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"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

Being a devoted Christian is far from being a walk in the park. As a matter of fact, it involves a lot of pain. Why? Because God is pruning us to shape us into the image of Christ. The Lord wants us to be more and more like Jesus. But striving to live a righteous life can be much more complicated than we might think.

At the outset of Jesus’ ministry, mainly when He drove out the moneychangers and merchants at the temple, He already made enemies because of His passion for God. For true Christians, that's precisely the same path we are walking on (John 15:18).

Today's verse is part of the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, which describes a series of blessings (beatitudes)granted to God's faithful servants. Throughout this sermon, Jesus calls His true followers "blessed," which goes beyond mere material abundance. It speaks of deep, unshakable joy rooted in the hope of God's promises.  While worldly people find joy in what the world offers, Christians find hope in the promises of the unfailing God.

This verse entails the eighth beatitude. Jesus says that a blessed person is someone who is persecuted for the sake of righteousness. In the eyes of the world, one might ask, "How can persecution be considered a blessing?" From this perspective, people only see persecution as suffering and pain; they fail to recognize the eternal rewards it promises.

However, Jesus is not saying that all kinds of persecutions lead to blessedness. He qualifies it by adding "for righteousness' sake." In other words, if we are persecuted for doing what is good and right, we can expect heavenly rewards. On the other hand, if we are persecuted for our own misdeeds and sins, we should be prepared to live with the consequences.

Why are Christians Persecuted?

We are called to live separate lives—to disconnect from the world's evil system and lead righteous, godly lives. Jesus said that the world hates believers because they are not of the world (John 15:19). Paul resonates the same message by telling us that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). In a nutshell, God's promises, His command for separation from the world, and our life of holiness trigger the world's animosity, leading God-haters to hate us as well.

Let's say you discovered corruption in your workplace, and you know that it is wrong. If you decide to do something about it and tell the authorities, the guilty parties might make your life difficult because you exposed their evil deeds. That's a form of persecution. 

But when you do what is right, and people mistreat you because of your faith and principles, God promises you eternal rewards.

How committed are you to upholding righteousness even when it means losing your safety and comfort?

Pursue the Saviour today!