Tag Archives: persecution

Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake

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“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
(Mt 5:10-12)

Jesus Christ once pointed out that His disciples would suffer for the sake of the kingdom and the righteousness of God. In the Bible, there are many characters who were persecuted for the sake of Jesus Christ and the gospel. Jesus suffered great persecution from the religious leaders of His day. After the establishment of the apostolic church, Jesus’ followers were persecuted for taking a stand for the Lord.

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Branded

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But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Mk 10:38, cf. v39-40; Lk 12:50)

The baptism that Jesus was referring to here is not water baptism, but the baptism of trials and suffering. When I was young and an unbeliever, I used to wonder, “Why are good kids bullied in school? If the problem is not with them, why are they ostracized for being good?” It took me a while to realize that such kids—coming from good, loving, and often privileged homes, who are meek, good-tempered, and usually bright—are frequently the target of bullies because of jealousy. This is often inexplicable, but the human psyche is not easy to understand. Is it better then for them to renounce their good nature or privilege just to avoid the bullying? Of course not.

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