At the time that Jesus spoke these words, just as in many parts of the world today, we tend to think that blessings are tied to worldly success. Jesus says that real happiness is not based on circumstance, but on a person's character. Today, would we consider ourselves blessed if we were persecuted? What do the persecuted Christians want people to pray for; they want their leaders to stay true to the Gospel, that they would be with their families, that their persecutors would turn to Jesus. In these first 12 verses, God’s first command comes in verse 12, rejoice and be glad. We should rejoice when we are persecuted, rejoice that we have experienced so little persecution, and not be surprised with persecution comes. Do we want to know Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings as the Bible commands? We will not be what God wants us to be unless we go through difficulty. The Bible does not say to be happy, however, God’s word does say to rejoice and be glad. We are commanded by God to respond in circumstances showing that we are conformed to His likeness. We are to be meek, which means strength under control. A meek person is one who is surrendered. If we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be filled. If we have been given mercy in our lives, we will be merciful. Even if we don’t feel good, we can still be glad.
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Pastor Jim Wood is passionate about sharing the gospel. He wrote his first sermon at nine, preached at fifteen and has been preaching and teaching the Bible, whenever possible, for forty years. Jim is founder and Executive Director of Wears Valley Ranch, a home and school for...
