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July 06, 2007
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right
If you were painting a picture of a movement that you wanted people to buy into, would you start by telling them that if they follow there's a really good chance they'll be persecuted? Not just that, but that persecution is something that God blesses? I wouldn't. Yet, that's exactly what Jesus did!
The sermon on the mount, where Jesus describes the kind of person he's trying to create and the kind of Kingdom he's ushering in, describes something that is anything but easy. So much so, that at the end of the sermon Jesus tells those who would follow him to, "count the cost," and uses imagery of crucifixion (picking up crosses) and death to describe the journey of a Christ-follower. Yet, especially in the West, we've created a religious system, often, based on following Jesus because of the perks. There are perks, Jesus starts the sermon on the mount by saying that God "blesses" these kinds of people. The problem is that the blessing is often not quick, or even what we'd expect it to be. But if we'd really hear Jesus, we'd hear him say, "it's not easy, it's not microwaveable, but it's worth it! It's more meaningful, fulfilling, purposeful, and longer-lasting than any other endeavour you'll enter into. So much so, that it's worth giving your life for. And God blesses that experience, that kind of commitment to his Kingdom. Sound a little to radical. Take it up with Jesus.
Posted by: ed