Peace and Resurrection - Pt 5

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:11-16 ESV).

Our reading today is a follow up from yesterday when I made the statement that our sufferings in this world serve to affirm the validity of the call to Christ. When Paul talks about “completing the sufferings of Christ” (cf. Colossians 1:24) it isn’t just that he says we are accomplishing this great feat as an example to the world, it is also doing it with joy. Paul reminds us that grumbling sufferers for Jesus are a contradiction in terms. This is to be a mark of a believer. This is the tangy salt and the bright light of the believer. Jesus simply says, “Rejoice in that day and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” To be happy when all is going well, witnesses to nothing but ordinary human life. But to be glad, with Paul, while suffering, to transfer the afflictions of Christ to some new person or new people group, that’s a miracle. It is no wonder that the world asks, “What is the reason for the hope that is in you?” They can’t account for the way this kind of believer lives. It is so easy to lose sight of this truth in America. When Mary and I went to Florida recently, we flew on Spirit Airlines. For those of you not familiar with this carrier, they are known for their “Bare Fare.” They pride themselves in being the least expensive means of air travel in America. Now, I’m not endorsing Spirit; in fact, I’m not sure they are the least expensive when you factor in all the fees. However, I can tell you, cheapest or not, they have got to be the most uncomfortable airline I have ever flown. The seats are narrower and do not recline, the leg room is less, it is not comfortable. Did you notice? I was complaining about flying to Florida! When 10% of the world’s population or about 795 million people are classified as chronically undernourished, I’m complaining about how I flew to Florida. I am thoroughly Western and thoroughly endangered. It’s when you walk next to eternity that good things happen. Things get real. You’re not just playing with Jesus anymore. He’s real or he’s a fake. This is a myth or I’m real. Joy is there because the resurrection is true and real. “HOPE” means “hold on, pain ends.”