The Beatitudes and Eastertide: Suffering and the Resurrection, Part 1

Scripture — Matthew 5:10-12; Romans 8:11, 16-17 (NRSV)

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, 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

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you….
It is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if we in fact suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:11, 16-17

Devotion

When this devotion arrives in your in-box (and mine also, as a longtime subscriber to Life for Leaders), we will recently have finished celebrating Easter Sunday and will still be in the season of the liturgical year recognized in many Christian traditions as Eastertide. Perhaps the words are still on your lips: Christ is risen; He is risen indeed. The truth of these words gives meaning to all that we do, and to the rest of God’s word. Christ is risen; He is risen indeed. These words are appropriate to speak throughout the entire year, but the message of the resurrection is especially relevant to the Easter season.

It may therefore seem odd to some—or at least unexpected—that this week I’m still continuing in my year-long series of devotions on the Sermon on the Mount with a special focus on the opening passage known as the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12). However, if you read the words of Paul from his letter to the Romans, it might give some context to why I found Jesus’s words at the end of the Beatitudes an appropriate passage for Eastertide. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness…. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

As Jesus speaks these words, he has just finished talking to his disciples about the blessedness of being meek (or in some translations, gentle) and of being merciful (a word that can also be translated as compassionate). These are characteristics of Jesus himself which he modeled as well as taught. To be a true disciple of Jesus is to be both a follower of his teachings and an imitator of his actions.

And Jesus was put to death.

He didn’t come seeking worldly power. He turned away from wealth and comfort. He could have claimed a military and political might that dwarfed every nation that has ever existed. He turned away from these things also. These were the temptations from Satan that Jesus rejected. He could have overthrown Israel’s Roman oppressors with a single word. Certainly many in the crowds hoped for this. Instead of political or military power, comfort, or wealth, Jesus chose the way of the cross. That is to say, he chose to accept persecution in order to follow the will of the Father.

Jesus’ disciples through history have always faced the same temptations: to pursue power and wealth rather than the purity of heart, mercy, and peace-making that Jesus spoke of in the Beatitudes. Power and comfort is, after all, a much easier and more alluring path to follow than one that leads to hardship. So (as Paul warned in his letter to Timothy, 2 Timothy 4:3-5) many folks look for religious leaders who justify those worldly pursuits; instead of repeating Jesus’ teaching, religious leaders who seek popularity might boast about acting without mercy, or they might deride compassion, or they might invite people to live selfishly and never to deny themselves.

By contrast, Jesus prepared his followers for persecution, knowing we would be tempted. He made it clear that righteousness would lead to persecution: that following His way—which includes meekness and mercy—would lead to persecution. And then he blessed those who endured (or would endure) such persecution.

As Jesus himself was persecuted. And then he rose from the dead. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.

All of this brings us to this current season. In addition to speaking of blessedness for those who are persecuted for following Him, Jesus adds two additional notes of promise: the kingdom of heaven itself (v. 10) and a great reward in heaven (v. 12). Though not an explicit reference to resurrection, the mention of a heavenly reward implies eternal life. The words of Paul, in his letter to the Roman church, makes the connection between the Easter story and the suffering of those who follow Jesus even more explicit. After speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, Paul reminds us of our own promised resurrection. “He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies.” What a glorious promise! But then comes that uncomfortable caveat—the important “if” statement—that goes with the promised resurrection and promised inheritance: We are “joint heirs with Christ” in the resurrection and promised kingdom “if we in fact suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”

If we don’t believe in the resurrection and its promise, then of course we won’t be willing to suffer persecution. But if we do believe, if we can proclaim that He is risen indeed, then we may have the hope and faith required to follow the way of Jesus.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: “Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake” (Matt 5:10).