The Sermon on the MountSample

Those who are persecuted because of righteousness

Righteousness in this context means "the character or quality of being righteous" and is first and foremost an attribute of God (Romans 3:5,25,26). It is not natural behavior for humans, because our best efforts cannot achieve what God requires (Isaiah 64:6). The behavior of believers reflects the character of God through His grace.

Being a righteous person does not exclude being subjected to persecution (2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 3:14,15). The clearest example is Jesus himself (1 Peter 2:19-23). The promised reward is the kingdom of heaven, which will last forever, while persecution is only temporary (1 Peter 5:10). Persecution will include unwarranted criticism and backbiting. Jesus says these insults are because of me (Matthew 5:11). We should refrain from trying to justify our wrong actions by citing these verses (1 Peter 4:12-16).

The believer's reaction to persecution for Christ's name is to rejoice (Matthew 5:12), not because of the pain but because of the implications:

• There is a reward (Hebrews 11:24-26)
• True prophets were also persecuted (2 Chronicles 36:15,16)

Today, many believers are looking for "likes," that is, the approval of as many people as possible. Jesus warns that this is dangerous because it resembles the behavior of false prophets (Luke 6:26).

• Are you willing to do what God calls right, even if it results in unfair criticism or worse?