Blessed are the persecuted
September 8, 2019
First UMC Carrol
One last time I can say- “GOOD
MORNING FIXER UPPERS.” You are indeed
God’s favorite fixer upper project! If
you have been open to the teachings of the beatitudes, I’ll bet God has really
enjoyed having the opportunity to work on your heart and life.
Today’s beatitude, however, is
really hard. I had a hard time connecting with it. I had a hard time figuring
out what it said to people who live in a country that has a founding principle
of freedom of religion… but I think God made something clear to me. And I am going to try to share it with you.
A
beatitude is a blessing, right? Let’s read this to see if it sounds like a
blessing. “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO
ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE, FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.” Does that sound like a
blessing to you? It doesn’t to me. So what are we to make of this beatitude
Let’s start with the context of the beatitudes. Remember that
Jesus lived in an occupied nation. The Roman empire stripped most political
power from Jewish officials and gave it to Roman politicians or Jews who were
willing to be puppets of Rome. The cross was the ultimate symbol of Roman
cruelty. Taxation was outrageous. The
Roman army was always hovering over them… even when they worshipped.
Then add the fact that the leaders of his own people were
plotting to trick Jesus and discredit him, so they could demand his execution.
The next 300 years were some of the worst years of persecution
with crucifixions and feeding Christians to lions being the largest part of
it.
Persecution never went completely away. There were many martyrs
including John Huss that the UME talked about Wednesday. In fact, do you
realize that our name… “METHODISTS” was a name used to mock John and Charles Wesley’s
methodical way of approaching the faith.
Think of people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran
pastor during world war II. Imprisoned and hung for his faith.
The stories just keep coming. So, the first thing to remember is
there is good reason for Jesus to warn and prepare the disciples and us for
persecution.
Then, our video today reminds us that religious persecution is
real and alive in many parts of the world today. The Voice of the Martyrs
estimates that one Christian dies for their faith on average every four
minutes. That is why we have the chime today. That is why we are extinguishing candles.
Let that sink in a minute. One every 4 minutes.
·
Over 245 million Christians are living in places where they
experience high levels of persecution
·
1,847 churches and other Christian buildings were attacked last
year including some in our own country.
·
3,150 believers were detained, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned
just because they were Christian,
But this is about more than numbers… these are real deaths of
real people with families and hopes and usually an unbelievably strong faith.
·
A woman in India watches as her sister is dragged off by Hindu
nationalists. She doesn’t know if her sister is alive or dead.
·
A man in a North Korean prison camp is shaken awake after being
beaten unconscious; just so the beatings can begin again.
·
A woman in Nigeria runs for her life. She has escaped from Boko
Haram, who kidnapped her. She is pregnant, and when she returns home, her
community will reject her and her baby.
·
A group of children are laughing and talking as they come down
to their church’s sanctuary after eating together. Instantly, many of them are
killed by a bomb blast. It’s Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka.
And do you know what? By and large they consider themselves to
be the fortunate ones because their faith is tested and proven. This 8th
beatitude affirms that… not Blessed are those who have religious freedom, not
blessed are those who don’t have to be afraid.
Not blessed are the secure. But BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE… what is the rest? FOR
THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
Paul writes in Philippians, “FOR
YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN NOT ONLY THE PRIVILEGE OF TRUSTING IN CHRIST BUT ALSO THE
PRIVILEGE OF SUFFERING FOR HIM.”[i]
2 Timothy says, “IN FACT,
EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS WILL BE PERSECUTED.” [ii]
Romans says, “WE BOAST
IN THE HOPE OF THE GLORY OF GOD. NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE ALSO
GLORY IN OUR SUFFERINGS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SUFFERING PRODUCES
PERSEVERANCE; PERSEVERANCE, CHARACTER; AND CHARACTER, HOPE. AND
HOPE DOES NOT PUT US TO SHAME, BECAUSE GOD’S LOVE HAS BEEN POURED OUT
INTO OUR HEARTS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US.”[iii]
So, what do we do with this? What do we do with this last
Beatitude? We could just ignore it because it doesn’t apply to us. I’m uncomfortable with that in part because
this is the only beatitude that Jesus repeats it just a little differently.
Just in case we ignore it because we think it does not apply to us, Jesus says
it a, “BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN PEOPLE
REVILE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU AND UTTER ALL KINDS OF EVIL AGAINST YOU
FALSELY ON MY ACCOUNT. REJOICE AND BE GLAD, FOR YOUR REWARD IS GREAT
IN HEAVEN, FOR IN THE SAME WAY THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETS WHO WERE BEFORE
YOU.” [iv]Do you think we has
serious? I do.
We are some of the luckiest people
on the face of the earth. Would you pray to be persecuted so you can “have the
kingdom of God?” Of course not.
I don’t think we pray for persecution. But I do think we can
learn something about perseverance from those who do suffer for Christ. I’m not
saying this is what Jesus originally intended, but I am saying this is one way
we can apply this beatitude to our lives.
Let’s just be honest. None of our lives are perfect. We try to
put on a good public face, so no one knows how much we are hurting, but we ARE
hurting. Maybe your family relationships are broken. Maybe you are watching
your child struggle with learning disability or anxiety. Maybe you think your
family would be fine if you just made 20% more money each week. And we get to
feeling sorry for ourselves.
Maybe you have chronic pain. Maybe you have a miserable boss. Some of us struggle with our own
depression. And it is human nature to
sit down and have a good pity party once in a while.
Maybe you can’t stand one more day with that teacher… or that
student and school has only been in session for 2 weeks. Maybe you are lonely. That is some of the
greatest pain of all to feel like no one cares. Maybe no one knows that you are
being bullied or abused.
Where is your pain. What is so painful that you might have
thought I would be better off dead? What is so agonizing that you have to numb
yourself with drugs or alcohol? What is so bad that it seems to suck all of the
energy and joy from your heart before you are ever out of bed in the morning.
I am not equating these things to the persecution that happens
around the world. I am saying we can
learn something by watching them.
Take the man chained in a Chinese prison , chained in a solitary
cell, surrounded by rats, find out
that the reason they are beating him is that he insists on constantly praying…
and then you find out that he is constantly praying for the guard’s salvation. When
you feel imprisoned by the circumstances of life? Maybe the solution is in the
power of prayer.
When you hear that Jesus is appearing to Muslims in bodily form
and telling them how much he loves them, and the Muslims are risking their
family, future and even their life in order to convert to Christianity. Do you see that Jesus really does care for
each and every person individually?
When we hear the story about the man who hid in a coffin with a
dead body in order to smuggle Bibles across the Laotian border, may we be
reminded that in the midst of death we are in life because Jesus died to give
us life.
I don’t want you to compare your
suffering with that of the persecuted church. In all likely hood they would win
that twisted game.
But look at their perseverance. Look at their determination to
keep the faith. Look at their grit as
they face death.
·
See the power of persevering in prayer.
·
Know the undying love of Jesus for you is as great as Jesus love
for the little girl orphaned when a bomb went off in her church.
·
Rest assured that the struggles of this life can not take away
the new life we have in Christ, and they are nothing compared to the glories of
the life to come. Our suffering
is different… but the power of Christ in our lives is the same. Philippians
4:13 says, “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH
CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.” Say it
with me. I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me. Now think
about your biggest struggle in life. Then replace the words all things with your
trouble. Like I can beat my addiction
through Christ who strengthens me. Or I can deal with the credit card company
through Christ who strengthens me. Ready to say it. Everyone will be talking so
don’t be self-conscious,
“I
can ______________ through Christ who strengthens me.” My new friend
Kay or Kerstain here even has that Phil 4:13 tattooed on her shoulder and as
you come to know and love her, you will come to appreciate what a powerful
statement of faith that really is.
Can you depend on the power of prayer?
Do you trust Christ to stand with you when you make your
toughest decisions?
Do you believe that Christ cares for you and protects you so
much that he died and rose again as though he did it just for you.
Do you really believe that you can do all things through Christ
who strengthens you?
The question is can you trust Jesus through the hardest thing
you have to do this week, no matter what that is?
When the time comes… say it one more time with me. I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me. Louder… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me. As loud as you can… I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me. AMEN
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