The previous seven Beatitudes describe certain characteristics that all Christians must possess. But here in verses 10-12, Jesus describes a state of suffering that Christians will likely endure during their sanctifying walk with God. Jesus gives the ground for this suffering, namely, for righteousness’ sake, and He includes certain acts of persecution as well as His exhortation to the persecuted Christians regarding their proper response to that persecution. Of course Jesus also includes the blessing arising from enduring persecution for righteousness’ sake, which is, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted.” It is certain that the followers of Christ who possess all the characteristics enumerated in the previous seven Beatitudes will be persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Jesus is righteousness manifested in human flesh and all who believe in Him are the natural target of those who don’t love Him.
Scripture describes Satan as the prince of the world (Eph. 2:2) and the ruler of the world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11) and the god of the world (2 Cor. 4:4). The word “world” is used here to mean all those individuals who hate God and reject Christ. Thus the world refers to all those who are not true Christians―those who do not possess the beatific characteristics discussed in vv. 3-9. These lost souls who call themselves atheists, agnostics, secularists, and yes sometimes Christians [in name only] (Cf. Matt. 7:21-23), etc., are members of Satan’s army on earth. These are Satan’s minions and are all at war with the true body of Christ, the church, citizens of the kingdom of God in spirit and truth.
No one should be surprised that true Christians are the objects of persecution from Satan and his army of antichrists[1] who persecute Christians solely because of believers’ unceasing hunger and thirst for Christ and His righteousness. John Calvin wrote of this as follows.
The state of the matter is this. Satan, the Prince of the world, will never cease to fill his followers with rage, to carry on hostilities against the members of Christ. It is, no doubt, monstrous and unnatural, that men, who study to live a righteous life, should be attacked and tormented in a way which they do not deserve.[2]
Honestly, American Christians have been mostly free from persecution because of their faith but that is changing.
Social norms of behavior today are much less acceptable to a biblically-based Christian worldview. Since the liberal wave invaded orthodox Christian theology in the early to mid-nineteenth century and especially since World War II, there has been a steady erosion of the orthodox teaching that came from the Reformers. This has been accompanied by a decline in moral behavior among non-Christians and Christians alike. Behavior and conduct that in the past were not acceptable are now commonplace and considered mainstream.
Unfortunately, going forward for Christians in America, the eighth Beatitude will become quite applicable in their daily lives.
“for righteousness’ sake…on my account.” These two phrases taken from vv. 10 and 11 identify the reason for Christians’ blessed suffering. Not all suffering by Christians is in view here though. Christians who suffer justly for their misdeeds and crimes are not included in this blessedness.
Moreover, this blessed suffering does not refer to a Christian’s relatively mild persecution arising from their own behavior. They undergo this kind of persecution because of something in themselves or in what they do. Maybe persecution is brought upon themselves because of their own self-righteousness or imprudent words or actions. This is not the kind of persecution that is being referred to and blessed in vv. 10-12.
D. Martin Lloyd-Jones has written quite nicely about the un-blessed persecution of Christians.
We can bring endless suffering upon ourselves, we can create difficulties for ourselves which are quite unnecessary, because we have some rather foolish notion of witnessing and testifying, or because, in a spirit of self-righteousness, we really do call it down on our own heads. We are often so foolish in these matters. We are slow to realize the difference between prejudice and principal; and we are so slow to understand the difference between being offensive, in a natural sense, because of our particular makeup and temperament, and causing offense because we are righteous.[3]
Only true believers in Christ are blessed when they are persecuted because they refuse to sin against God. They suffer because they remain true to their Christian faith and conscience and do good in accordance with God’s will.
Those who persecute Christians do so because they hate the godliness of the believer. And since Christ is the embodiment of righteousness itself, they hate Christ, His righteousness, and His true disciples.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely.” This phrase in verse 11 is an elaboration on verse 10; it is not a separate Beatitude. The first portion of this last Beatitude looks at the Christian as he or she is in his or her suffering under persecution. This second portion in verses 11 and 12 looks at the suffering Christian’s response to that persecution. These two verses consider particular acts of persecution, namely, when persecutors revile the Christian and speak false accusations against the Christian. Jesus has told His Christian hearers and readers that they will suffer persecution because of their belief in Him. But He also tells them how they should react to the persecution.
In these Beatitudes, Jesus is showing the character of all true Christians and the enmity that these characteristics would arouse in all those who oppose God. Every Christians must possess all of these characteristics. These characteristics make Christians quite different from all other people. This is not a mere casual difference. It is an existential difference, as different as night is from day. And non-Christians have an inherent antagonism toward Christians who exhibit these beatific characteristics in their thoughts, behavior, actions, and demeanor. So persecution of Christians by non-Christians is bound to happen as Jesus warned us in Matthew 10:34-39. He specifically indicated that He came in opposition to the non-believing world.
Christians have only one master, Jesus Christ. Non-Christians have numerous masters and idols and every one of them is at war with Jesus Christ. The true Christian lives in obedience to Christ; this is the focus of his or her existence. Christ is their absolute Lord. This is necessarily going to incur the ire of un-believers. All those human beings who do not truly accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior (the “world”), hate everything Christ and His true disciples stand for.
Another difference between Christians and un-believers is that Christians look to life after death. Their ultimate focus and their worldview is dominated by God’s promise of their future inheritance and life in heaven for eternity. Scripture assures Christians of the hope of things to come but not yet seen (Heb. 11:1).
Contrary to believers, non-Christians are repelled by the mention of life after death and the eternal consequences and condemnation for sins against God. Their focus is instead on the self-centered, hedonistic life of the present. These followers of Satan resist any attempts to stop or criticize their sins, which they do not recognize as a sin or as wrongful behavior. Un-believers refuse to allow God to get in the way of their pleasure-seeking sins.
Jesus uses vv. 10-12 to show Christians how they should face persecution. Christians must not retaliate or resent the unfair persecution. Believers may regret that Satan’s minions are persecuting them but Christians should pray that the persecutors will seek forgiveness for their unfair acts and turn to God.
“Rejoice and be glad…” Jesus is also telling us to not be depressed in our persecutions. Depression in response to suffering solely because of our faith will interfere with our sanctified walk with God. Christians are told to rejoice and be glad in our sufferings. But this does not mean that Christians must rejoice at the mere act of being persecuted. The persecuted believer should never rejoice in their persecution in and of itself like the Pharisees did. We should regret this type of behavior. Christians’ hearts should break because of their sinful persecution by those under the domination of the Evil One, for the condemnation and wrath that God will send their way on the Day of Judgment.
Jesus teaches that Christians who are persecuted for Christ’s sake alone should rejoice because the persecution is proof of who and what they are―a child of God and a disciple of Christ. In this sense, persecution for Christ’s sake makes Satan the cause of a blessing for Christians. By suffering persecution from Satan’s followers, believers receive proof of their status as children of God. So, the Christian does not rejoice in his or her persecution as the Pharisees did merely to show that they had suffered. The rejoicing is in the proof of being a child of God.
“for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…for your reward is great in heaven.” The apostle Paul spoke to the Corinthians about the suffering experienced in this life in comparison to believers’ reward in heaven. In 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18 we find “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
Christians submit to God and hunger and thirst after Him not because they are seeking a reward but believers’ struggles in the here and now prepare them for the reward that all Christians will find in heaven for eternity.
Paul characterizes our struggles, persecutions, and sufferings that we endure during our lifetime as a “light momentary affliction.” Though these trials certainly don’t seem to us as lasting only a short time, Paul uses this description to contrast troubles in life on earth with the eternal reward awaiting believers in heaven. Our troubles are infinitely small compared to the eternal glory that awaits Christians. The visible world in which we live is passing away and is insignificant in comparison to the unseen world that is waiting for our resurrected bodies.
[1] Antichrists is used here to mean those who deny or oppose Christ.
[2] John Calvin, John Calvin’s Complete Commentaries: The Gospel of Matthew, Trans. William Pringle, Kindle (1847-1850).
[3] D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 2nd Ed., (Eerdmans 1971, 1976), 112.
