Blessed are the Falsely Accused

 

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. Matthew 5:11 How do you know you're ready for heaven? Because you love the name of Jesus! You love Jesus so much that you want to talk about him, and read Bible stories about him, and tell your friends and family what Jesus means to you. Heaven is where Jesus is, so we should learn to love him now! I meet people who say they're OK with "the big guy upstairs" but they don't want to talk about Jesus. They don't like to hear his Name. But Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6 We live in an age of condemnation. Social media is partly responsible for this: social media is a harsh, judgmental environment and it has been shaping all of society to be the same. And it's not enough to simply speak your mind, anymore. People want to destroy anyone who disagrees with them. Jesus tells us that when we are falsely accused by friends, family and society because of Him, we will be greatly rewarded in heaven. Just make sure you're being persecuted for the right reasons! Being persecuted for politics, or conspiracy theories, or social agendas is not the same as being persecuted for Jesus' sake. Jesus explains this in Revelation 3:8-9 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; because you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those liars who claim to be godly — I will make them come and bow before your feet, and they will know that I have loved you."  Revelation 3:8-9 Jesus confirms again that those who love him, also love his words (in the Bible) and they love his Name. If we're not sharing the name of Jesus, then it's possible we're not focused on the right things.

 

Blessed are the Persecuted

 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 10:10 Do you know why Jesus Christ was crucified? Because Jesus told the religious leaders the truth of who He was. They thought his words were blasphemy: they never considered that Jesus was right. In this day and age, "truth" is whatever we want it to be. And people believe their version of "truth", thinking they have chosen a righteous path.  But this makes "truth" to be a very arbitrary thing: truth goes in every which direction and bumps into other "truths" in ways that cannot be reconciled. So then we have chaos and contention as the result. Jesus said, "I am the Truth." So there it is. God lays it out for us in the most simple way possible: if you focus intently on knowing Jesus, you'll know what the righteous way of Truth is supposed to be. If you’re persecuted for having wrong beliefs, wrong motives, wrong behavior: there’s no reward in that. Make sure you’re known for all the right and righteous reasons, even if people don’t like it. You can start by reading the New Testament, which begins with the words of Jesus himself.