Rejoice?

Matt. 5:10-12 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Dad taught about persecution on Sunday and part of the lesson keeps coming back to me. The Bible tells Christians to rejoice when we are persecuted. In a way that sounds odd (I mean how can you rejoice when you are being persecuted for doing the right thing?) but in another way it makes sense.

For one, persecution means that Satan has identified you as an enemy. I can think of no other way I would rather have Satan think of me. Persecution can be a sign that you are doing the right thing. (Side note: Be careful . . . “persecution” is sometimes evidence that Christians can still be jerks!)

For another, persecution brings to light the spiritual battle. The spiritual battle is very real, but it is also very easy to forget about when it is hidden and there is no visible sign of persecution. Conflict brings the struggle between good and evil to life. Now you may ask why that is a good thing. I mean, what's so great about being reminded that we are in a battle? Well for me it helps clear up some of the confusion. If there's a real battle going on, I would rather know what and where it is than be caught sleeping. When lines are drawn and the battle is brought out into the open, you see the other side for what it really is. You also realize how miserable the people on that side are.

I used to think the other side was something to be hated, and it is, but I'm changing my mind about the people on the other side. When you see the people who are caught -- intentionally or not -- on Satan's side, you realize that even though they may stand for something despicable, the people themselves deserve more pity than hate. They are some of the saddest and most miserable people you will ever meet. Remember that as Jesus cried as he approached Jerusalem, sorry for the blinded people in it even though he knew they were the same people who would send him to his death. When it comes to persecution, they may have the upper hand, but they are being driven by a force too strong for them and fighting for a master who has nothing to offer them except more misery and, in some cases, an unexplainable desire to spread it to others. When you see them at camp, VBS, school, even the news and realize how hopeless they are, you you begin to feel more pity for them and more hatred for the master they work for. Our battle is not against them but against the powers behind them.

I think I'm beginning to see why Jesus said it is possible for Christians to rejoice in persecution. I don't much like conflict or persecution, and I don't think Christians are called to search out either, but I also don't think they are such a bad thing that they ought to be dreaded or avoided at all costs. If nothing else persecution reminds me again (not that I've experienced much of it!) of how good it is to be on God's side. When I see the other side for what it really is and I realize that it has nothing good to offer, it makes me profoundly grateful to be on the right side . . . even if that means persecution.

Isaiah 57:20 “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”

Psalm 84:10 “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”