"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs." Matthew 5:10 (CSB)
When we respond to persecution in the right way, we get the Kingdom
of Heaven.
It is having citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. Notice – we
start with this reward and end with it.
The cyclical nature of this passage. Because we are living it every
day. Over and over. Start by seeing a need for God. When we know we desperately need Him – we are
allowed entrance into the kingdom. The area of persecution brings us back to a
knowledge of how desperately we need Him – we are allowed to be in the kingdom.
I think Jesus is also helping us see that persecution serves a purpose – it causes us
to focus upon the One we need so badly.
It helps to remind us that our weakness provides a display of God’s
strength.
In 2 Corinthians 12: 7 -10 Paul gives us good instruction on the
importance of this –
“Therefore, so
that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a
messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. Concerning
this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But he said
to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”
Therefore, I
will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power
may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships,
persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak,
then I am strong.”
God always gets the glory! When we are persecuted, He will be
strong and the glory goes to Him.
This brings our study of the Beatitudes to a close. Jesus starts by
telling us we have a deep need for God. The first four spoke of our attitudes
as Kingdom citizens. The last four spoke of our actions as Kingdom citizens.
We see that the world’s idea of being happy and well off is 180 degrees
from God’s idea.
Jesus came to turn the world right-side up. We are the people He
uses to do this.
Are we living as Kingdom citizens?
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