MATTHEW 5:1-2, 10
SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2007
THE BEATITUDES - PART 8
1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was
seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught
them, saying: 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. St. Matthew
5:1-2, 10 (NKJV)
This is a Beatitude that we like to skip over. If we lived in certain
countries today, it is a Beatitude that would be filled with meaning and
hope. The fact is that those who believe in God and live according to
His Word are persecuted regardless of where they live.
In the late 50’s and early 60’s when grocery stores started being open on Sundays, employees were told that they had to work on Sunday or lose their job. This is persecution.
A teen who will refuse to drink beer, to smoke, to use drugs, or to engage in
sex is often on the outside and loses friends. This is persecution.
We read stories of government and business people who are either fired or
demoted because they spoke out against things that were wrong. They were called
whistle blowers, and that is not a compliment. This is persecution.
Schools, sports activities for youth, and various special interest camps for
youth are often scheduled at times that were previously used for Christian
Education, Vacation Bible Schools, and such. This is persecution.
These may seem to be trivial things when compared with those who face death
because they publicly witness to their faith in Christ.
A person can work on Sunday and gain the income from the job
A teen can yield to peer pressure and gain status of being a part of the group.
A government or business employee can remain silent instead of speaking out and
gain the assurance of a job and possible advancement.
A parent can allow other activities to take the place of Church activities and
gain the joy of being a parent that places their children’s happiness first.
OR we can say NO when our faith is infringed on, when we are asked to place God
in second place and face the persecution that WILL come our way and gain the
kingdom of heaven.
It is your choice.
WE PRAY: LORD JESUS, so often we pray "deliver us from evil" and then don’t even
realize that evil surrounds us. It is so much easier to yield to evil than to
stand up for you, even if it means being persecuted. Lord, help us to increase
our faith day by day so that if we meet persecution face to face, we can stand
tall and firm. AMEN.
A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION
Once again I refer you to our library to find a biography of a person or a group
of people who have been persecuted for their faith. You might find stories of
the Amish or people living where Christianity is not acceptable.
You might also share a story of how you have been persecuted for your faith.
Send your story to me and I will share it with others.