Another Look At The Beatitudes, part 5

Matthew 5:10-12

10. We are persecuted because we are like God. We draw the same fire He draws.

This is for the sake of righteousness. It is not because we’re stinkers. This is a high calling.

The kingdom is reiterated. There’s nothing more God can give. This is repeated from verse 3 to show that we’ve come full circle. We are not lacking anything we need from God.

Could this have been said of those under Moses that they had the kingdom in this sense? Adam started out with it, but He didn’t get it back in this way. This is an absolute possession, not one we can lose if we don’t pay the property taxes. (We can, of course, throw it away, but that is another issue on another topic. The point is that what we have from God cannot be taken away from us by any external force of the devil, man or the world.)

Theirs – it is theirs and theirs alone. God never acts arbitrarily giving things to those who don’t have faith or this character. Even Paul had to believe and be baptized, regardless of what God wanted to do with him.

11. The blessing doesn’t come from being reviled, but from the fact that we are identified as being with Jesus and a part of Him. MY NAME’S SAKE.

God is not interested in any masochists.

We can get it all: revile, persecute, say all evil. Jesus gives us ample warning of what might come if we follow Him.

12. We can rest in God when this comes, rather than feeling we have to defend ourselves. Jesus puts us in the same class as the prophets. I wouldn’t mind being associated with Isaiah.

Reward = eternal life.

It’s in heaven where no on can tamper with it and where it can’t be lost.

It’s great, not a “consolation” prize. We are not “Also Rans” in the spiritual realm if we run with Jesus.