I was just reading through the Sermon on the Mount—arguably Jesus’s most famous and resonating sermon—and I thought about how a certain passage is likely to become even more relevant in the days ahead. I’m talking about Matthew 5:11-12, where Jesus said:
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
As the days get darker spiritually, as our liberties are being trampled on and chipped away, as Christians are categorized by our culture as close minded bigots—it’s not hard to foresee a future where religious persecution is intensified.
If things continue on their current trajectory, it is only a matter of time before things go from uncomfortable to unthinkable.
What are we to do when persecution comes our way? How does Jesus instruct us to react? He doesn’t tell us to just hold on and endure. He doesn’t tell us to just sit tight and bear it.
As with so many other passages in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus ups the ante of what we would consider “normal” behavior. Jesus says that in the face of persecution we are to “rejoice and be exceedingly glad”!
I’ve written a new book that looks closely at the Sermon on the Mount. It’s called 18 Minutes with Jesus: Straight Talk from the Savior about the Things That Matter Most. We’re offering a copy of this book to anyone who donates generously to the ministry of Pathway to Victory this month.
When you give, you are helping to broadcast the truth of God’s Word across the nation and around the world. Your donation can help to change the course of a life from darkness to light, from despair to hope, and from worry to peace.
I give thanks to God that we still have the opportunity to openly and boldly declare the Word of God here in America, and I pray that the Church would take advantage of that freedom while it lasts. Let’s do all we can to share the gospel while we can.
