Blessed

“Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man” (Luke 6:22).

Hmmm.

Blessed – when people hate you
Blessed – when they exclude you
Blessed – when they insult you
Blessed – when they reject your name as evil

Who in the world would say such a crazy thing?!?!

Jesus.

Hmmm.

Who was Jesus talking to?

Disciples.

Hmmm.

This rarely gets much air time. What’s Jesus getting at? These things don’t seem like blessed things at all.

When a disciple chooses to live a God-honoring life in an ungodly world, those who choose to live an ungodly life will oppose you.

That’s how it was for Jesus. That’s how it is for those who follow Jesus.

Thank God that life of a follower isn’t all about being hated, rejected, and excluded. But if there is no reaction from an ungodly world to our presence, there’s probably something wrong with the way we’re following Jesus.

Blessed are those whom the ungodly world hates, excludes, insults, and rejects because it probably means you’re following Jesus whom the ungodly world crucified.