Joining an honorable line of persecuted people
Daily Scripture
Matthew 5:10-12
10 “Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
11 “Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. 12 Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Jesus knew all about being falsely accused (see, for example, the absurd charge in Luke 11:14-18). All the Sermon on the Mount’s beatitudes challenged our ideas about being “blessed,” “happy,” or receiving “wonderful news.” But these final two can be particularly hard to trust. Remember: these are only true in Jesus’ kingdom. As one scholar noted, “The presence of the heavenly kingdom turns the tables on normal expectations regarding what it means to flourish as human beings.” *
- Scholar N. T. Wright stressed that Jesus wasn’t describing how the world generally works. “This is an announcement, not a philosophical analysis of the world. It’s about something that’s starting to happen, not about a general truth of life. It is gospel: good news, not good advice.” ** Jesus said God’s kingdom was transforming what it means to be blessed. How could Jesus seriously call persecuted people to “be full of joy”? What does the promise of “great reward in heaven” mean if you face opposition now?
- The apostle Paul wrote, “If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people” (Romans 12:18). Paul sought peace, yet like prophets before him and godly leaders since—like Jesus himself—he often faced harassment and hatred. Is being insulted for righteousness—in Jesus’ words, “because of me”—different from being insulted for being offensive or unwise? What “modern” forms can persecution take (e.g., social exclusion, family rejection, career setbacks, or disdain for living Christian values)? How does Jesus call you to respond when this happens?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you didn’t hate even when others hated you. You didn’t abandon your mission when facing opposition. Keep teaching me how to live out both your steadfast love and your unwavering sense of mission, even when it costs me. Amen.
GPS Insights
Austin Hey
Austin Hey, who serves as the Student Director at Resurrection Downtown, is a KC native, growing up in the northland and now lives downtown. He loves trying coffee shops around town, cheering for KC sports, and wearing the merch from all of it. He and his wife have three daughters and two dogs (with his favorite child being his Jack Russell, Chief.)
To understand these verses at an intellectual level is one thing; to live them is quite another. To be quite honest, I can’t say I’ve experienced much ‘harassment’ because of my faith in Jesus. Sure, it’s possible that my faith has cause some people to dissociate with me or has closed some personal and professional doors; but to call those experiences ‘persecution’ seems to pale in comparison to the brutality that Christians have experienced historically and still do in other parts of the world that are hostile towards Jesus. And yet, Jesus’ final words in the Beatitudes are as much for me and you today as they were for his followers back then.
In high school, I remember arguing with an atheist friend about theology. This debate would come up from time to time covering things from evolution to morality and even to what happens when we die. On this day my friend asked me this all-important question: “Do you really believe this stuff?” I paused. In that moment I realized I was just regurgitating arguments I’d heard before. My belief was intellectual, yes, but it wasn’t much deeper. Could my beliefs hold up in an argument? Maybe. But was I willing to stake my life and reputation on it and endure the insults and persecution that Jesus warns will come? Definitely not.
That question was a catalyst to stop borrowing a faith from somebody else and actually take hold of a faith that was my own. In many ways that conversation became the starting point of a lifelong journey to discover who Jesus is and why he is worth following, despite whatever social ridicule, physical pain, or economic hardship may come my way. Following Jesus is worth it, no matter the cost! Jesus told his disciples to ‘count the cost’ when he invited them to follow him. Part of that calculation must include our assessment of following someone that not everyone agrees with, likes, or respects. But if following Jesus is worth it (and I hope you have found that He is!), then He is worth it even when the harassment and insults come our way.
© 2026 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Eugene Eung-Chun Park and Joel B. Green, study note on Matthew 5:10 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 13 NT.
** Wright, N.T., Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1-15 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 36). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
