Rejoice and Be Glad

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” –  Matthew 5:11-12 ESV

This command, given at the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, must have sounded strange to His Jewish audience. He had already dropped eight other truth bombs on them that, to their Jewish sensibilities, would have made little sense and offered little in the way of comfort or hope.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – vs 3

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” – vs 4

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” – vs 5

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” – vs 6

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” – vs 7

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – vs 8

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” – vs 9

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – vs 10

Each of these sentences contains a non sequitur, a statement that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said. Jesus was relating entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven with attitudes or actions that seemed antithetical to the Jewish way of thinking. For the average Jew, meekness was viewed as a weakness, not an attribute to be admired. Poverty in any form, whether spiritual or physical was seen as a curse, not a blessing. Mourning was associated with suffering and was to be avoided at all costs. As an overtaxed and oppressed people, the Jews were all too familiar with hunger and thirst and saw no connection between those dreaded conditions and righteousness. In their role as unwilling subjects of the Roman Empire, mercy was something they longed for but rarely received. So, the thought of extending mercy to others was not a high priority for them. They would have viewed purity of heart as impossible because they knew what the Scriptures said.

The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.
No one does good,
    not a single one! – Psalm 14:2-3 NLT

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. – Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” – Jeremiah 17:9 NLT

For the Jews in Jesus’ audience, peace was in short supply. As long as the Romans ruled over Palestine and dictated every aspect of their lives, there would be no peace. For them, the concept of peace was closely associated with a lack of trials and troubles. It was less an attitude than it was a condition of existence. So, the only way they could envision the presence of peace would be through war with and victory over the Romans. The thought of being persecuted for being righteous was nonsensical and unattractive. Righteousness was meant to bring blessings from God, but Jesus associated those blessings with persecution.

The entire opening sequence of Jesus’ message was a rapid-fire barrage of mind-blowing statements that linked the Kingdom of Heaven with ideas the Jews found far from attractive. Then Jesus ended the prologue to His sermon with a command to rejoice about all of it.

“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.” – Matthew 5:11-12 NLT

Why would Jesus command them to rejoice when being persecuted, mocked, and slandered? What blessings could come from suffering those kinds of indignities? The Greek word translated as “blessed” in this passage is makarios, and it conveys the idea of being fortunate or well-off because of God’s favor of God. But to the Jews, the blessings of God were always associated with abundance and riches, not poverty, deprivation, and persecution. Yet, Jesus was commanding them to “be happy about it!” 

It is important to remember that Jesus always spoke with His 12 disciples in mind. His messages were primarily aimed at those men who had chosen to leave everything behind and follow Him. They had committed their lives to serving as His disciples (mathētēs – learner, pupil). So, while everyone on the hillside that day heard what Jesus had to say, His words were intended for His 12 students, who would have also struggled with the content of His message.

At this early stage of Jesus’ ministry, these men were unaware of the true nature of His coming. They had suspicions that He was the long-awaited Messiah, but they had no idea that His ministry would be accompanied by poverty, suffering, persecution, sorrow, hunger, thirst, and, ultimately, death. Over the next three years, they would see Him model meekness, mercy, and purity of heart. They would witness Him pursuing peace with all men, including Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes, and even Romans. In time, they would watch as their Rabbi, teacher, and friend was persecuted despite living a righteous, God-honoring life.

Jesus would later warn His disciples to expect the same treatment.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.” – John 15:18-21 NLT

Yet, Jesus expected His disciples to rejoice and be glad when they faced reviling, persecution, and slander when serving on His behalf. But what was to be the focus of their rejoicing? Was it their suffering? Jesus made it clear when He said, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 12 ESV). They were to keep their eye on the prize, that future award that awaited them in heaven.

Later in His ministry, Jesus sent 72 of His followers “two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go” (Luke 10:1 ESV). When they returned, they joyfully reported, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17 ESV). But Jesus somewhat burst their bubble when He redicted the focus of their joy. 

“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” – Luke 10:19-20 ESV

Long after Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended, the apostle Peter continued this theme of rejoicing in the reward to come.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. – 1 Peter 1:3-7 ESV

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. – 1 Peter 4:12-13 ESV

James also promoted a future-oriented perspective that focused not on the trials themselves but on the glorious outcome they would produce.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. – James 1:1-4 ESV

Paul was also a proponent of living with the end in mind. He told the believers in Colossae to keep their focus on the final phase of God’s redemptive plan when Jesus returns to earth to establish His Kingdom.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. – Colossians 3:1-4 NLT

The 12 disciples expected Jesus to set up His Kingdom the first time He came, and nothing would have brought them more joy than to watch Him destroy the Roman occupiers and put Israel back on the map politically and militarily. But He was operating on a different timeline. Their hopes of a restored earthly kingdom would come in time, but not before their King suffered, died, and was raised back to life. Even after His resurrection, the disciples wondered if that was the sign He was about to inaugurate His Kingdom.

“Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” – Acts 1:6 NLT

But Jesus told them that the next phase of the plan would require work on their part. They had a job to do before the Kingdom would come.

“The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:7-8 NLT

And while they waited, they would suffer just as He did. But they could rejoice because He promised to return one day and take them to be with Him.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” – John 14:1-3 NLT

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.” – John 14:27-28 NLT

So, disciples of Jesus can rejoice and be glad because their future is secure. Even in the face of trials, difficulties, and persecution, Christ’s followers can find peace and motivation to rejoice in whatever comes their way in this life because the Kingdom is coming.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Hope in the Hereafter

16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts. 19 For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? – Ecclesiastes 3:16-22 ESV

For Solomon, life had become little more than a never-ending cycle of unavoidable outcomes. Planting was followed by harvesting but eventually required that the whole laborious process begin again. Periods of peace would be interrupted by times of war. Efforts to build something of significance would only result in its eventual demolition. Seeking for something that was lost might result in finding it – only to lose it again. Feelings of love could give way to thoughts of hate. And ultimately, life would be trumped by death.

And as he notes in this passage, even while man lives, he experiences the inevitability of injustice. Where he expects to see righteousness rule and reign, he instead finds wickedness. Solomon describes life lived “under the sun” as a disappointing and difficult experience, and the only silver lining he can find in this dark cloud of despair is his belief that God will judge the righteous and the wicked. But it is likely that Solomon is not thinking of a future judgment related to the end of the world and the eternal state. He has his eyes fixed solidly on the here-and-now. Consider his closing statement in this passage. “Who can bring him [man] to see what will be after him?” (Ecclesiastes 3:22 ESV). 

The idea of a future judgment was almost impossible for Solomon to fathom. His perspective was immersed in the present, bound by time, and hampered by his inability to see anything beyond the grave.

Two different times in this passage, Solomon uses the phrase, “I said in my heart.” This is a statement of deep reflection. He is wrestling with substantive issues, turning them over in his mind, and trying to come to some sort of resolution. He is attempting to use his wisdom to reconcile his many observations concerning life’s inequities and futile inevitabilities, and he draws some less-than-encouraging conclusions.

These verses are not random, off-the-cuff thoughts, but the well-reasoned reflections of a man who has spent countless hours struggling to resolve what he believes to be concerning contradictions. And yet, so much of what he has concluded is wrong. His views on life and man’s existence lack a divine perspective. Yes, he acknowledges the existence of God and even concedes the sovereignty of God over all things. But he views God as nothing more than a distant deity, far removed from everyday life, who stands in detached judgment over the affairs of man. In fact, when considering the human condition from his limited earthly perspective, Solomon concludes, “God proves to people that they are like animals” (Ecclesiastes 3:18 NLT).

That view of God fails to focus on His love, mercy, and grace, and exposes Solomon’s lack of an intimate and interpersonal relationship with the Almighty. While Solomon was the son of David, he did not share his father’s opinion about God. Compare the rather pessimistic conclusions of Solomon to those of his father.

But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me;
   you are my glory and the one who restores me.
To the Lord I cried out,
   and he answered me from his holy hill. – Psalm 3:3-4 NLT

You make me happier
   than those who have abundant grain and wine.
I will lie down and sleep peacefully,
   for you, Lord, make me safe and secure. – Psalm 4:7-8 NLT

But as for me, because of your great faithfulness I will enter your house;
I will bow down toward your holy temple as I worship you. – Psalm 5:7 NLT

David had a deep and abiding love for God and saw Him as intimately involved in the everyday affairs of his life. His God was personal and relatable, not distant and disconnected. But for Solomon, God was little more than a powerful, unseen force, directing the affairs of life and determining the destinies of men with a certain degree of detachment and disinterest. In fact, Solomon accuses God of using His divine power to prove to men that they are little better than beasts.

For people and animals share the same fate—both breathe and both must die. So people have no real advantage over the animals. How meaningless! – Ecclesiastes 3:19 NLT

Yet David had a remarkably different perspective.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth! – Psalm 8:3-9 ESV

David fully acknowledged the inferior nature of man when compared to the majesty of Almighty God but he also recognized man’s God-given status as the crowning achievement of creation.

Yet, all Solomon seemed to see was the fact that men were doomed to the same fate as animals. Death and decay await them both. And Solomon further expresses his dire outlook by asking the question, “who can prove that the human spirit goes up and the spirit of animals goes down into the earth?” (Ecclesiastes 3:21 NLT).

In other words, what guarantee do we have that there is something out there after death? How do we know that there is any existence beyond the grave? You can begin to see why Solomon reached the conclusion, “there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can” (Ecclesiastes 3:12 NLT).

When he considered the fact that the wise and the foolish both end their lives in death, he concluded, “there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work” (Ecclesiastes 2:24 NLT).

Enjoy it while you can. That seems to be Solomon’s philosophy of life. Since he had no guarantee of what would happen after death, he was going to grab for all the gusto he could in this life. He resigned himself to the reality that this is all there is, which led him to say, “I saw that there is nothing better for people than to be happy in their work. That is our lot in life” (Ecclesiastes 3:22 NLT).

But notice that he has relegated all of life to this world. He displays no concept of eternity or the hereafter. Once again, a comparison of the mindset of Solomon with that of his own father reveals a startling disparity in their viewpoints. David repeatedly expressed his belief in the eternal nature of his relationship with God.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. – Psalm 23:6 NLT

I have asked the Lord for one thing—
   this is what I desire!
I want to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,
   so I can gaze at the splendor of the Lord
and contemplate in his temple. – Psalm 27:4 NLT

Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! – Psalm 61:4 NLT

There is little doubt that life can be filled with injustices. We all know that death is inevitable and inescapable. But we have an assurance from God that all injustices will one day be rectified. It may not be in our lifetime, but we can rest assured that God will ultimately replace all wickedness with righteousness. He will mete out justice to all those who have lived their lives by taking advantage of the innocent and abusing the helpless. And while the fall brought the inescapable reality of death to God’s creation, He plans to redeem and restore all that He has made.

And for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, we have the assurance that our existence does not end with our death, because He died so that we might live. And nobody expresses this reality better than the apostle Paul.

For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. 23 Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. – Romans 8:22-25 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.