Following Jesus is tough. In Acts we read of the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7.58-60) and the decapitation of James (Acts 12.2). Down through the centuries thousands of Christians have been martyred. In that regard let me remind you of the persecution which God’s people have experienced down through the centuries.
In July AD 64 a terrible fire destroyed much of Rome. Rumour had it that Emperor Nero had started it, but to shift the blame he accused Christians of being responsible for starting the fire. So, in the words of the Roman historian Tacitus, “They were covered in the skins of wild animals, torn to death by dogs, crucified or set on fire, so that when darkness fell they burned like torches in the night.
In 287 AD Diocletian became Emperor and made it his aim to liquidate the church. Christians were tied to catapults and wrenched limb from limb. Peter, one of Diocletian’s servants, was scourged to the bone, then placed on a grid-iron so that he might witness the roasting of pieces of flesh torn from his body.
Ulrich Zwingli in the early 16th century had drowned Anabaptist women and had burnt the men on the river bank. 17th century England was little better. Nonconformists had a particularly rough time. For instance, the Conventicle Act of 1664 made meetings illegal for worship where a family was joined by more than four persons; the Five Mile Act of 1665 prohibited Nonconformist ministers coming within five miles of any town in which they had ministered. No wonder 20,000 Nonconformists fled our shores for America.
Following Jesus remains tough. Thankfully, in the UK people are no longer killed for their faith; instead we have freedom to worship and to share our faith. However, in other parts of the world many Christians are persecuted for their faith. The ten most dangerous countries for Christians are Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Northen Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Note that Jesus in this ninth Beatitude did not say “Blessed if you are persecuted”, but “Blessed are the persecuted” (Matthew 5.11). Persecution is to be the mark of a Christian. Clearly if we restrict persecution to being thrown to lions or locked up in jail, then these words of Jesus are no longer true or relevant in our country today. But if you look carefully you will see that Jesus was not thinking of extreme forms of persecution, for he went on to say: “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account” (Matthew 5.11); or in the words of the GNB, “Happy are you when people insult you and mistreat you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you”. Jesus was not just speaking of persecution, but of opposition. Blessed are those who come up against difficulties because they are following Jesus.
Following Jesus leads to true happiness. Opposition is inevitable, but so also is the Kingdom of Heaven. The immediate prospect may not be easy, but the ultimate rewards are beyond measure. Therefore Jesus went on to say, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5.12).