Blessed are you when you are persecuted for right reasons
Over the last few weeks, as we’ve worked our way through the Beatitudes, we’ve looked at some challenging issues: what does it mean to be poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, and be pure in heart. Now, we’re going light and fluffy as we look at… persecution!
It’s relatively easy to be a Christian in the UK today. No one’s burning down our churches or lynching us. Here, today, we enjoy freedom of religion. The Equality Act makes sure of that. But elsewhere can be a very different story.
A Foreign Office report last year concluded that Christians are the most persecuted of all religious groups in the world today.
Whether it’s State disappearances in North Korea, tribal punishments in remote Pakistan, beheadings by Boko Haram in Nigeria, or abuse of law in Iran, there are places today where it’s really tough to be a Christian. In 2003, Iraq had 1.5 million Christians, now it’s less than 120,000. Christians are still being persecuted around the world today.
It's important to recognise that some have used the name of Christ to persecute others. They are ethnic Christians, not Christ-followers. 
I feel blessed to have been born in the UK. In fact, privileged. I didn’t DO anything to earn this privilege – it’s just pure luck. You and I could just as easily have been born in Afghanistan, Somalia, North Korea, or any other country where Christians face persecution. 
Don’t get me wrong, there have been moments when my faith has been challenged, ridiculed. There was one eventful year when all three of us on the church staff were assaulted in separate, unrelated incidents. 
But, generally, it’s easy to be an ethnic Christian, Christian by heritage, in the UK. Things get more challenging when we come out as a follower of Christ and His radical Kingdom agenda.
Christians have a long tradition of persecution. Just look what happened to the first Disciples. Both Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome about 66 AD - Nero’s time. 
That’s Emperor Nero (not Caffe Nero) – Nero who had Christians wrapped in animal skins & thrown to wild dogs to be eaten alive – Nero. But then there was:
1.	Matthew – martyred by the sword in Ethiopia
2.	Mark – killed in Egypt - dragged by horses through the streets
3.	Luke – hanged in Greece as a result of his preaching
4.	Peter – crucified upside down - he felt unworthy to die like Christ
5.	James – thrown 100 ft off Temple wall, survived so beaten to death
6.	James son of Zebedee – beheaded in Jerusalem
7.	Bartholomew – whipped to death in Armenia
8.	Andrew – took 2 days to die on a cross in Greece
9.	Thomas – stepped with a spear in India
10.	Jude – executed by arrows for refusing to deny his faith
11.	Matthias – the one chosen to replace Judas, stoned, then beheaded
It’s one of the most convincing pieces of evidence for Christ. They were SO convinced by what they had seen, nothing could change them.
The first Christians were accused of being:
1.	Atheists – because they affirmed there is only ONE God
2.	Cannibals – because they ate the body & blood of Jesus
3.	Traitors – because they declared, Jesus is Lord
Jesus knew trouble was coming and warned them upfront.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”
As Christians, we like to remind ourselves of God’s promises. 
“When you go through the deep waters, I will be with you” says the Lord
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” 
“He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” 
So, what about this one:
“Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
Claim that as a promise!
That’s what Paul said to young Timothy. If you’re serious about following Christ, you need to know the risks, the consequences.
There’s a cost to following Christ today – even in the promised land of Sutton Coldfield and north Birmingham.
Later, Matthew recorded Jesus as saying:
“If anyone would come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever would save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” 
So, don’t be surprised if you experience ‘kick back’ when you do what Jesus did:
Loving, forgiving, calling out, radically including, challenging injustice, feeding the hungry, seeing lives changed, sick bodies restored to true health… That’s righteousness – that’s the right way to do life.
The problem comes when, those who claim to be Christians, do the opposite of the Christ they claim to be following. They almost seem to boast, revel in the opposition they experience, the strong reactions they provoke. As if, they must be doing something right for God because they are getting persecuted. They might simply be rubbing people up the wrong with their emotionally unintelligent responses, judgmental attitudes, thoughtless ways. That’s what the Pharisees did. And it was Jesus who called them out.
It’s not “Blessed are those who are persecuted” but blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of ME – not because of you and your ack of sensitivity, people skills, or grace.
You’re not being persecuted for righteousness if you’re living sexist, racist, homophobic attitudes, ‘banter’.
Up till now, all the beatitudes have all been in the third person. Blessed are THOSE who… are poor in spirit, mourn, the meek, pure in heart…
Now it gets personal. “Blessed are YOU when – and not, if – people insult you.”
This is no abstract theory
The beatitudes are not just for “those”, for the few, the radicals who get really into Jesus. They are for YOU and me – the normal Christian life.
Jesus was announcing a new Kingdom, a new way of living. The way we were always wired to live. 
If true, this invites, demands a whole-life response. You either follow Christ, or you don’t. But, be warned, not everyone will. And so, expect t be challenged, opposed, even persecuted.
Finally, even this is good news. REJOICE and BE GLAD. 
Not because you get some sadomasochistic kick out of pain and strife. 
Not because you are inflated with pride at the thought of being likened to Christ.
Not because your ego is so stroked by the thought you must be so strategic to God.
Rejoice and be glad because you see a different dimension: the Kingdom of Heaven. Eternity.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Whatever happens now, is temporary. Even the worst pain is temporary. It’s nothing compared to the eternity of heaven – where: 
“God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away is no more.”
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
This starts now. Jesus has bridged the gap between Heaven and Earth.
DannyBrierley@ChesterRoadBaptist.org.uk