This Beatitude is part of a larger whole, called a ‘chiastic’ – a Hebrew literary style designed to get a point across. It presents an argument so to speak. (see Wikipedia for a complete explanation)
A. A. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness
B. for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
C. Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
B. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven
A. For so persecuted were the prophets that came before you.
We may think ‘so what?’ - what difference does that bit of information make? It makes a significant difference. It explains the conditions of what is considered persecuted for ‘the sake of righteousness’. It also outlines what our response to persecution is, and why.
My tendency is to have such a small view of the world. While I understand, and can see every night on the news that the world is rather large and complex – I live rather detached from it – it’s happening far outside of ‘me’. Case in point, the current crisis in Afghanistan regarding the Korean Christian Aid workers:
In the days following the hostage taking and subsequent murder of two Christian aid workers, very few Christian leaders around the globe spoke out about the plight of the South Korean church group, denounced the slander against them, or affirmed their mission to the distressed and impoverished in Afghanistan as one of Gospel love and service -- albeit in an especially dangerous and needy area of the world. These captive Christians cannot be abandoned. (Source: Barnabas Fund – UK)
Or situation with the Sudanese Christians:
Sudan's militant Muslim regime is slaughtering Christians who refuse to convert to Islam, according to the head of an aid group who recently returned from the African nation.
The forced conversions are just one aspect of the Khartoum government's self-declared jihad on the mostly Christian and animist south, Dennis Bennett, executive director of Seattle-based Servant's Heart told WorldNetDaily.
Villagers in several areas of the northeast Upper Nile region say that when women are captured by government forces they are asked: "Are you Christian or Muslim?"
Women who answer "Muslim" are set free, but typically soldiers gang rape those who answer "Christian" then cut off their breasts and leave them to die as an example for others. (source: Worldnet daily)
Other stories continually reach us of churches burned and adherents’ maimed, imprisoned or killed. I know this isn’t popular or ‘happy’ thoughts but we must be ‘world minded’ without becoming worldly minded. There is a difference if we are too make a impact for the sake of righteousness. Maybe one the reasons we stay in our smaller worlds is that it is safer – much easier to manage – less personal responsibility for our Christian brothers and sisters around the world. Keeping our head down, and minding our own business certainly has its advantages – you get to keep it. However, we have a Global responsibility – (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria to the outmost) given to us by Christ Himself. As a ministry, Christian Horizons is called to reach those with exceptional needs. To do so, may bring ‘opportunities of persecution’ that if we had just stayed in our small corner ‘minding our own business’ we’d have avoided. Do we have the courage to raise our voices and declare “I stand...We stand with you our brothers and sisters, ” We have not been called to mind ‘our own’ business’, but His. We have not been called to the safe, but to the very gates of Hell. Quite honestly, the thought scares me! We are not too seek out persecution, but we cannot live in such a way that ‘avoids’ it. If we dare to live ‘for the sake of Righteousness’ it will be an occasion for people to revile us, accuse falsely, say all manner of evil about us. We must decide which we want more – the relative comfort and safety of our corner of the world, or to begin to take hold of heaven itself and for us as Christian Horizons, to advance the Kingdom of God in seeking out, rescuing and bring hope to those with exceptional needs.
Anyway, I was just thinking….
Neil
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