God’s Constitution, Pt 10: Insult

Matthew 5:11-12                   11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

1Peter 4:14-19                       14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And, “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Isaiah 51:7-8                          7“Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults. 8For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.”

At first glance, it might seem as if this verse is a continuation of Matthew 5:10 but the focus has changed.  In verse 10 “those” indicates people who are distant and undefined.  In verse 11ff “you” specifically is directed to the disciples and other listeners directly with Jesus.  Now the Sermon on the Mount has moved from the introductory nature of the Beatitudes to the direct implications of life as a follower of Jesus.  More explicitly, persecution is now the result of association with Jesus rather than simply a result of living righteously.

I would suppose that most people think of persecution in terms of imprisonment, or torture, or confiscation of property, but historically the most common form of persecution has been insult, slander, and ridicule.  I also suppose most people think there isn’t much persecution going on today except maybe in Muslim dominated countries.  That belief is incorrect.  I have friends, two brothers, who were raised by extremely liberal, socialist, almost communistic parents.  The one brother became an educator and lived in a Northern liberal city.  The other brother moved to the Bible Belt for his job and while there came to know Jesus.  The Southern brother attempted to bring his Northern brother to saving knowledge of Jesus but the Northern brother would have none of it.  The brothers had many verbal fights over the one’s belief in Jesus as Savior and their relationship was severed, never to be restored.  This was persecution on account of Jesus.

I’m sure the Southern brother was not happy about this, yet these verses seem to indicate we should in fact be happy about such things because they reveal a close relationship with Jesus.  This is a conundrum for many people because this kind of happiness seems so removed from reality as to be an impossibility.  But it is more common than most people realize.  Have you ever been in a group of people who have been through difficult times together?  Maybe it was a difficult work environment, or a military battle, or rescue from abuse or pornography.  In any case people who share such things often develop an unbreakable bond.  The commonality of experience unites them in ways others don’t understand.

These verses speak of just such a close bond with Jesus.  We know Jesus endured many physical sufferings yet it is difficult for us to understand this because most of us have not been whipped mercilessly, and none of us have been nailed to a cross.  But His psychological sufferings were equally severe and these we understand.  Jesus could have no part of sin, yet He loved the sinner.  It’s not as if He watched the world sin and ignored it; no, Jesus being in full and intimate relationship with His loved ones, must have felt deep anguish at the sight of their sin and misdeeds.  We can understand this to some slight degree because we have friends or family members, people we love, who are caught up with drugs, or wickedness, or pornography, or violence.  We want to shake them, to wake them up, yet we cannot because they are after all their own person.

There is a comfort, a contentment, in living a life that is reflective of the glory of Jesus.  There is a sense of rightness in knowing you are doing just what God wants you to do.  James says we should…

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I recently had an opportunity to spend some personal time with a missionary friend which previously I had known only through email and text.  He spoke about his ‘in country’ time in a Muslim area that was 99.99% Muslim.  In several years of ministry only a very small number of young people had accepted Jesus because in that culture converting meant leaving family, leaving country, leaving friends and being shunned by everyone.  But my friend was not like many worldly pastors who measure success through occupied pews.  My friend is satisfied by the effort not by the result of the effort.  He knows he is doing exactly what God wants him to do.  His efforts are not easy, but they are very rewarding.

That is exactly what these verses speak about.  In a sort of contradictory way we should understand that when we face trials or difficulties because of our walk with Jesus we are doing something right.  Jesus faced trials; so will we.  He was ridiculed and rejected; so will we be.  Perhaps we receive no rewards until we reach heaven, but our efforts have not gone unnoticed.  So if your brother ridicules you it is he who is in error.  If your work for Christ seems unproductive you can take solace in knowing Christ appreciates your effort.  In those ‘dark nights of the soul’ when things seem so bleak you can understand you are in the charmed circle of fellowship with Christ.  We know that most growth comes through difficult times; there is a cliché that says, “when times get tough, the tough get going”.  Let’s get going my brother or sister!  God loves us, and forgives us, and will not forsake us so these difficulties that are in front of us will not stand, but will give way to God’s righteousness which lasts forever.