Tag: hated and reviled
The upside-down kingdom!
Scripture reading for March 11: Luke 6
“And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”” Luke 6:20-23
After a great healing meeting where power had come out of Him and brought deliverance from demons and healing for all, Jesus looked to heaven and began to speak to His disciples. Jesus pronounced blessings on those of His followers who were poor, hungry, weeping and those hated and reviled because of Him. He told them that they should rejoice and leap for joy now in faith! Their reward in heaven would far exceed the troubles that they were now experiencing. In fact, they were in good company because this is how their own relatives had treated the prophets sent to them by God.
Jesus was teaching them about the invisible kingdom of God and their privilege to be a part of that kingdom. In spite of how it might look or feel, they were blessed and would be rewarded. People of faith had always been subject to persecution, hatred, exclusion, and even famine and sorrows and even death. The prophets of God had experienced this as well, even from the Israelites forefathers. These truths told them of an upside-down kingdom where what the world thought of as punishment was actually going to be rewarded. Jesus Christ, Himself, would model this attitude of joy and blessing as He suffered as the Son of God and our Savior.
As a believer in Jesus, have you ever suffered for your faith? Do you find it hard to rejoice and leap for joy when people hate you and revile you? Which one of these blessings pronounced by Jesus Christ do you most need in your life today?
Prayer: Father God, I admit that I don’t enjoy being hungry, weeping, or being hated by others because of Jesus Christ as my Lord. My experience has been limited of these things happening, but I have visited lands where it is dangerous to be a believer. Help me to live in hope and joy so I might share the Gospel by my attitude, actions and joyful life. Amen.