Blessed are...

When Values Collide

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10

When Paul and Barnabas came to Lystra, in Asia Minor,[1] at first they were greeted as manifestations of the Greek divinities Hermes and Zeus. But before long the crowd had been won over by those who opposed the Christian way. Barnabas managed to escape, but Paul was stoned, dragged outside the city, and left for dead. The next day, having recovered, he left for Derbe, but it was not long before Paul and Barnabas were back in Lystra. There, Paul encouraged the new believers. “We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God,” he said.[2]

The world is fond of patronizing the Church with praise. Christians are often applauded when they stand for the poverty-stricken, the diseased, or the oppressed. But it does not usually take long for the applause to turn to criticism. Let the Church stand for integrity, honesty, or biblical morality and the accusations soon begin to fly. Christians are not applauded when their loyalty to Christ leads them to question sharp practices in the workplace, or when big business ignores ethics. We are thanked when we provide aid for those in need; we are accused when we criticize the selfishness of the system that creates the need. The problem is that Christianity operates on a different value system. Persecution for righteousness’ sake arises when two different value systems collide. It’s a matter of loyalty. Ultimately, we owe our allegiance not to any prince or prelate, but to Christ, and that will always be a threat to someone.



Sovereign Lord,
You have such a claim upon my life.
I cannot find peace until I rest in Your will.
May I strive, always, to reflect Your righteousness,
no matter what the consequences may be.
By grace alone, and in the name of Jesus.
Amen.






[1] Acts 14:8-20
[2] Acts 14:22