This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
— KJV, Matt 5:10
Everything is perceived through the filter of ego…
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Before delving deeply into this, we should clarify our understanding of words like “persecution” and “blessing”. That is the focus of this essay.
In “Blessed Are They That Hunger And Thirst For Righteousness” we stated that it is natural that an unrighteous world will persecute those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Persecution is not limited to personal attacks. Those who evidence righteousness will often find their values and conscience in conflict with certain duties and expectations that a corrupted world imposes upon them in family and working life, and in social settings.
“Persecution” is obviously not the same as “persecution for righteousness sake“. As discussed in “Blessed Are The Pure In Heart“, ego and vanity distort our ability to judge whether persecution is because of our righteousness or simply because we are wrong.
We are very imperfect. Therefore most persecutions we face are our own fault and not for righteousness sake. This should be easy to digest if we have accepted the reality of sowing and reaping (ref. “The Murder Case“), and combine this knowledge with a humble recognition of our many faults:
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged:
condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned:
forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
— Luke 6:37
As discussed in “Blessed Are The Merciful“, being on the path of righteousness involves obeying the command “Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself”, and in this process we learn to look inwards for faults.
We also learn that the what and the how are equally important i.e. the end does not justify the means. Having a positive spiritual goal is not an excuse for arrogance, carelessness, or rigidity in our dealings with our fellow man. If such behaviour causes men to persecute us, it is entirely our fault and not for righteousness sake. This can be inferred from our discussion in “Law of Attraction: So What?“.
In light of the foregoing, we can safely say that it is a rare event when we are persecuted for righteousness sake.
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That those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed does not mean that that persecution is willed by God, or that we should voluntarily seek out persecution or martyrdom. The Laws of Creation are designed solely for happiness and joy (ref. “Spirit of The Law“):
For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good,
and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
— Matt 5:45
The majority of our personal suffering is our own doing, caused by our weaknesses and the unrighteous world system which we have all helped to create through negative thoughts, words, and actions.
The statement also does not mean that those who are most persecuted for righteousness are “more blessed” than those whose persecutions are easier to bear. Each of us has a unique history and life path, and a peculiar set of strengths and weaknesses.
Thus, persecution and righteousness are two unrelated things, and persecution for righteousness sake is not as common as we may think, because it presupposes a level of spiritual purity and courage that is relatively rare.
But if we exhibit that faith in The Word (ref. “Faith Is A Halfway House“) that allows us to endure struggles, hurt, and want in order to remain true to The Word even in the minutest details, we shall mature rapidly, allowing us to experience the blessing of that peace that passeth all understanding.
Today’s Resolution:
- We pray for the strength to look inwards, so as to derive blessings from any challenges we face in daily life.
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