Blessed are you . . .

From my FB post on January 25th:

I read part of an article from CNN regarding the March for Life in Washington, and it has been irritating me most of the day. When I said I read part of the article, I mean I had to stop a few paragraphs in due to the snide comments and slanted, unfair nature and tone of the article. It is not that I was thinking about it all day, or 'stewing' about it, but it just sort of remained there in the back of my mind, irritating me. Because I was busy, I really didn't get the chance to really deal with it.                                                              
This evening as I took a break, it came back to mind afresh and began to irritate me all over again. Then I remembered, they slandered Jesus, they mocked Him, they treated Him unfairly and unkindly (to say the very least). Why do I expect the world to treat us any differently? If the One who was the MOST perfect, the MOST loving, the MOST gracious, and the MOST RIGHT in EVERYTHING was treated so cruelly, how can we expect better, especially when we are speaking a truth the world does not want to hear?                                                                              
Somehow, can't explain it, but somehow that takes some of the sting out of it. Somehow it makes me feel a little closer to the One I love! I feel that I understand just an iota more of what He went through. (though I confess, I still am so painfully ignorant of the depths of His suffering and the magnitude of His love!!!)

--------

After having posted that, in my 'quiet time' on the 26th, I happened to be reading from Luke 6:20 - 36 and it really spoke even more clearly to my heart on this matter.  Even this morning, as I am perusing through FB, I am seeing postings about the Grammy Awards show and how 'awful' it was.  I also saw a posting about Natalie Grant having tweeted about leaving the show early due to the nature of some of the performances and then receiving hate mail because of it.


(Is it just me, or does it seem as though the vitriol of the world is gaining momentum?  You know, we cannot complain for we have yet in this country to die for our faith even as our brothers and sisters around the world are suffering unimaginably.  But it is so disturbing to live in a country where faith has been so encouraged and 'religious expression' has been so accepted freely, to then see things turning around seemingly so quickly.  And I guess my problem is that there is something inside of me that so wants to be accepted, that it is very painful, especially when you truly believe your heart is loving and true.)

Anyway, the passage that really caught my attention was:

Luk 6:20-25 ESV]

20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 "Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

22 "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
26 "Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
25 "Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
"Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

Interestingly enough, I had never noticed that this was spoken to His disciples (v20).  In the previous verses, Jesus had just chosen the twelve, whom he named apostles, from the crowd of disciples following Him.  He was also being followed by 'a great multitude of people from all around Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast cities of Tyre and Sidon.'  But here it says He was speaking to His disciples.


I also noted in my journal that this followed several exchanges with the Pharisees and Scribes, exchanges that led the Pharisees to be filled with rage and discussing what they might do to Him.  So, in my mind, the battle lines had been set.  (Even perhaps as they are being set now.)

But Jesus, looking at His disciples, tells them:
Blessed are the poor for yours is the Kingdom of God
Blessed are you hungry now for you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now for you shall laugh.

--AND --

Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and cast insults at you and spurn your name as evil for the sake of (or because of ) the Son of Man.
BE GLAD in that day and LEAP FOR JOY
for behold your reward is great in heaven
FOR IN THE SAME WAY their fathers treated the prophets.


We can be happy with the temporary situation we face knowing that we will receive and be rewarded in the eternal Kingdom. There will be recompense. For those who were faithful to God even though it costs them comfort, ease, happiness and acceptance, there will be blessings of joy, acceptance, love, satisfaction, reward!

And, I love what Paul says:

For our light affliction, which is BUT FOR A MOMENT, worketh for us a far more EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:17-18

It is so easy to get overwhelmed with the 'natural' world and the priorities, values, and desires of the world, but they FADE into oblivion if we can but fix our eyes on the eternal GLORY that we have in Christ Jesus.

There is one other point I want to hold onto.  Jesus says "for in the same way their fathers treated the prophets."  The world continues to be the world.  The world has forever treated those who spoke the truth of God in this same way, and it even treated the very Son of God this way.  So I can find some comfort in the fact that I am part of a long line of those who have been targeted for holding on to the truth of God's Word (though I do not claim to measure up to them in any way shape or form).

In fact, Jesus continues on to say, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers treated the false prophets."  If they treat the 'false prophets' well, then I CERTAINLY don't want to be lumped into the same group with THEM!!!

Anyway, it is a comfort to me to recognize that I can look beyond the injustice, hatred, and rejection to the Love of Christ and the glory that I have in Him!!!!  (Now, if I can just keep my focus on the unseen and not get overwhelmed by the seen . . . .)

Love you all!!!

Ev