One of the greatest and most recognizable sermons in history is the Sermon on the Mount, the teachings of Jesus found in Matthew 5-7. One of the most famous parts of that sermon is what we call the Beatitudes, which comes from the Latin word for “blessings.” The kinds of people listed here are “blessed,” “happy,” and “to be congratulated.” And the very last Beatitude says this:
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)
Jesus is saying that we are blessed, we are to be congratulated when we face persecution for our faith and for following his standards. He even says that we’re supposed to “rejoice” over it. Is that even possible? Yes, because we know that any problems we face in this brief life are minuscule compared to the wonders we’ll experience for eternity. We can get through persecution now because we know what is waiting for us then.
Let’s be honest — if we’re going to be blessed, we’d rather it not come through persecution. There are a lot more ways we’d rather be blessed than through suffering. I don’t wake up each morning asking, “God, what can I do today to be blessed through persecution?”
But as believers, we’re not allowed the luxury of avoiding persecution if that means denying Jesus, or keeping our faith to ourselves, or trying to fit in with culture when culture is at odds with the teachings of God. We are not to hide from a godless culture. We are called to walk right into culture and make a difference. The very next words that Jesus says are these:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)
And as one great barbecuer said to the other, “here’s the rub.” Here’s that tension that we all know so well, the tension between following God and living in the world. We’re not to isolate ourselves from the world to better follow Christ. Someone once said, and I have no idea who it was, but they said, “A cloistered nun hath no virtue.” What they meant was that it’s a lot easier to live the way God calls us to live when we isolate ourselves from the world and surround ourselves with Christians who think and act as we do.
We can’t afford to put ourselves in a Christian bubble, surrounding ourselves only with other Christians, joining only Christian clubs, shopping only at Christian stores, going only to Christian events, working only for Christian employers. We may save ourselves a lot of trouble by doing that. We may even think we’re godly by doing that. But salt doesn’t do any good sitting in a saltshaker. And the flashlight that you keep in your car doesn’t do any good locked up in your glove compartment.
At the same time, we’re also not to live like the world thinks we should live. We’re called to live for God and stand up for his truth, even if it means we suffer consequences for doing so. We’re called to live godly lives, not isolated from, but in the middle of an ungodly world.
And if we suffer for it? Well, Jesus says we are “blessed.” We’re to be congratulated.
Peter, the apostle who knew Jesus as good as or better than anyone, has this to say:
But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. (1 Peter 3:14)
Tradition says that Peter was crucified upside down for his faith.
Maybe you feel like it’s tough being different from everyone else. But we’re supposed to be different! We’re not supposed to live like everyone else. That’s the whole point. Peter also said this:
You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. (1 Peter 4:3-5, NLT)
If you decide to live for God in a godless culture, people are going to notice. You may face opposition. Live your life knowing the amazing eternal future you have ahead of you. And live knowing the devastating future that lies ahead for those around you who don’t know Jesus. When they slander you or persecute you, don’t think of them as your enemies, but as people in desperate need of a Savior.
Our Savior, who, by the way, suffered greatly for us, says that we are salt, standing against moral decay and preserving culture from sin. We’re light, shining through a dark world so people can see their way to God.
It isn’t that Jesus said we should be salt and light. He said we are salt and light.
So are you living up to who you are?