When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
“You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are and your place in God’s family.
“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
Matthew 5: 1-2, 8-10 The Message
You are blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.
Persecution is not a word that is embraced with happiness. And yet, Jesus equates being blessed (fortunate, happy, or well off) with persecution (being made to run, pressed, or suffer).
What is he talking about? Does God delight in our suffering?
God is interested in the role of humanity in eternity. In the beginning, he created mankind with a purpose—to grow in love and relationship by spending time with him. Adam’s willful choice to disobey God breached that relationship giving the god of this world the upper hand over humanity.
God’s plan of redemption restored the ability of mankind to pursue that relationship with God, but Adam’s sin opened them up to the strategies of satan. This created a tug-of-war within humanity to come close to God or embrace sinful pleasures.
So, does God enjoy suffering? The answer is no, but the sinful decisions of his creation mean that suffering is part of the process to prepare humanity for the eternity planned for them.
It is often said of bodybuilders that they do not enjoy the pain of their routine, but they like the results it brings. The same can be true for Christ-followers. The pain associated with being prepared for eternity is almost never enjoyable, but the reward beyond the pain is indescribable.
The focus of Jesus’ teaching in this portion of scripture is your righteous lifestyle provoking persecution.
To be righteous means to be standing right (as opposed to wrong) with God. You are on the right side (as opposed to the wrong side). It means you are on the winning team (as opposed to the losing team). And this team is forever and ever, and ever.
A close personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit brings you into a right relationship. It is as close to a Garden of Eden experience as you will find on earth in its post-sin form.
The focus of this persecution will be in two forms that will appear as only one. Let me explain.
The god of this world is satan, a fallen angel who rebelled against God and his rule. His expulsion from heaven sent him to earth—an earth made for mankind. Adam’s sin turned humanity’s rightful possession of the earth over to satan.
Now, as the god of this world, he exercises a certain control of the earth and humanity living on it.
His disdain for God can only be taken out on humanity—God’s creation was created for fellowship. This explains the degradation of mankind. Those exercising their right to choose, that have chosen God the Son, become prime targets for the god of this world.
He uses degraded humanity to do his bidding. He also uses fallen spirit beings—demons—but that is for another time.
The persecution for your right-living lifestyle comes in the form of verbal, physical, emotional, and spiritual attacks by such people and unseen demonic forces.
The Bible states that words are life or death. Such people under satan’s control use words in an attempt to create death over you. Others play mind games in an attempt to pull you down, while some (sadly) become violent toward you.
Each of these things is persecution designed to wear you down and indirectly attack God.
It is for these persecutions that Jesus says you are blessed– fortunate, happy, or well-off.
A close personal relationship with the Godhead is a journey. I invite you to follow along. As I learn, I will pass it along so you, too, can learn. It is my hope that as you learn, you can pass it along so that I (and others) might learn.