Blessed are the Persecuted

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). As Jesus nears the end of the Beatitudes, He brings us back to where His sermon started by reintroducing the first blessing - "for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Originally tied to the poor in Spirit, it is now connected to the condition of being persecuted. How in the world can persecution be the quality or condition that opens us to receiving and experiencing blessing from God, much less the kingdom of heaven? Two factors will help us understand what Jesus is getting at. First, there is the fact that persecution is connected to righteousness - doing right by God and others. Second, Jesus connects this Beatitude to the one that came just before: blessed are the peacemakers. When we see Jesus' words about persecution in light of righteousness and peacemaking, Jesus' meaning becomes all the more clear.