Blessings

Matthew 5:11 NIV Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

If we ask, “Who wants to be blessed by God?”, hands will raise and lines will form. We typically use ‘blessed’ to describe receiving a desired outcome, financial reward, or basically anything that physically or emotionally makes us happy. But with that definition of blessings, it is impossible to wrap your head around Matthew 5:11. Here Jesus describes a very different source of God’s blessings.

Matthew 5 contains the Beatitudes, some of the most quoted verses in all of scripture (or at least some of them). The first three are descriptions of holy emptiness. Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and the meek. These three descriptions of emptiness and need are followed by a promise, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

The next three are descriptions, not of emptiness, but of fullness. These tell us that a hunger for righteousness is satisfied by an overflowing mercy, a pure heart, and a power to make peace. True righteousness always comes by a relationship with Jesus and a fully surrendered life. The mercy, the purity, and the peacemaking of a Christ follower come only through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. “Without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), and it is done only for the honor of Jesus.

The blessedness Jesus referred to is a state of well-being and spiritual prosperity—a deep, joy-filled contentment that cannot be shaken by poverty, grief, famine, war, trials, tragedy, or even persecution. In human minds, the situations depicted in the Beatitudes are far from blessings, but because God is with us through these difficult times, we are blessed by Him in the midst of them. The true servant of God is blessed, regardless of circumstances, because God has favored them with a fully satisfied soul. Then v11 tells us the result of these blessings is persecution for this righteousness.

The root of all persecution is the desire to be in control and be justified outside of Jesus. The world says, ‘you must accept my beliefs and actions even if they are in direct opposition to God’s ways.’ John 15:19 warns us, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” Persecution is always man’s effort to elevate his ways above God’s ways and force others to accept those ways.

The persecution that commands a blessing is the result of choosing God’s ways over the world and any of man’s ways. If you are gaining your identity or building self-worth from anything other than being a redeemed child of God, you are living in the world. 1 Peter 2:9 proclaims, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We are called out of darkness, and Jesus promised we will “never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). When a person has enthroned Christ in their heart, God produces a peace that passes all understanding, and you see that peace in their life, regardless of circumstances or persecution.

When you surrender your life to Jesus, you become an alien, living in a foreign land. John 17:14 tells us, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” If you hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God, persecution will come. The question is, will you receive a blessing from it? Will you choose to trust in God or man?

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Gary and Sandy Anthony

Romans 12:14 NAS Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Matthew 5:43-47 NIV You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 NIV Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 4:12-13 NIV When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.

Romans 12:18-21 NIV If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Luke 6:27-31 NIV But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

James 3:9-12 NIV With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Luke 23:33-34 NIV When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Matthew 18:21-22 NIV Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Luke 9:51-56 TPT But as they approached the village, the people turned them away. They would not allow Jesus to enter, for he was on his way to worship in Jerusalem. When the disciples Jacob and John realized what was happening, they returned to Jesus and said, Lord, if you wanted to, you could command fire to fall down from heaven, just as Elijah did, and destroy all these wicked people. Jesus rebuked them sharply, saying, “Don’t you realize what spews from your hearts when you say that? The Son of Man did not come to destroy life, but to bring life to the earth.