‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you,’ Matthew 5:10-12.
Jesus was clear and unreserved in his teaching about what choosing him would cost. Unlike a modern-day politician who may not disclose the full implications of voting for him, Jesus never pulled his punches or told less than the truth.
A lawyer came to Jesus early in his ministry. The lawyer was no doubt enamored with Jesus’ teaching and told Jesus that he would follow him anywhere, Matthew 8:18-22. However, Jesus warned the man that this would be a costly endeavor, saying that foxes have dens to live in but he, Jesus, didn’t have a place to sleep. In today’s vernacular, we’d call him unhoused.
On multiple occasions Jesus told his circle of apostles that his ministry was building to a crescendo that would end in persecution and death. “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things… [that] he would be killed, [and] on the third day… raised from the dead,” Matthew 16:21-23.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus gave his listeners a heads-up picture of what following him might lead to. “mocking…persecution…slander” And he pronounced a blessing on those who were willing to follow Jesus into such a life marked by suffering such as this.
Behind Jesus’ honest and blunt warnings about the costs of following him was his desire to have authentic followers. Not wannabe’s who were attracted to Jesus’ power and authority or who had misguided expectations of personal wealth and power.
A person who follows Jesus counts the cost of that decision so that they will not pull out because of fear, loss, pain, or grief. There are many examples of people who paid that cost:
- Peter who was crucified,
- Stephen who was stoned,
- Damien De Veuster who died in a leper colony,
- Mother Teresa who spent her life with the poor in India,
- And a host of others.
The writer of Hebrews reminded his readers of the great “cloud of witnesses” who lived out their call by God, in spite of the cost. And they were blessed by it.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you called us to follow you, wiling to pay the costs of that decision. Please give us the strength, resolve, and faith that we need to equip us for the life of discipleship. Amen.