Thoughts on the Beatitudes, Part 10: Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of God.
To this point, every Beatitude that we have considered has opened for us a plethora of questions of lesser or greater complexity. This week’s verse is no different, except that I’m finding it nearly impossible to find any issues that fall into the “simple to answer” category. Persecution is no different, but perhaps a bit less straightforward than the others.
What is persecution? What does the word mean? The Greek root, dioko, is a kind of hunting word that has the sense of ardent and aggressive pursuit. The idea isn’t always negative, but of course the biblical context here tells us that it is. As in every Beatitude, Jesus’ promise of happiness and glory appears only in juxtaposition to something that challenges our normal perception of what is good for us.
Sam Williaimson
March 5, 2018 2:05 pmWait a minute, are you saying that I’m being persecuted simply because I’ve been a jerk? Yikes! That’s humiliating.
I suppose that’s your point.
Sam