Doing The Right Thing

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for thiers is the kingom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)

There are eight "Blessed" statements in the Beatitudes that Jesus delivered during His sermon on the mount. This "Blessed" statement is the last one. At the emd of this list Jesus said that we are blessed when we are persecuted for doing the right thing. In a world of cancel culture, where people try to shut down anyone who speaks things they don't like or agree with, we need to stand on our faith. In the face of peer pressure we need to not cave and go with the popular things of the day. Instead we need to be speaking truth and doing the right things. 

Society makes it hard to do and say what is right, and lets be honest about how society treats people who rock the boat. People get rude and threaten to harm us in some way. These ways can be mentally, physically, and even financially. The will take an action that they feel will push people into comformity. They view anyone speaking against them as an enemy that needs to be silenced. Persecution is a legal term that, now days, is mostly seen in courtrooms. However, anytime another people tries to silence another, it is a form of persecution. Persecution is a systematic mistreatment, harassment, or severe oppression of an individual or group. So, if you are being harassed for doing the right thing, you are being persecuted.

Jesus said that we are blessed and our kingdom is heaven when we are persecuted. When someone harasses us for speaking truth or doing what is right in the eyes of God, we are blessed. To be blessed means to be made holy or to experience profound happiness and divine favor. So, when we are persecuted for righteousness, we gain divine favor with God. In a society of do what you want, we stand separated from the rest. We stand firm in our faith and in doing so we receive God's divine favor.