Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”


At first glance, I want to say that this passage applies more perfectly to Jesus Christ than to any other. Was our Lord not perfect? Was He not truly righteous? Is it not true that Jesus Christ was crucified, died, and was buried on account of His righteousness? Was He not alone truly persecuted for the sake of righteousness?
No . . . no He was not. Jesus Christ was persecuted, was put to death, for sin. And yet it was not His sin that caused Him to suffer, but mine.
On any other day in the church year I can hold up the cross as a sign of God’s power. Look at the cross where Christ triumphed! Look at the cross where He laid His life down! See how much Christ loved me! Mighty is the power of the cross!
But today, on Good Friday, I am confronted with the awful reality that it was my shortcomings, my failures, my sin that killed the truest friend I will ever have. On any other day I can rail against the corrupt system of the Pharisees and the political machine of the Jewish ruling council that condemned an innocent man to die. But today . . . today I am reminded that my King, my Lord, my friend was crucified because I could not make the cut.
Surely he took up my infirmities and carried my sorrows, yet I considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for my transgressions, he was crushed for my iniquities. The Lord of Heaven and Earth hangs, broken and bleeding, from a cross that should have been mine . . . and I am ashamed to see what my sin has wrought.
It wasn’t Adam and Eve who rebelled against God’s command and ate the fruit . . . but me. It wasn’t the Israelites who bowed the knee to Baal and served false gods . . . but me. It was me who denied Him three times in the courtyard, and it was me who mocked and laughed as I drove the nails into His hands. It was not Christ who was guilty . . . but me.
Why then, did He have to suffer? Why? It should have been me hanging from that cross! It should have been me dying that shameful death! It should have been me!
But it wasn’t.
Christ suffered the wrath of God, He took my place on the cross. He who was holy and righteous became sin . . . for me. Why? Because He loved me. “How much do you love me?”, I asked. “This much”, He said . . . and He stretched out His arms and died.
This is the way of Christ. This is the way of the cross . . . to suffer when no wrong had been committed. To suffer for the sake of another. This is the way of Christ . . . and so it is the way of all who would follow Him. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Our Lord says in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” We are Christ-followers. We are called to go where He goes. When Christ calls you to follow Him, He bids you come and die.
This is the meaning of this Beatitude! Where Christ first goes, so go His disciples. Where Christ leads, so go His followers. As He was persecuted for our sake, so we must also be persecuted for His. The way of Christ is the way of the cross, and so it is our way, as well.
Wouldn’t it be so much nicer if we could just believe what some of the TV preachers tell us? If we could believe the lie that if we are in Christ we will all be healthy and wealthy? Wouldn’t life be so much nicer if we could simply turn from the cross, turn from suffering and live what some call the “triumphant Christian life”, where we have all we want, where riches are our guarantee of God’s blessings, and where a life free from hardship is a guarantee of God’s presence among us?
But that is not the way of the cross. Scholar Jeff Gibbs points out this truth: that the final two Beatitudes prevent Jesus’ disciples—both then and now—from adopting any such triumphalistic nonsense. Where Christ reigns, we reign with Him . . . but Christ reigns not from a golden throne, but from a cross.
And so we suffer. Certainly we suffer in this world for our own wickedness and sinful actions, but that’s not what Jesus is talking about. There is no blessedness in being persecuted for our own evil, to be jailed for our own actions. But when we suffer the sake and name of Jesus Christ, we . . . are . . . blessed.
You are blessed when you are persecuted because of righteousness. You are blessed when people insult you because you hold the name of Jesus dear. You are blessed when people lie about you because they can find no fault with you otherwise. You are blessed when they create all sorts of evil and slander your name because they are offended by your humble and authentic walk with your Savior.
You are blessed because they are treating you the same way they treated Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:16, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” You bear the name of Christ, and you walk in the way of the cross.

This cross is the way of Christ. On this cross He was put to death. He was persecuted and suffered for the sake of another . . . you. This is His way. It is the way He has chosen. Because He loves you. Because there was no other way that He could redeem you from the judgment that your sins demanded. Because He would rather go through Hell than to go to Heaven without you. This cross . . . all for you.
This cross is His way. I won’t kid you: it is no small thing to follow Him in His way. The cross cost our Lord everything . . . so too it may cost us everything. It is no small thing to follow Him, to deny yourself, take up your cross, and be persecuted for the sake of His righteousness. It is no small thing to do that . . . but you are blessed when you do, for in so doing you are called a child of God.

This cross is the way of Christ. It is His way . . . it is our way.