Following Judah's Lion

The Sermon on the Mount

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake.

Just what is “persecution”? Today’s definition of persecution is often shallow and self serving. Believers squeal when the slightest verbal affront comes their way, and many loudly suggest their “rights” are being denied to them. That is not true persecution at all. Everyone is verbally assailed at one time or another regardless of religious affiliation. Authentic persecution comes when the world comes against you in word and in deed for Jesus’ sake.
I purposely placed the last two beatitudes together since I see them as completely joined together. Many men do good to their fellow man even if they do not have faith. But in order for us to claim some kind of persecution it has to be against our Master and not solely against us. And meditate upon that point. That which is called persecution by believers in the west is many times directed at our views about abortion, homosexuality, and other issues. Rarely are we persecuted because we love and walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
In fact, I am convinced some are just beginning to see the extent to which we have strayed from living as Jesus would have us to live. I was saved in 1975 and quickly became gobbled up into evangelicalism as it is practiced in the west. I did not question the flag being presented and even pledged to in the sanctuary. I felt it was a Christian duty to vote, and I listened to Limbaugh and all the rest. Many habits that have crept into the body of Christ are embraced without any genuine searching of the New Testament. One day my best friend asked me this question:

“Where in the New Testament does it give license to violently overthrow the government when you are over taxed as they did in the Revolutionary war?”

Have you ever had a moment of awakening that began a journey to unravel much of what you thought was true and the more you unraveled the more you saw that needed unraveling? That has been my path these last ten years. We should not seek persecution, but if we are to be persecuted let is be because we so clearly represent Him that sinners are either drawn to or recoil against the Master. The entire culture revels in controversy and argument. Men make millions of dollars doing nothing but spewing negativity and even hatred through different forms of media. But that should not be our way.
Many early believers were martyred and persecuted because they humbly refused to pay allegiance to Caesar. It is easy to confront subversive elements who employ violence and hatred, but what can a culture do to those who refuse national allegiance but are humble and gracious? In the early persecutions some of the believers were so humble as they were being persecuted and even put to death that it became a tool through which the Spirit drew onlookers to Christ. Some came to watch the Christians get what they deserved, but some left with a new found faith in Christ.
But would sinners have been drawn to Christ if believers yelled and screamed about their rights? The atmosphere today has become so toxic and so misrepresentative of the gospel that most unbelievers think that Jesus desires to implement His moral agenda in America, and many believers speak more about moral issues than they do about Jesus. Democracy has become a colossal stumbling block for the church in many ways. And that democracy is even practiced in church business meetings as everyone gets a voice and a vote. The church has been assimilated into the culture in which it lives.

Now what should are attitude be when we are persecuted? The words of Jesus:

“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Oh how far have we fallen from the authentic manifestation of the Christian life? Believers complain about everything from the economy to the President to Muslims or to the latest legislation that is unbiblical. The entire “conservative” genre is filled with an ongoing complaint about liberals and other undesirables. And many believers have not only fallen prey to this deception, many embrace it with great vigor. And in the very midst of this carnal carousel there are believers shouting and holding up the Bible draped in the American flag and attempting to leverage power through numbers and votes. It is a pitiful spectacle to say the least.
We must have no agenda but His, and if persecution still comes then let us humbly rejoice that we have “been counted worthy to suffer shame for His name”. Oh the sacred privilege of being accosted for Him! Oh what an honor to suffer because we love and follow Him too closely! And how many martyrs went to the stake with songs of worship coming forth from their lips? Read the Foxes Book of Martyrs and meditate on those who gave God glory as they gave their lives. As they were burned at the stake many sang hymns of praise; many smiled with approval; many prayed with words of worship; and many gave some outward sign of faith.
It is recorded that one martyr had told his fellow believers that he would point to heaven while being burned as a sign of faith and worship. But because of the wind the fire began to consume him more quickly that could have been anticipated, and when his body became charred many thought he would be incapable of moving his hand. But slowly he lifted his blackened hand toward heaven in the midst of the flames, and directly his spirit was ushered into God’s presence. That, my friends, is persecution on a more profound level than squawking about gay rights legislation or touting some myth about the founding fathers.
So let us reexamine what it means to live as He directs, and in that journey let us revisit everything we were taught and see if Scripture itself is the source for what we believe. And if and when we are persecuted and people say things about us, let us rejoice! And then let us humbly and with sincerity and love reach out with kindness to each and every one who comes against us. The greatest force in God’s creation is love, and the most complete manifestation of that love is redemption. And redemption can only be found through Jesus the Christ.