Rejoice

Matthew 5:11-12 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
 
IN two successive statements, Jesus speaks of blessing (translated by many as happiness) in response to persecution. This makes sense, doesn’t it, that the Lord emphasizes this? Persecution against our faith is the greatest threat to our physical, mental and moral well-being. That’s why he points you to a higher blessing. When you face these threats with faithful responses to Jesus’ salvation, you will rejoice! In faith, you will look through the persecution to know you belong to Jesus. Your personal relationship with Jesus transcends all persecution. Rejoice!
   The people standing before Jesus that day needed to know this hope as much as Christ’s own must know this now. Do you think they believed him? After all, Jesus spoke “rejoice” to people who were repeatedly oppressed by foreign invasion and occupation. Their history included the persecution and martyrdom of God’s prophets. God had judged them into exile. Each day, too, they lived in distress under their own Pharisees’ over-legalized laws. The entire structure of the society around Jesus was centered on persecution from Rome, Herod and the religious leaders. How could they rejoice about that?
   Jesus taught them how. He instructed and encouraged them to rejoice in God’s eternal promises. His purpose was to awaken them to the knowledge that the kingdom of heaven has no drudgery, persecution, oppression or sadness. “Great is your reward in heaven.” is not an empty promise or one “be blessed” moment. It is a certain hope and forever future for the faithful. To rejoice is also much more than emotion; it is a physical response to a great happiness. Rejoicing might cause you to literally leap for joy, hug someone or vigorously shake hands to outwardly express a deep sense of happiness. This is the physical response you see as a sports team wins a championship. Their joy seems unending.
   But earthly blessing does end, doesn’t it? Jesus wants you to know that the eternal blessing does not stop. Kingdom life is a cause for unbounded celebration in our heats now and forever.
   Are you the Lord’s own? Then leap for joy. Be exceedingly glad the Exalted One has exalted you to this eternal relationship. What do persecutions matter when you belong to God? In your heart, you know your life is sure under Jesus’ saving power. May your rejoicing soul be an expression of his salvation shouting to the world, “Jesus saves! He has given to me the victory for eternal life.”  
 
Psalms 34:2 My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.