How Can You Be Happy If People Insult You? Matthew 5:7-12

Jesus continues to teach on what it means to be "blessed", which is also translated "happy".  He also described this as living according to kingdom values, meaning behaviors that have value beyond this temporal sphere. 

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

It is important to note what this verse as it might be confusing at face value,   

"Not that our mercifulness comes absolutely first. On the contrary, our Lord Himself expressly teaches us that God's method is to awaken in us compassion towards our fellow men by His own exercise of it, in so stupendous a way and measure, towards ourselves." (Brown)

The bottom line is once we have truly experienced God's mercy, our response should be to be merciful to others.  We remember the parable of the unmerciful debtor who had a large debt cancelled only to imprison a servant who barely owned him anything.  We always need to be aware of this as Christians.  Our debt to God was large and he forgave it all.  Let's be merciful to others accordingly.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

We know no one is pure in heart naturally.  We all are born of a sinful nature and our hearts are "deceitful above all else." Jeremiah 17:9  The Pharisees were focused on how they looked at on the outside not the inner condition before God.  Jesus called them "whitewashed tombs". Matthew 23:27  When Samuel was choosing the next king of Israel God said to him in regard to David, the shepherd boy,

"Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT  

Most people assume seeing God pertains only to when we get to heaven and see God face to face. i.e.1 Corinthinans 13:12.  But I also think there is a sense in which as we pursue God with a pure heart, we experience more and more of him in this life.  I.e. Back to the idea that God's kingdom has come to earth in the person of Jesus and we get to participate in this kingdom. 

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

A peacemaker is first of all at peace with themselves, which comes from being at peace with God.  It is from this deep, inner peace that one can bring a spirit of peace into a conflict.  You will notice that some of the most famous peacemakers M.L. King, Gandhi, Jesus had an extraordinary amount of peace within themselves, which came from their own relationship with God. 

"Children of God" is more accurately translated "sons of God".  Again this sonship begins now as we are born again as children of God (John 3:3). and is consummated in heaven when Jesus returns .  Jesus was the Son of God, and we receive our inhteritance from him.  

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

This sounds like an oxymoron.  How could I consider myself to be blessed/happy when I am being persecuted for living out my Christian faith. Note this is suffering for Christ, not as a result of my bad decisions. 1 Peter picks up on this in 1 Peter 4:15-16, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter."

The promise of the kingdom in reward for being persecuted for righteous living is also given for the "poor in spirit" in verse 3.  

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

This verse is similar to verse 10, but the difference is being persecuted for "Jesus' sake" versus "righteous living". 

"For my sake - Because you are attached to me; because you are Christians. We are not to seek such things. We are not to do things to offend others; to treat them harshly or unkindly, and. to court revilings. We are not to say or do things, though they may be on the subject of religion, designed to disgust or offend. But if, in the faithful endeavor to be Christians, we are reviled, as our Master was, then we are to take it with patience, and to remember that thousands before us have been treated in like manner. When thus reviled or persecuted, we are to be meek, patient, humble; not angry; not reviling again; but endeavoring to do good to our persecutors and slanderers."

Jesus knew how he would be treated as God's only Son, when his message was one of peace and love. So it is not suprisingly that his followers will receive similar treatment.  Part of the blessing I believe is that we are persecuted BECAUSE of Jesus.  We are representing him and standing up for him, so that as we are persecuted for being his follower, we are participating in his own sufferings and becoming more like him. 

Paul echoes this sentiment in Philippians 3:10

"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead."

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Though we won't always be rewarded for being persecuted in this life, surely there is a reward or crown laid up for us in heaven.  

James 1:12 says this in a similar reference, "God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (NLT)

Have you ever been persecuted for your Christian faith and/or doing the right thing in God's eyes?  How did it impact your faith and relationship with Jesus?  Do you anticipate Christians will be persecuted more in the years ahead? Who do you need to show mercy to these days?  Or, to put it another way, who are those you judge the most? What does this say about your own understanding of God's mercy for you?