Blessed they who are persecuted on account of righteousness, for *theirs* is the kingdom of the heavens.
The list of blessings ends with one for people who are attacked for doing right. Why does living God's way cost something, and what does the Lord promise in return?
A change of subject in the list
The first seven blessings describe character. This one describes what that character brings on the disciple:
This verse stands apart from the seven blessings before it. They deal with what true disciples of the Lord Jesus are like and how they behave. Here the Lord speaks about the results of their righteous behaviour. As long as He does not reign as King of righteousness, people who live by God's principles and thoughts will face persecution and suffering.
What "righteousness" means here
Righteousness here is a way of living, not a theory. The world admires much of it — until it costs someone:
Practical righteousness means living by the Word of God and His principles. The world values love of the truth, honesty, faithfulness and respect for other people too… But suppose an employer asked his Christian employee to hide the truth in a situation that was awkward for him. Suppose he asked him to tell a lie instead, or to help with a dishonest deal. What will happen when the employee says: "I can't do this, because it does not agree with the Word of God"? … Many a believer has lost his job because he would not share in the unrighteousness of this world.
Two kinds of suffering
Verse 10 and verse 11 are not saying the same thing twice. One suffering keeps the conscience clean; the other answers Christ's claim on the heart:
So the two kinds of persecution in verses 10 to 12 bring in the double character we find in the letters — suffering for righteousness' sake, and suffering for Christ's sake. These are two completely different things. Where righteousness is the question, a person is simply brought to the point. If I do not stand and suffer here, my conscience will be stained. But this is in no way suffering for Christ's sake. In short, conscience is what comes in where righteousness is the question. Suffering for Christ's sake is not a question of open sin, but of His grace and its claims on my heart.
This difference runs through the rest of Scripture too, and one is greater than the other:
If we suffer for righteousness' sake, we are happy — and we are still more blessed if we suffer for His name… The Lord Himself makes this difference between suffering for righteousness and suffering for Christ (Matthew 5:10-11), and so does Peter (1 Peter 2:20; 3:17; 4:14).
Why the first promise comes back
The reward here repeats the one given to the poor in spirit at the start of the list:
Here the list clearly begins over again. The first blessing was, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," and the next three were all marked by righteousness. Poverty of spirit is the first thing God works in a newly born soul… But here the point is not so much what they are, as what others make their lot. The last two blessings speak of what the world hands out to them. The first four are marked by righteousness within — the last three by grace within.
Righteousness suffers now, reigns later
The promise is not that the pressure will lift today. The present order is temporary:
If you are poor in spirit, if you do not stand up for your rights, what do you get in this world? You get persecution. People laugh at you as a madman. Here is the difference between this world as it is now and the coming age when the King reigns: now righteousness suffers, then righteousness will reign. For now you must do good, suffer for it, and bear it patiently, because the kingdom is hidden and the King is out of sight… This suffering may come in many shapes — in your business, your family, or from your neighbour.
Persecution by words, not only by force
Many assume persecution means violence. The Lord's own wording widens it:
Let us be careful not to become persecutors ourselves. Some think there is no persecution except fire and sword. Yes, there is persecution of the tongue… You can kill a man in his good name as truly as in his body. A good name is as precious as costly ointment. To strike another person in his name is what our Saviour calls persecution.
Summary
- Character first. The first seven blessings shape who a disciple is. This one shows what that life brings while the King is still rejected.
- Righteousness defined. It is living by God's Word in daily matters — the honesty an employer praises until it costs him something.
- Conscience engaged. You suffer for righteousness when saying no is the only way to keep a clean conscience. You suffer for Christ's sake when His claims draw out your heart.
- Kingdom promised. The same reward given to the poor in spirit closes the list — the kingdom belongs to those the world pushes out.
- Order reversed. Now righteousness suffers and the kingdom is hidden. When the King reigns in the open, righteousness will reign with Him.