The Eighth Blessing - Matthew 5:10

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

What an interesting way to end this particular sermon series. For the last several weeks, we  have been exploring together the blessings of the Beatitudes, which are often so different from the blessings of the standards of the world around us. 

We have talked about how the Beaititudes come out of the call found in Matthew 4:17 to repent for the Kingdom of God is near. The Beatitudes are not just sayings, dear friends. Instead, they are signposts pointing us to the Kingdom of God, that also call us to an attitude of repentance for the ways we have failed to live into them. 

So what is this persecution for righteousness sake that Jesus is speaking of in this particular Beatitude? If we look at Matthew 5:10, in light of verses Matthew 25: 31-46, we find that righteousness is not just what we believe, and what we say, but how we live our daily lives. Blessed are those who are oppressed because they seek to serve the least of these. Those that everyone looks down upon. Those that are discarded.

So often we think of persecution coming from without, from those that do not believe in Jesus Christ, but with this as our model for righteouness sake, it shows that sometimes the oppression and the persecution can come from within the flock as well. 

What does righteous living look like for you and how is it a call to courageous living?