“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.”
- Matthew 5:11-12
At the beginning of the year, we embarked on this study of the beatitudes, some of the first teachings of Jesus toward His disciples. In a sense, these describe the qualities of a true disciple and every trait that seems desirable to obtain for a Christian.
Poor in spirit - Dependent, Inheritors of the Kingdom
Mourning - Our God our Comfort
Meek - A Different Power
Hungering/Thirsting for Righteousness - Yearning for Righteousness
Merciful - Givers of Mercy
Pure in Heart - Pursuing Christ
Peacemakers - Disciples of Peace
Persecuted - Dare to be Righteous
It would be my assumption that if Jesus was asking and teaching His disciples to live, teach, and spread the good news by these blessings, then so too He would ask us to live, teach, and spread the good news.
In these final two verses, Jesus continues the previous blessing of verse 10. Once again, He talks about His disciples being persecuted in their future. In fact, all of the Apostles experienced great persecution, and the only one not to die directly from persecution is John, who spent his final days exiled to an island, where he wrote Revelation. Persecution for the first 200ish years of Christianity was a common occurrence. While not every experienced it, and certainly not an everyday occurrence, there are various accounts of Christian persecution.
Like last week's blessing, I do not want to focus the attention toward persecution, though it is real for some of our global brothers and sisters in Christ, it is not common to an American Christian. Nor is it best suited for a devotional!
Instead, there is a detail in these verses that is easy to glance over, read quickly, and perhaps be left with more confusion than encouragement. In a brief couple of words, Jesus compares the true disciples to the likeness of the prophets (i.e., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel...).
Prophets among us:
Some church traditions are more inclined to talk about prophecy than others, whether they only prefer to preach from the New Testament, or they view prophecy as a spiritual gift that no longer serves a purpose, but I believe prophecy alive and at work today. I don’t think prophecy always requires a dream, a vision, or some other practice that looks like more of a modern medium than a godly prophet. While many of the Biblical prophets did have a unique connection to God, their jobs frequently looked more like giving convicting speeches and pointing people graciously in the right direction.
Who is to say that those roles are dead in the church today? They may have never had a sermon leave them convicted about sin or charge them to take action in any way. Or they have never had a friend or family member correct them for a wrongful deed. They may have no hope for a better tomorrow to a dream for bringing about the Kingdom of Heaven ever more present than it already is. I believe there are prophets among us whether we think of it as prophecy or not.
Such prophets are deeply devout to God, to the point God trusts them with a message that few would want to preach. These prophets, whether in joy, reluctance, or freight, obediently partner with God and enjoy such a relationship with Him. Jeremiah is a perfect example of a prophet who endured much hardship for the message he was entrusted with giving. Numerous chapters of his book are conversations between him and God; most of the time, Jeremiah is complaining about his job. Nothing shook him from being obedient to God, though, and we have two books of the Bible as a result of it.
Here's the point, I believe God is asking to partner with His disciples. He has entrusted us with a message of peace and salvation to spread to the world. He has entrusted us to build up the body of Christ in truth and grace. He has entrusted us to do the works of ministry and pray. He has entrusted us to pursue Him as much as He is present to us. The true disciple remains steadfastly obedient to all God has entrusted to them, and enjoys a devout relationship to the Lord.
That’s a hefty call for a prophet of God, but it is also a call for everyone who calls themselves a Christian. The burden is only heavy if you do it alone. The weight of the work becomes light in the community (the Church) and in relationship to God. Remember, this call is not only a call to YOU, but it is a call to come to God and partner with Him. He will carry the burden, and already has; He wrote the message two thousand years ago in His own blood. By His grace, we can be prophets among the world, obediently sharing the message of good news and peace to those around us.
Final Blessing:
Jesus has called, He has entrusted His disciples to embody the blessed life. It is not exhaustive and can be truly more restful. He has entrusted His followers with a message of salvation that is to be shared in its fullest truth and never hampering its indescribable grace. I wonder how you and I could impact our communities if we embodied this prophetic call, living in those eight blessings listed earlier, and began sharing our peace. I believe there can be prophets among us; I believe the blessed life is obtainable with great grace and devotion.
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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