Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11,12
When we read the Bible we often miss the profound, the earth shaking, the life changing events and statements. Why? Because we are on this side of things. Sometimes to truly appreciate the weight of an event or statement it is important to look at the audience, the frame of reference and the timing. The Sermon on the Mount is found very early in the book of Matthew. Although we don’t know the exact timing of the various events, it does seem to infer that this teaching was near the beginning of Jesus ministry. Why is that important? Jesus was not well known yet. Jesus had not been crucified for our sins. Jesus had not resurrected from the dead. Jesus had not fulfilled all of the prophecies about the Messiah.
The crowd and the disciples were amazed by His teaching. And while some may have believed He was the long awaited Messiah, in this verse, Jesus inserts the idea that knowing Him, believing in Him was the equivalent of righteousness. Jesus presents Himself as the bridge to a right relationship with God. This was a radical shift in the expectations of the people. They were expecting the Messiah to come as a victorious King not a humble servant. They were expecting power not humility. They were expecting triumph not insults and persecution.
Jesus goes on to say, “Rejoice and be glad.” And then He pointed out that those who believed in Him would be persecuted just as the prophets had been. And they would also reap a reward in heaven just as the prophets before them. It is interesting to note that at the time of the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and others they were persecuted for speaking God’s truth. But, in the time of Christ they were considered prophets of God and their writings were revered. Time established a different perspective. Many of their prophecies were the basis for the expectations of the coming Messiah. Although many thought that Jesus was a rogue or a false prophet. On this side of things, we know that He was indeed the Messiah and our Savior.
Imagine being a Jew during this time. You follow the laws, you hear all the stories about the Messiah. The anticipation of a victorious King coming to rescue your family and friends grows with each passing day. And then you hear rumors of a man who is healing people. And He is wandering around the country side teaching. You go to hear Him teach. He speaks of humility, mercy, and righteousness, all things that align with the teachings from the Holy writings. And then, suddenly He inserts a relationship with Him as a path to righteousness. He equates Himself with Adonai. It would shake your world.
We are fortunate in many ways. We have the luxury of seeing more of the story. We have the advantage of knowing about His crucifixion. We know He rose from the dead. We have the privilege of the Holy Spirit living within us. History also suggests that we will be insulted, falsely accused and persecuted because of our faith in Jesus. Let us rejoice and be glad. We have the advantage of history and the stories of the New Testament to encourage us. We have the comfort and leading of the Holy Spirit. We have the assurance that what God said, He will do. We have more evidence of Jesus than any generation before us. We have more evidence of the power of God than ever before. His Word is true. Rejoice and be glad.