The Persecuted

~ The Persecuted ~Blessed Are the Persecuted ~ by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," Persecution! The very word can generate vivid images of hiding in terror of pursuing, implacable foes; of being found and resolutely facing the excruciating pain of torture meant to cause renunciation of cherished beliefs; and finally—hopefully— following faithful resistance to every agonizing constraint to deny the faith, of death. Others imagine a courtroom scene where one endures a penetrating inquisition before ecclesiastical or civil authorities. Some think of the Roman Coliseum filled with people raucously cheering as hungry lions chase down defenseless Christians; of people lashed to a stake as piled wood is lighted beneath them; or of a person chained in a dark, dank jail with rats scurrying about his feet. Each of these images can be a dreadful, unwanted result of our faith in God, yet Jesus calls those persecuted for righteousness' sake "blessed." Such people will be greatly rewarded! This seems far removed from God's multitudinous promises of peace, prosperity and deliverance. Some think it an enigma or contradictory that a God of endless love and limitless power can even say such things, let alone seem to do nothing while His innocent and faithful children are undeservedly, cruelly and painfully harassed, tormented and mocked. As unjust as this seems on the surface, it is part of God's Word and His way of life. In no way does it invalidate His love or negate His purpose or care of His children. The Bible records so much persecution of His servants that, understood in the right context, we can see that it serves a vital role in the outworking of His purpose. Strong's Concordance reveals that "persecute" (Greek dioko) means "to pursue, follow after or press toward." Vine's Expository Dictionary adds "to put to flight or drive away." Only within certain contexts does it take on the sense of oppression, ill treatment, abuse, tyranny and even martyrdom and murder. Persecution is aggressive and injurious behavior carried out in a hostile, antagonistic spirit, normally by a group, but occasionally by one individual toward another. It is often carried out with fiery zeal, as Paul remarks about his persecution of the church (Philippians 3:6), but the persecuted must always remember that the fiery zeal bent against them is, according to Romans 10:2, "not according to knowledge." Thus Jesus, while dying on the stake, asks His Father to forgive His persecutors, "for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Source and Focus In the Bible, especially in the New Testament, persecution is so pervasive that it is presented as a more or less expected terror. Jesus, the epitome of righteousness, is also the focal point of persecution. As such, He clearly reveals persecution's source. In John 8 the Pharisees challenge Jesus' assertion of who He was, and the ensuing discussion leads to revealing its source. The Jews claim to be Abraham's descendants and never in bondage to any man (though at the time they were subject to the Romans). Their statement is partly true. Jesus readily acknowledges they are physically Abraham's descendants, but He adds in verse 40, "But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this." He implies that, if they were truly Abraham's children, their conduct would display his characteristics, and they would not be persecuting Him. He continues: You do the deeds of your father. . . . You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (verses 41, 44) Satan the Devil is the source of persecution of those bearing and living the truth of God. At times he undoubtedly works through people whom he has duped and inflamed to unrelenting anger toward God's people so that the persecution appears to be entirely of men. But the Bible reveals the reality of Satan as the source. Revelation 12:3-5, 13-17 confirms this: And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with