The Beatitudes, Today's Verse is Matthew 5:11

Today we continue our verse by verse look at what is often referred to as The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:2-12.  We will be looking at Matthew 5:11.

The overview of Matthew 5:2-12 can be found here, while an important word study on the term blessed can be found here.  You can find the overviews of the previous verses in from Matthew 5:2-10 at the following links:

• Mat 5:2   Mat 5:3  Mat 5:4  Mat 5:5  Mat 5:6 Mat 5:7 Mat 5:8  Mat 5:9   Mat 5:10   

For any person who does not have easy access to Bible software you can look up all cross references listed in this blog at the Bible Gateway website.    It is easy and quick to use and you can choose from many different translations.  The cross references are a big part of any Bible Study that we may undertake!

Matthew 5:11

"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  (Matthew 5:11 NKJV)

Grammatical Considerations

Cause and effect:  Effect is that when are reviled and  persecuted for Jesus' sake will be blessed!  The cause 

ARE:  As in all the previous Beatitudes, Jesus makes it clear that what He is NOT stating probabilities. What He is stating are truths and they will occur given the circumstances He sets forth. 

Sake:  The same Greek word is used for sake in Matthew 5:10 and Matthew  5:11.

• "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5:10 NKJV)
• "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake."  (Matthew 5:11 NKJV) 
• The Fausset commentary points out that Jesus substituted His name for Righteousness!  Only Jesus could make that claim.  But having that pointed out by Fausset helps us see why Jesus would use spend as much time as He did on the subject of persecution in this sermon.  It also helps to highlight that we are to follow Him!

Important Terms

All definitions were culled from the Complete Word Study Dictionary from AMG Publisher, Vine's Expository Dictionary and/or Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary.

Blessed:    

• see word study at this link. 

revile:

• ESword Concordance Search---  Exo 22:28  Psa 74:10  Luk 6:22  Act 23:4  1Pe 2:23  1Pe 3:16
• Definition--- To defame, disparage...assail with abusive words

                     
persecute:

• See definition under study notes to Mat 5:10 
• Psa 119:69  Isa 51:7  1Co 4:12 

my sake (or account): 

• ESword Concordance Search--- Joh 15:18-21  Mat 10:18-23  Mat 10:39  Mat 19:29                 Mat 24:9   Mar 8:35  Mar 13:9  Mar 13:13  Luk 9:24  Luk 21:12    Luk 21:17  Act 9:16  Php 3:8  Rev 2:3 

 

One other key word in this verse is YOU!  From Mat 5:3 until Mat 5:10  Jesus refers to others and but in this verse he directs it those listeners right there!  (and us!)
This serves to make it personal.  This isn't some abstract thought that applies to others.....the audience at the Mount (and US) can be the Blessed., will be the Blessed, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and are prepared to face the possible negative earthly consequences!

• Further Cross References on the topic of persecution---  Mat 10:22  Mat 10:28  1Co 4:12          Heb 10:32  2Co 12:10  1Pe 4:16  Joh 15:19  Rom 8:35   

Summation

This verse further clarifies the thought Jesus started in Mat 5:10  and puts the shift on all of the beatitudes on His direct audience and us, the current readers.  The beatitudes start out as being about "those people" and in the end Jesus refers to us.  We must make the decision.

Answer to my initial question:  Is Jesus defining perseverance?

Yes and no!  But this was a somewhat shallow question on my part.  Paul does discuss running the race at times (perseverance) in his letters (  1Co 9:24  and 2Ti 4:7  ) but the deeper thought resides in the following summation I make after Mat_5:12  :

Jesus is telling us that the persecution discussed in Mat 5:10-11  is nothing new because people have been persecuting the Lord's chosen (prophets) forever.  But we are to look past the present persecution and look forward to our reward in heaven!  It is is promised by Jesus and it will be great.  As with the entirety of the beatitudes, Jesus is telling us to focus not on our earthly state or condition, but to instead focus on our spiritual state, our relationship with God, the Father.  For if this relationship is right, then we will be in a state of blessedness regardless of our earthly circumstances.

Bibliography

• Jamieson, Robert, A.R. Fausset, David Brown. A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments. Toledo, OH: Jerome B. Names & Co., 1884. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. Commentary contained as a single volume.
• Holy Bible, New American Standard. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 
• Nave, Orville. Nave's Topical Bible: A Digest of The Holy Sciptures. New York: Topical Bible Publishing Co., 1896. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 
• The Holy Bible: New King James Version Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1988. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 
• Thompson, Frank Charles. Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Indianapolis, IN: B. B. Kirkbride Bible Co., 1997. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 
• Torrey, R. A. The New Topical Textbook. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1897. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 
• Zodhiates, Spiros, ed. – The Complete Word Study New Testament Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1991. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 
• Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1993. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. 
• Zodhiates, Spiros, ed. – The Complete Word Study New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG, 1991. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.