Luke 6:22-23
These are amazing words and, once again, they turn our normal human thinking upside down. That’s what Jesus did all the time. The idea of being hated, excluded, mocked and cursed is a horrible one. We spend much of our lives deliberately seeking to avoid such terrible experiences.
But if we face those reactions because of our love for Jesus, we should be supremely happy. Jesus said we should “leap for joy” because we are living in obedience to him. And, as usual, he reminded his followers that they would be generously rewarded for their trouble. For many of us, these words may feel very remote and disconnected from our present circumstances. But for some, these words accurately reflect daily life.
Perhaps your family, work colleagues or neighbours are continually unkind about your Christian faith. They take every opportunity to belittle Christianity and laugh at the way in which you waste your time going to church with that “bunch of hypocrites.” If this is your experience, first of all, I want to praise you for your daily courage and faithfulness. But far more importantly, I want you to hear the words of blessing from Jesus himself.




You may not feel like leaping for joy but you can be sure that you have chosen the most blessed path. May God give you grace, patience and peace as you continue to live for him.
It’s important that we keep the world dimension in view. We are part of a world-wide Church numbering hundreds of millions of people. Within that vast community are thousands of people who are being specifically targeted because of their love for the Lord. There are people in prison today for no other reason than their faith in Jesus Christ. There are others who live in daily fear of physical violence because they are Christians.
We must not take these words of Jesus lightly. At any time, we might be picked on because of our Christian faith. We need to realise what a demanding, blessed and joyful path that is.




QUESTION
How do you respond when people laugh at your faith?
PRAYER
Lord God, I pray especially today for those who suffer terribly because of their Christian faith. May they stay close to you. And please help me to stand up for you however tough it might be. Amen

Released on 24 May 2023