Entry
Righteousness / Live true no matter what
What did Jesus mean
Live true no matter what.
Where did Jesus say this
Matthew 5:10-12 — “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Part of the timeline
When Jesus had this discussion with his disciples (friends), his cousin and long-time friend, John the Baptist was sitting in jail. Jesus was drawing a parallel. His cousin had been thrown in jail for speaking out against King Herod and his wife for committing adultery. They couldn’t handle the truth, and it eventually cost him his life. He was beheaded in his cell, and his head was served to King Herod’s wife on a platter. Literally. This is a prime example of being “persecuted because of righteousness.” You may see John calling out the king as foolish or strategically poor — and that may be so. However, Jesus looks at it differently. He sees it as telling the truth — saying and doing the right thing no matter what the consequences might be. And the consequences you should be willing to accept.
What Jesus did not mean
Perform for the sake of being seen as good or getting in good with Jesus.
Righteousness is sometimes hard and messy.
John had his head cut off.
Jesus was nailed to a cross.
This is not about going to church. This is not about feeding the homeless. This is not about being on the “right side” of things for the sake of being right.
It’s about doing and saying what is true no matter the consequences. This may not always look right on the surface, at that time, or in the context of the situation. And that’s why it’s messy. That’s why people got their heads cut off.
You may think that we’re all above cutting people’s heads off. But we are not.
Many people every day are faced with decisions that could end in persecution. It could look like losing friends, losing jobs, losing status, losing everything. These decisions come at us all the time; it’s rare we choose the messy version.
Words Behind the Words
Dikaiosune is the Greek word for righteousness — which also means justice. It means doing the hard thing, even when no one is looking and even when it costs you something.
Where to start
When you’re faced with a tough decision, ask Jesus for help — and pray about it.
But don’t just ask Jesus for help. You must also ask yourself a question: Why am I struggling to make this decision?
In most cases, the reason you’re struggling is the same reason you need to make the choice you don’t want to make.
But unlike John, most of us won’t end up with our heads on a platter.
Benefits
As Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Ask for help. Make the hard choice. Live true no matter what. Do this, and you may not be filled with sunshine and butterflies, but you will be filled with the love of Jesus.
Also said as: seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness · hunger and thirst for righteousness · persecuted for righteousness' sake