Bible League: Living His Word Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Verse 10 for today is the eighth and final Beatitude that Jesus gave in His Sermon on the Mount. Verses 11-12 are Jesus' commentary on it. The word "beatitude" refers to a state of being abundantly blessed and extremely happy. The Beatitudes are declarations of blessedness over those who embody what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. The eighth Beatitude says that disciples who are "persecuted because of righteousness" are blessed. What does it mean to be persecuted because of righteousness? It means that one is treated badly for accepting the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22) and for living the Christian life. The Christian life can lead to persecution because it is a threat to other ways of life. Those who are persecuted because of righteousness are willing to endure the bad treatment in order to stay faithful to Jesus. The reason why disciples who are persecuted because of righteousness are blessed is that "theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The "Kingdom of heaven" as used by the Apostle Matthew is a virtual synonym for the "Kingdom of God." Those who have the Kingdom of God are blessed because they are citizens of the Kingdom and have all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship as a result. The persecuted also have a great reward waiting for them in heaven when they die and, we may presume, in the new heaven and new earth yet to come. The reward is not specified, but it must be great because the recipients are likened to the great prophets of old who were persecuted. It seems counterintuitive for Jesus to say that the persecuted are blessed. The Apostle Paul, however, said that "our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18) and "our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (II Corinthians 4:17). If you are enduring persecution today, be strengthened and encouraged by the great reward and the eternal glory it is achieving for you. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading2 Samuel 19, 20 2 Samuel 19 -- Joab Causes David to Cease His Mourning; David Restored NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Samuel 20 -- Sheba Rebels; Joab Kills Amasa; Revolt Ended NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 21:20-38 Luke 21 -- The Widow's Gift; Signs of the End of the Age NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God's purpose is that people should fear him.Insight What is the purpose of life? It is that we should revere the all-powerful God. To revere God means to respect and stand in awe of him because of who he is. Purpose in life starts with whom we know, not what we know or how good we are. Challenge It is impossible to fulfill your God-given purpose unless you revere God and give him first place in your life. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Ezekiel 3:7 All the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.Are there no exceptions? No, not one. Even the favored race are thus described. Are the best so bad?--then what must the worst be? Come, my heart, consider how far thou hast a share in this universal accusation, and while considering, be ready to take shame unto thyself wherein thou mayst have been guilty. The first charge is impudence, or hardness of forehead, a want of holy shame, an unhallowed boldness in evil. Before my conversion, I could sin and feel no compunction, hear of my guilt and yet remain unhumbled, and even confess my iniquity and manifest no inward humiliation on account of it. For a sinner to go to God's house and pretend to pray to him and praise him argues a brazen-facedness of the worst kind! Alas! since the day of my new birth I have doubted my Lord to his face, murmured unblushingly in his presence, worshipped before him in a slovenly manner, and sinned without bewailing myself concerning it. If my forehead were not as an adamant, harder than flint, I should have far more holy fear, and a far deeper contrition of spirit. Woe is me, I am one of the impudent house of Israel. The second charge is hardheartedness, and I must not venture to plead innocent here. Once I had nothing but a heart of stone, and although through grace I now have a new and fleshy heart, much of my former obduracy remains. I am not affected by the death of Jesus as I ought to be; neither am I moved by the ruin of my fellow men, the wickedness of the times, the chastisement of my heavenly Father, and my own failures, as I should be. O that my heart would melt at the recital of my Saviour's sufferings and death. Would to God I were rid of this nether millstone within me, this hateful body of death. Blessed be the name of the Lord, the disease is not incurable, the Saviour's precious blood is the universal solvent, and me, even me, it will effectually soften, till my heart melts as wax before the fire. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 71:14 But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Psalm 116:1,2 I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications. • Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live. Psalm 34:1 A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 65:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song. There will be silence before You, and praise in Zion, O God, And to You the vow will be performed. Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME." Psalm 50:23 "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always; • pray without ceasing; • in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 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