Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Matthew 5:10 CSB

Did I hear you right Jesus? Are we blessed when we are persecuted? Scripture doesn’t tell us the crowd’s reaction that day as Jesus was teaching, but I am sure these words got their attention. The other teachings that morning were game changers in living in God’s kingdom, but to be persecuted? I am sure a lot of heads shot up with these words that day, but Jesus already knew that flourishing in his kingdom would not be easy. Jesus was not calling them to an easy life, just a fulfilled life. The same is true for us today.

Persecution was not a new concept when Jesus spoke these words that morning. David writes from hiding in a cave, “Listen to my cry, for I am very weak. Rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.” (Psalm 143:6) Persecution through the years has taken on various forms but at its core, the ultimate source of persecution of God’s people is Satan. John Stott wrote, “Persecution is simply the clash between two irreconcilable value systems.”

The Apostle Paul knew a thing or two about persecution and wrote, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.” (Eph 6:12) The Apostle Peter also knew a few things about persecution as he wrote, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you.” (I Peter 4:12)

Jim Denison in his commentary on Matthew writes, “Persecution has been a constant theme of Christian discipleship from Jesus’ day to ours. An estimated “more than 70 million Christians have been martyred over the last two millennia, more than half of which died in the 20^th century under fascist and communist regimes” and an estimated “1 million Christians were killed between 2001 and 2010 and about 900,000 were killed from 2011 to 2020.”

Pauline learned that her husband, Rami, had been murdered for his Christian faith and his ministry activity in Gaza. Pauline wrote, “I was very, very mad at God,” but then “When I would think about myself in this situation I would feel depressed. But when I looked to God, he would lift me up.” Years later she continues strong in her faith and ministry. She expressed what others who have faced persecution have done, “I realized that not to forgive is a sin.” (based on a story from Voice of Martyrs)

In areas of the world where extreme persecution is most intense, reports of amazing growth are being shared. As leaders gathered in a Global Development Consultation in Butuan City, Philippines a message was shared from a church leader in one region of persecution asking, “that we not pray for the persecution to stop but simply that they would continue to be faithful. Give praise to God who is at work everywhere, even in some of the most challenging places. Pray that those under persecution will remain strong in their faith, clinging to Christ and the hope they have in Him.” (article in Team Expansion)

An Egyptian believer shared a most helpful insight about praying for them. “Please don’t pray for us, please pray with us. If you pray for us, you will pray for the wrong things. You will pray for our safety. You will pray that persecution will cease. But if you pray with us, you will ask God to bring millions of Egyptians to faith in Christ. You will pray that when the inevitable Muslim backlash comes because of our witness, we will be faithful, even if it costs us our lives.” (Al Janssen, Open Doors International)

Persecution comes in all forms against followers of Jesus. It comes as murder, kidnapping, community harassment, and family rejection. David Platt, pastor and founder of Radical gives examples of a Middle Eastern businessman losing his right to run a business, a believer in the Himalayas losing the right to water or electricity, a church in a Southeast Asian city forced to pay extra, and sometimes exorbitant fees to rent or own a building. But it can also look like a British Christian being arrested for praying silently outside an abortion clinic or an American Christian being fired from his job for expressing his views on biblical sexuality.  (from an article in Christianity Today)

Sunday, November 3^rd was designated as The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. If your church did not mention it or you did not know about it, today is just as good of a day to pray for the persecuted church since 1 in 7 believers around the globe suffer some level of persecution and discrimination for their faith. They would greatly appreciate your unrelenting prayer support.

We may not be in the echelon of political power but we are actually in a better place because we can approach the sovereign God of all creation on behalf of the persecuted church. The same God that opened prison doors, unfastened shackles, drew people to Him, and ultimately transformed a nation because the people devoted themselves to prayer is still the same God who will open prison doors, unfasten shackles, draw people to him, and transform nations.

“We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body.” (2 Cor 4:8-10)

God is great!