“Blessed are you when others 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 so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11-12 ESV
When looking at this verse it brings to mind 2 Timothy 3:12 which reads, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,”
To apply this verse is simply to accept it and hold it as truth with expectancy . Let’s dig in a lil further.
Question: where was this spoken and to whom was it spoken?Jesus was speaking to a crowd who were mostly, if not entirely, Jews. Jews and possibly others who would eventually have to make a decision to follow man’s ideas or follow Jesus. He knew that for those who followed him, great persecution was coming.
In our day, this is still true and realized at varying degrees based on where you live and the group you associate with. One who leaves the teachings of Joseph Smith to follow Jesus will face persecution. A catholic who takes notice and speaks out, regarding some contradictory methods, may be reviled and face persecution. The Christian who continues growing in love, faith and truth will continue growing to be a stench to many. As the scripture above says, “all who desire to live a Godly life”. Keyword, “all”.
But we can also trust Jesus and rejoice and be glad for he also says, “great is your reward in Heaven”.