“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
- Matthew 5:10
Persecution is always a touchy topic in the American Church. On the one hand, we cannot deny that we have Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world who face true persecution for either their profession of faith or actions are taken as a result of their Christian faith. Yet, on the other hand, the majority of American Christians will never know that level of persecution because of cultures' relative acceptance of Christianity. Yes, there are some in this nation who react with hostility to Christianity, but they do so more out of a painful past experience or being told not to trust the church. Rarely it has anything to do with our profession of faith and righteous deeds.
So then what are we to make of these verses on persecution?
At what point is our faith being persecuted?
Is persecution necessary for our faith?
If I “feel” persecuted, what should I do?
On Persecution:
First and foremost, I hold a position that views very few American Christians who have ever experienced true persecution. I believe in many cases, especially Christians who are soldiers in this “culture war,” will see themselves as oppressed by culture because their Christian values are no longer prevalent. Hurt and broken-hearted? Correct, that is a healthy response to the dominance of the fleshy world. Persecuted and oppressed, in my belief, is not true to the situation. For if there was true persecution: 1) Christian facebook rants would not be a thing, 2) there would be a lot more degrading views of Christianity in our shows and movies, 3) Chick-fil-A would not be as successful, and 4) at worst we’d see the firebombing of more churches and pastors homes (when this has previously happened there have tended to be other motivations at play, such as white supremacy).
Based on my view, then, true acts of persecution are hard to come by, and so those “feelings” of persecution on account of faith is faulty. I believe those false feelings are actually from the enemy of our faith, who is trying desperately to keep Christianity a voiceless and timid community. For if he can convince us of being persecuted, so we avoid it being professors of the faith and good deeds, then he wins this battle. There is no way that will happen, for as long as Christ is our Lord and Savior, He will not let the church slip.
We should not go seeking persecution either; it is not a necessity of the faith. It was likely to be faced in the days of Paul and the Apostles, but that is because of some factors that will be discussed later.
Persecution then is best understood for us today as acts of oppression against Christianity. While it is very much possible in America, it is hard to argue that the churches here capable of building multi-million dollar facilities are persecuted. Persecution is more than just a feeling but has actual acts of oppression to the Christian.
Dare to be Righteous:
Often times of the idea of persecutions drives us into fear, making us be more secluded with our faith. What will my family think? How will my friends react? This fear is more dangerous than persecution, though. For this is the fear that covers the light; it is a salt that has lost its flavor and brings about a timid faith. I will argue that Matthew 5:10 is not talking to us today about persecution but is rather beckoning us into greater commitment and Righteousness. Jesus is asking his truest disciples to dare to be righteous.
I have previously defined Righteousness as one who regularly does what is right and good for God and for others. I believe that to be true here as well. If we dare to be righteous, that can and will make waves in the world around us.
The earliest Christians knew of persecution, though it was not a daily occurrence, it was not uncommon to find a Christian forced into a Roman Coliseum as their punishment. But why? Christians were not necessarily causing an uproar or fighting against the Ceaser. Christians were being persecuted because of the righteousness and devotion to Jesus. In the Roman days, everyone was expected to part-take in parades and festivals that honored either the gods or Caesar, which there is almost no difference between the two. It was an act of worship. This meant Christians could not go; they opted out on the basis of worshiping the One true God, Creator of all, and Savior of humanity. Their lack of presence caused waves. Gentile Christians had to face their pagan friends and are questioned why they no longer joined them for some aspects of Roman life. They dared to be righteous.
I want you to dare to take your faith a step further than you ever have before. I want you to pray to God what challenge of faith He has in store for you. I want you to become aware of how you can be a light to someone today.
Daring to be Righteous took Paul all the way to Rome, it took Doubting Thomas out to Pakistan/India, it took Philip and teleported him through the Spirit, it took John the Baptist to challenges kings, and took John the Disciple of Jesus to be excommunicated to an island.
Daring to be Righteous for you can transform your workplace, make your family have more faith conversations, and do good for those you really want to hate. Daring to be righteous will make people do double-takes when they see you, your behavior is abnormal, they anticipate you to lash out, but you respond in grace, “It’s all okay.” Righteousness becomes resilience, the things that may usually bring you down you surrender to Christ. Daring to be righteous in word and deed, boldens one's faith.
Final Blessing:
I don’t want you to spend a second longer of your faith life in fear. Fear keeps you lowly and quiet. Dare to be Righteous, be the person others can always count on to do the right thing. Lean into Christ for faith in these tests of your devotion. Do not be afraid to evangelize and talk about your faith in front of others. Share your faith boldly, honestly, and in righteousness. It's okay not to have all the answers or every aspect of your faith resolved. For your message is that of Christ, your life in pursuit of Him is your testimony, and to obey Him is your creed. Jesus is beckoning you into greater commitment and devotion, to Love Him above everything else, to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to care for His creation. Dare to be Righteous.
May the Lord of life and redemption be with you in every step, every breath, and every heartbeat. Be messengers of the Good News and Peace friends!
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