spread and be believed before we have a chance to correct it.
Much damage can be done to to a persons reputation before we are aware someone has slandered us.
No one likes to be slandered but we should not be grieved by it.
We should count ourselves as blessed, because the Lord assures us that we will be slandered on account of Him.
Matthew, vols. 1-4 (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary) False Accusation
We have no surer evidence of the Lord’s blessing than to be cursed for His sake. It should not seriously bother us when men’s curses fall on the head that Christ has eternally blessed.
II. The Promise (vs. 10b)
II. The Promise (vs. 10b)
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The promise of those that are persecuted because of righteousness is “the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
I believe that the blessing of the kingdom are three-fold present, millennial, and eternal.
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
First, we are promised blessing here and now.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife, and was imprisoned. But the Lord raised him to be the prime minister of Egypt and used him to save His chosen people from starvation and extinction.
Not every believer is rewarded in this life with the things of this life.
But every believer is rewarded in this life the comfort, strength, and joy of his indwelling Lord.
He is also blessed with knowing that what he does in the name of the Lord will not be in vain.
Second, there is the Millennial aspect of kingdom blessing.
When Christ establishes His 1,000 year reign on the earth, those that are in the kingdom will be co-regents with Him over wonderful, renewed earth.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Third, there is the reward of the eternal kingdom.
The ultimate fruit of kingdom life is eternal life.
Even if the world takes from us every possession, every freedom, every comfort, every satisfaction of physical life, it can take nothing from our spiritual life, either now or in eternity.
The Beatitudes begin and end with the promise of the kingdom of heaven (cf. v. 3). The major promise of the Beatitudes is that in Christ we become kingdom citizens now and forever. No matter what the world does to us, it cannot affect our possession of Christ’s kingdom.
III. The Posture (vs. 12)
III. The Posture (vs. 12)
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Jesus gives two main reasons why the posture of the persecuted righteous should be rejoicing.
1. Great Reward
1. Great Reward
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
The trials and the troubles of life are only little while then according to James.
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
But heaven is forever.
Whatever we for the Lord now, including suffering for Him, in fact, especially suffering for Him, reaps eteranl dividends.
And God’s dividends are not normal dividends.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
We often hear, and perhaps have thought ourselves, that it is unscriptural and crass to serve God for the sake of rewards.
But that is one of the motives that God Himself gives for serving Him.
We first of all serve and obey Christ because we love Him, just as on earth He loves and obeyed the Father because He loved Him.
But it was also because of:
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
It is neither selfish not unscriptural to do the Lord’s work with the same motive that He Himself gives and has followed.
2. Great Representation
2. Great Representation
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
When the believer is persecuted for righteousness, they are in the best possible company, because they same thing happened to the prophets of old.
When we suffer for Christ, we know beyond any doubt that we belong to Him, because we are experiencing the same reaction from the world that the prophets experienced.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Listen, the assurance of our salvation does not come from knowing we made a decision somewhere in the past.
Rather, our assurance that the decision was a true decision for is found in the life of righteousness that results in suffering for the sake of Christ.
No matter what someone may claim, the reality of true saving faith is righteousness and righteousness leads, in this ungodly world, is persecution.
Poverty in spirit runs counter to the pride of the unbelieving heart.
The repentant, contrite disposition that mourns over sin is never appreciated by the callous, indifferent, unsympathetic world.
The meek that come under the submission of God and does not strike back when they wronged, rubs this world with a vengeful spirit the wrong way.
To long for righteousness, as you long for your daily food, is repugnant to those that crave ungodliness.
To be merciful is seen to the world as being weak.
Purity of heart is a painful light that exposes hypocrisy and corruption, and peacemaking is a virtue praised by the contentious, self-seeking world in words but not in heart.
And the world lashes out at these things with all kinds of persecutions.
But no matter the persecutions when they come, no matter the form, Jesus said:
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.