Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Matthew 5: 11-12
In history Jesus has received mixed reviews.
Ideas about him are called Christology and no summary of them is needed here. Many of those ideas are simply folk lore with no factual basis. One thing we do know for sure about Jesus: He said you will have trouble because of him. How can that happen to you? What association will you have with Jesus that can cause you problems?
What will you two be doing?
The ninth beatitudes records that you will be “reviled”. You are going to be reviled? You? Yes, you are going to be “bad mouthed” – taunted, upbraided, chided, grieved, harassed, and criticized. For Jesus’ sake! Are you ready for this? Probably not, but ready or not, if you take Jesus seriously and report him favorably, you are in for that.
Why is this? It is because he is grossly misunderstood by the masses. They think Jesus came to shut down their party and turn out the lights. The masses have no idea that Jesus came to start a real party, the biggest party the world has ever known, with lights so bright they light up the world. But, if you take him seriously and stick to this course, when you graduate, he will give you a party. There is something great in store for you. Great is your coming reward. You are soon to be blessed beyond measure.
Did you notice Jesus compares you to the prophets of old? What does he mean? He means this: when you meet our Abba God, and realize what he really did for you, you will become his energetic supporter. You will be telling about Jesus; opening up God’s mighty works. People who don’t like to think about God, or Jesus’ message, won’t like you. Remember that feeling
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