This is a study of Jesus being radical. He said many radical things and did some radical miracles. He was opposed to the leaders of His day and spoke in radical terms against them.

1. JESUS WAS RADICAL
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
LUKE 6:22 Blessedare you when people hate you and
when they exclude you and revileyou and spurn your
name as evil, on accountof the Son of Man!
New Living Translation
Whatblessings await you when people hate you and
exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil
because you followthe Son of Man.
English StandardVersion
“Blessedare you when people hate you and when they
exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as
evil, on account of the Son of Man!
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The BlessednessOfMartyrdom

2. Luke 6:22, 23
W. Clarkson
Using the word 'martyrdom' in its broader sense, we have to considerthe
Lord's saying respecting it. It certainly is paradoxicalenough. Yet his
meaning is to be found for the looking. It is, indeed, true -
I. THAT THE ENMITY OF OTHERS IS A SORE TRIAL TO OUR SPIRIT.
Other things bruise us beside bludgeons, and other things cut us beside
whipcord. The manifest hatred of other hearts, the cruel reproaches of
unsparing lips, banishment from the societyof our fellow-men as being
unworthy to remain, blighting a fair fame with unjust aspersions, - these
things cut deep into the human soul, they bruise almost to breaking tender
and sensitive spirits. Some, indeed, are so constituted that the roughest
treatment on the part of others will not hurt them; they canthrow it off, can
castit aside with indifference; it is to them "as the idle wind which they
regard not." But these are the exception, and not the rule among men. God
meant us to be affectedby the judgment of our brethren and sisters, to be
encouragedand sustainedby their approval, to be discouragedand checked
by their censure. It is a part of our humanity that, upon the whole, works for
righteousness. Butonly too often its effectis evil; only too often the pure are
pelted with reproaches, the faithful are condemned for their fidelity, the holy
are exposedto the hatred and ribaldry of the profane. Then there is suffering
which God never intended his children to endure, - that of the faithful witness
to the truth, that of the brave, unyielding martyr to the cause of Jesus Christ.
And many are they who would more readily welcome and more easilyendure
blows or imprisonment than bitter malignity of heart and cold severity of
speech. But then it is also true -
II. THAT CHRISTIAN CONSIDERATIONSTRIUMPHOVER ALL. Our
Masterand Teacherwould have our hearts to be so filled with the other and
opposite aspectof the case, that our natural inclination to be saddenedand
strickenin spirit will be completelyoverborne, and that, instead of sorrow,
there will be joy. "Our rewardis greatin heaven;" so greatthat we who are

3. reproachedfor Christ's sake are "blessed;' we are, indeed, to "leap for joy."
What, then, are these balancing, these overbalancing considerations?
1. That we are taking rank with the very noblest men: "In like manner... unto
the prophets." We stand, then, on the same level with Moses,with Samuel,
with Elijah, with Isaiah, with Jeremiah; with a noble company of men and
women who, long since their day and their dispensation, have "gone without
the camp, bearing his reproach;" men and women were these "of whom the
world was not worthy," to be classedwith whom is the highest honour we can
enjoy.
2. That we take rank with One who was nobler than all; for did not he, our
Lord himself, bear shame and obloquy? was not he crownedwith the crownof
thorns, because he was here "bearing witness unto the truth" (John 18:37)?
3. That we are serving our self-sacrificing Saviour. A modern missionary
relates that when he and another were assaultedby a Chinese crowd, and
when, putting his hand to his head where he had been hit, he found it moist
with his blood, he felt a strange thrill of exceeding joy as he realized that he
had been permitted to shed his blood for that Divine Saviour who had poured
out his life for him.
4. That we are truly serving our race;for the truth to which we bear a
rejectedtestimony to-day will, and partly as the result of our suffering
witness, be acceptedfurther on, and become the nourishment of the people.
5. That we are on our way to the highest heavenly honour. They who suffer
shame "forthe Son of man's sake" now shall one day be exalted in the
presence of the holy angels. Greatwill be their reward in the heavenly
kingdom. - C.

4. Biblical Illustrator
Blessedare ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you
from their company, and shall reproachyou, and castout your name as evil.
Luke 6:22, 23
The necessityofpersecution
J. C. Dykes, D. D.
Persecutionis no accidentin Christian life. It is simply inevitable from the
collisionwith evil of Christian righteousness whenit becomes positive,
especiallywhen it becomes aggressive in the cause of peacemaking. It is the
activity of Christian life which lays its ownfaggots, prepares for itself its own
martyrdom. It is when the disciple follows in the wake ofthe first great
Peacemaker, and from the side of God approaches the world's evil with
implied rebukes and an open summons to it to repent, submit, and be at
peace, that it is most certain to encounterthe world's missiles. A very holy or
unworldly life may be itself so telling a rebuke, even though a silent one, as to
draw on some meek, pare souls dislike, and calumny, and malice. But it is the
active, witness-bearing, and missionarytype of Christian characterwhich
provokes the chief resistance.The Christianity of the wholly unpersecuted
must be a Christianity defectivelyaggressive, whichhas not advanced
sufficiently to the laststage, the stage ofpeacemaking.Noris this all.
Persecutionis not simply inevitable as soonas the development of active

5. Christian life leads it into collisionwith evil; it is an indispensable factorin the
very development and perfecting of Christian life. Persecutionis not indeed a
grace;but persecutionis the creatorof a grace (James 1:3, 4).
(J. C. Dykes, D. D.)
Bitterness of socialand domestic persecution
Bishop Moberly.
I cannot but think that this has been, on the whole, not less trying than
outward and violent persecutions, forpersons assailed by it have to beartheir
troubles mostly in secret. Theyhave little sympathy from others;nor any of
the rising of the spirit of passive (passing into active)heroism which, when
men's eyes are on it, is naturally roused into energetic resistance. For, indeed,
there are severalthings which tend to hold a man up in his visible endurance
of visible persecution. He is as a champion of a cause;his personalbravery
and earnestness, as wellas his conscience, are on trial. He knows that even
among those who hound on the cry of persecutionagainsthim, there are those
who admire his firmness in bearing it. He believes that though overpowered
himself, and put to death perhaps, yet suffering and death bravely borne leave
a seedbehind them which germinates and grows in spite of persecution, and is
wont to outlive it. All these things and such as these mingle themselves up with
the convictions of conscience,and strengthen it, when the persecutionfor
righteousness'saketakesplace in the sight of men. But it is otherwise with all
the secretand, if I may so callit, unpicturesque suffering of socialor domestic
life — the chill, and the estrangement, and the unkindness, and the evil report,
and the misrepresentation, the thwarting and jealousy, all the details of
inward and unseenmisery which goes to make up the realpersecutionwhich
has visited, and no doubt visits still, thousands of people whose hearts'desire
it is to serve Godfaithfully, and who are content to bear with evil for Christ's
sake. And so I canhardly doubt that " when that last account'twixt heaven
and earth shall be made up," it will be found that the persecutionof private
and sociallife has been in total amount greater, and maybe its actual

6. bitterness not less, and so its ultimate title of blessednessin Christ as great, as
that of those who have been "persecutedunto blood" for Christ's sake.
(Bishop Moberly.)
Why persecutionis to be accounteda blessing
C. J. Ridgeway, M. A.
1. It tests and proves the worth of our religion. It tells us whether our
Christianity is positive and aggressive, orwhether it is only negative.
2. It forms character, it purifies the life, it develops graces — the greatend of
religion.
3. A necessaryfactorin the spiritual life. No cross, no crown.
(C. J. Ridgeway, M. A.)
Principles for suffering
J. Burroughs.
1. Wherefore the first principle to enable Christians to suffer for
righteousness is, that we should look on ourselves as sentinto the world for
this end, especiallyto bear witness to the truth.
2. The secondsuffering principle is this — It is better to lose for God than to
enjoy for ourselves.
3. Whosoeversuffers anything for God, in the midst of all their sufferings they
are in a better case than their persecutors.
4. That it is a greatdeal better to suffer for Christ than to suffer for sin.
5. That God may make me suffer in spite of my heart. If I find a reluctancyin
me to come off to suffer for Christ, I may be forcedin spite of my heart to do
it; and what comfort shall I then have in it? How much better is it to suffer

7. freely and willingly for Jesus Christthan to be forced to suffer? and then
there will be no exercise ofgrace in it, but I shall be merely passive. Christcan
lay afflictions upon you, and diseases upon you.
6. No creature hath any goodin it any farther than it is enjoyed in God, and
improved for God.
7. The seventh suffering principle is this: There are no sufferings of any of the
saints that they are calledunto at any time, but they are ordered by God, for
the time of the suffering, for the kind of the suffering, the continuance of the
suffering, the instruments of the suffering.
8. That wheneverwe suffer for Christ, Christ suffers with us; we are
partakers of His sufferings, and He is partakerof our sufferings (Isaiah63:9).
9. There is more evil in sufferings before they come, in imagination, than
when they are come.
10. That there is more evil in the leastsin than in the greatestafflictions. It is
an ill choice to choose the leastsin rather than the greatestaffliction.Nowfor
the blessednessthatthere is in suffering, many things might be said, but I
shall but presentbefore you some short view of what blessedness there is in
suffering persecution.
1. If God gives thee a heart to suffer for Him, thou hastin this a full evidence
of the truth of thy graces,yea, and of the strength and the eminency of thy
graces.
2. There is a greatdeal of honour in suffering. It is a speechofIgnatius, "I
had rather be a martyr than a monarch"; and so you know Moses chose
"rather to suffer with the people of God, than to enjoy all the pleasures and
riches of Egypt."
3. It is a blessedthing to suffer for righteousness'sake, forit is the highestand
greatestimprovement of men's abilities, graces, comforts, whatsoeverthey
enjoy. It is the highestimprovement that can be for them to suffer. Neverare
men's graces so improved as in times of suffering. As the spices have a more
fragrant smell when they are beaten to powder that when they are whole; and

8. so the saints'graces are more fragrant in the nostrils of God, and do grow up
more in the time of suffering than ever.
4. It is blessed, for those that suffer are under many blessedpromises. Why,
"If you suffer with Him, you shall be glorified with Him." Read2 Timothy
2:12, and in Romans 8., there you have divers excellentexpressions wherein
there are most excellentpromises to such as suffer in the cause ofChrist
(Matthew 19:29).
(J. Burroughs.)
Some arguments for the helping of saints to suffer
J. Burroughs.
First, to show the history how all the prophets, disciples, and the saints that
have gone before have suffered greatand hard things. Secondly, wherein the
argument lies of rejoicing under persecution. Thirdly, what use we are to
make of the persecutionof the prophets. I could handle but the first. To
proceedto the second:wherein lies the powerof this argument? There is a
fivefold strength in this argument, or rather five arguments in it.
1. The same spirit of wickednessthat opposedthem doth still prevail, and it is
the same spirit of truth that is opposed.
2. Hence you may see that those that are dear and precious to God, that they
may suffer hard things.
3. If so be God should deal with you otherwise than He did formerly with
others, then it might discourage you;but they are no other things than His
servants heretofore have suffered.
4. It is the waythat God hath brought all His servants into heaven by. Why
should you think that God will bring you in a better waythan He did others?
5. That though the prophets have suffered such things, yet the truth of God
prevails.

9. (J. Burroughs.)
Suffering for the truth's sake
E. de Pressense, D. D.
I. WE CANNOT BE SERVANTS OF JESUS WITHOUT SUFFERING. The
contrastbetweenthe natural heart and the ideal Christian is not less marked
to-day than it was eighteenhundred years ago. Nothing kindles so much
hatred as evangelicallove.
II. According to the Saviour's declaration, SUFFERINGIS A SOURCE OF
HAPPINESS.
1. It is a happiness to suffer for a noble cause.
2. The fact that suffering for truth brings with it its own reward is also a
reasonfor joy, as it ensures the triumph of our cause.
3. "Your reward is greatin heaven," said the Master, thus adding the
consolationofa glorious hope to those which flow from duty performed.
4. This triumph of truth in heaven is not enough. It must have its glorious
revenge on the very theatre of its humiliations and conflicts. The world must
see how mistaken it was in rejecting it, and one day it will be forced to
exclaim, "O Galilean, Thou hast overcome."
(E. de Pressense, D. D.)
The reward of the pious in heaven
R. Hall, A. M.
I. THE FELICITY WHICH AWAITS THOSE WHO PERSEVERE,
THROUGH GOOD REPORT AND EVIL REPORT,IN A STEDFAST
ADHERENCE TO CHRIST, IS FREQUENTLYEXPRESSEDIN THE
SCRIPTURESBY THE NAME OF REWARD.

10. 1. It is inseparably joined to obedience, and promised as a motive to
encourage andsustain
2. It will be bestowedas a mark of approbation, and acceptanceofthe
obedience to which it is annexed.
3. It will be proportionate to the degree of religious improvement, to the work
of faith and labour of love.
II. THE SUPERIORITYOF HEAVENLY TO EARTHLY REWARDS.
1. The rewards of heavenare certain.
2. They are satisfying.
3. They are eternal.
(R. Hall, A. M.)
Joy in persecution
C. H. Spurgeon.
Somebody pushed good Mr. Kilpin into the gutter and slapped him on the
face at the same time, and said, "Takethat, John Bunyan"; whereupon the
goodman took off his hat and said, "I would take fifty times as much as that
to have the honour to be called John Bunyan." Learn to look upon insults for
Christ in the same light, and when they call you by an ill name do you reply,
"I could bear a thousand times as much as that for the pleasure of being
associatedwith Christ in the world's derision."
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Doing right
Life of FowellBuxton.

11. When the storm [concerning the slave trade] was at its highest, one of Mr.
Buxton's friends askedhim, "Whatshall I say when I hear people abusing
you?" "Say!" he replied, snapping his fingers, "saythat. You goodfolk think
too much of your goodname. Do right, and right will be done."
(Life of FowellBuxton.)
The failure of persecution
ArchdeaconFarrar.
And so when bad men are not hardened in wickednessthey canbe won over
by the good, but when they are they hate and persecute the good, whose mere
silent lives rebuke them. It was thus that Sodom hated Lot; it was thus that
the Ephesians expelledHermodorus because he was virtuous; it was thus that
the Athenians ostracisedAristides because he was just. "The honourable and
religious gentleman," said a slave-holding member of Parliament, speaking of
William Wilberforce, in the House of Commons. He was properly scathedin
reply with the lightnings of the greatman's eloquence, but the epithet spoke
volumes with the silent, unconscious, inevitable rebuke of vice and protest for
holiness by every true and righteous man. And mark, that when the bad,
hating the good, sneerthem out of court, repress them by violence, madden
the blind multitude by lies againstthem, poisonthem as Socrateswas
poisoned, banish them as Epictetus was banished, burn them as Savonarola
was burnt, execrate them as Whitfield was execrated, do not think that then
the goodhave failed. Even in their ashes live their wonted fires, their voices
even from the grave sound in the thunder's mouth, their dead hands pull
down the stronghold of their enemies, and tyrants tremble at their ghosts.
What was the nature of Jesus? Betweentwo murderers He hung in agony
upon the cross, amid the howlings alike of secularand religious hatred. Before
three centuries were over that gibbet of torture and infamy sat upon the
sceptres and shone upon the crowns of kings.
(ArchdeaconFarrar.)

12. Sustained in persecution
H. Burton.
The annals of the Church furnish terrible illustrations of persecution, and
how Christians have been sustainedin trial. A youth who had manifested
extraordinary patience under the greatesttorture, said afterwards, that at the
time of his agonyan angel seemedto stand beside him, and pointing him to
heaven, enabled him to rise in spirit superior to his pain. PastorHomel, of the
French ProtestantChurch, had his bones all so broken on the wheelthat he
survived but forty hours. But then, in his dying agony, he said, "Though my
bones are broken to shivers, my soul is filled with inexpressible joy."
(H. Burton.)
On persecution
A. Farindon, D. D.
— I have a large field to go over, an Aceldama, "a field of blood," a Golgotha,
"a place of dead men's skulls," where you shall see "some stoned, some sawn
asunder, some slain with the sword, others having trial of cruel mockings and
scourgings, ofbonds and imprisonment" (Hebrews 11:36, 37); but withal
(what the eye of flesh cannotdiscover) blessednesswaiting upon them, and
shadowing them in the midst of horror. Here is a fair inscription upon a bitter
roll, a pleasing preface to a tragicaltheme, a promise of pleasure in misery, of
honour in dishonour, of life in death, of heavenin hell. Here we may see
persecutionmaking us strong by making us weak, making us rich by making
us poor, making us happy by making us miserable, and driving us through
this field of blood into Paradise. The parts of the text are manifestly but two: a
blessing pronounced — " Blessedare they that suffer persecution," and a
reasongiven — "Fortheirs is the kingdom of heaven." But we may, by a plain
and natural deduction, make them three —

13. I. That they who begin in the other virtues and beatitudes must end in this; or,
in the apostle's words, "Theythat will live godly in Christ Jesus shallsuffer
persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12).
II. That persecutionbringeth no blessing but to those "who suffer for
righteousness'sake."
III. That to those it doth: which comprehendeth the inscription,
"Blessedness";and the reasonof the inscription, "Fortheirs is the kingdom of
heaven."
I. We find here persecutionand blessednessjoinedtogether, wrought by the
same hand, a hand of mercy, and like sweetand bitter water flow. ing from
the same fountain, a fountain of love. For it is God's love and mercy to give us
a kingdom; and it is His love and mercy to bring us to it by sufferings, to
bring us, as the apostle speaketh, "throughmuch tribulation," through the
noise and tumults of this world, to a place of rest (Acts 14:22). And the reason
is as plain, even written with the sunbeams.
1. For, in this, God dealethwith them as a loving father; He doeth it "for the
trial, or rather the demonstration, of their faith"; to make it appear that they
do not "make a professionoftheir love, when they hate Him in their heart";
depend upon Him for their salvation and happiness, and, when persecution
cometh, leave Him and exchange Him for the world, rather yield, and fall
under the burden, than stand fastin the faith, and retain Him as their God.
There must some occasionandopportunity be offered, some danger, some
cross, that may fright me; and when I withstand all, and cleave fastunto
Christ, then it will appear that I am His friend and servant. "A mariner is
best seenin a tempest, and a Christian is best knownwhen persecution
rageth."
2. Therefore, in the secondplace, this is the reasonwhy God suffereth this
mixture of goodand evil, why He suffereth tyrants and blood-thirsty men to
go on and prosperin their ways.
3. Therefore, in the third place, if we considerthe Church, which is at her best
nothing else but a collectionand a body of righteous men, we shall find that,

14. whilst she is on the earth, she is militant; and no other title doth so fully
express her.
4. For, in the last place, it cometh not by chance that the righteous are
persecuted. What hath chance to do in the schoolofProvidence? No;
persecutionis brought towards the righteous by the providence and wisdom of
a loving Father. I have now brought you into this Aceldama, this "field of
blood," where you may behold the ungodly for their own lust "persecuting the
poor" (Psalm 10:2), where you may behold hypocrites and deceitful men
"bending their bow, and shooting at the righteous in secret" (Psalm64:4), and
mighty men drawing their swords and drenching them in their blood. A sad
sight, to see righteousnessunder the whip and harrow! But withal you may
discovernot only an angelgoing before them, as before the children of Israel
in the wilderness, but Christ Himself leading them through these terrors and
amazements to a place of refreshing, to "a city not made with hands," to "the
kingdom of heaven." Oportet, "Theymust suffer"; but "there remaineth a
sabbath for the children of God" (Hebrews 4:9). Persecutionis the lot, the
inheritance of the righteous:that was our first part.
II. and
III. We will now present you with the second:That every man that suffereth
hath not title to this blessedness in the text, but only those "who are
persecutedfor righteousness'sake,"whichcomprehendeth all those duties
which the gospelrequireth at their hands who have given up their names unto
Christ. For it is possible that a man may suffer for one virtue, and neglectthe
rest; may suffer to preserve his chastity, and yet be covetous. He cansuffer for
the law, and yet break it.
1. And, first, the cause;it must be the love of righteousness. Forwe see, as I
told you, men will suffer for their lusts, suffer for their profit, suffer for fear,
suffer for disdain. Be sure your cause be good, or else to venture goods or life
upon it is the worstkind of prodigality in the world.
2. In the next place, as a goodcause, so a goodlife, doth fit and qualify us to
suffer for righteousness'sake. — "He dieth not the death of a martyr who
liveth not the life of a Christian." An unclean beastis not fit to make a

15. sacrifice. The persecutedand persecutorimply and suppose one another, and
are never asunder.
1. But let them that suffer have the first place.(1)And, first, "knowing these
terrors," as the apostle speaketh(2 Corinthians 5:11), seeing persecutionis, as
it were, entailed upon the righteous person, seeing there is a kind of
providence and necessityit should be so, let us learn, first, as St. Peter
speaketh, "notto think it strange concerning this fiery trial" (1 Peter4:12);
not to dote too much upon this outward gilded peace and perpetuity in public
profession;or, when we see these things, think some strange thing is come
unto us. For what strange thing is it that wickedmen should persecute the
righteous? that a serpentshould bite, or a lion roar? that the world should be
the world, and the Church the Church?(2) And, that we may not think it
strange, let us not frame and fashion to ourselves a Church by the world.(3)
And, therefore, in the third place, let us castdown these imaginations, these
bubbles of wind blown and raisedup by the flesh, the worse part, which doth
soonestbring on a persecution, and soonestfearone;and let us, in the place of
these, build up a royal fort, "build up ourselves in our most holy faith" (Jude
1:20), and so fit and prepare our. selves againstthis fiery trial.
2. And now, as we have brought the righteous personinto this field of blood,
and prepared and strengthenedhim againstthe horror of it; so must we bring
the persecutoralso, that he may behold what desolationhe hath made. Why
boasteththou thyself in thy mischief, O mighty man? (Psalm 51:1), that "thou
hast sped, that thou hast divided the prey"? (Judges 5:30).
(A. Farindon, D. D.)
Protestants separatedfor Christ's name's sake
P. Finke, D. D.
I. FROM WHOM CHRIST'S DISCIPLES SUFFER.
II. WHAT IT IS WHICH THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST SUFFER.
1. Hatred.

16. 2. Separation.
3. Reproach.
4. The casting out of their names.
III. THE CAUSE OF THE SUFFERING OF CHRIST'S DISCIPLES.And
here we meet —
1. The pretended cause. "Theyshall castout your name as evil"; they shall
fasten, as much as in them lies, all manner of calumnies upon you; and report
of you, not as indeed you are, but as they who hate you would have you
thought to be. But as to others, the supposedevil in the matter that Christ's
followers are chargedwith, is but a pretended cause oftheir being so evilly
dealt withal.
2. The real cause for which they suffer. This is that which is at the bottom of
all — it is for Christ's sake, for their respectunto Him and His institutions,
His truths and ordinances, that His disciples suffer. And this we may deduce
from the following scheme.
I. It is for the truths of Christ, the doctrine owned, preached, and
recommended by Him, that they thus deal with us.
II. It is for the purity of His worship, because we would serve God according
to His own will, and not according to their will-worship, that they thus abhor
us.
III. It is for His authority's sake, becausewe dare not take the government
from off His shoulders (Isaiah9:6), nor pay that respectto any frail man
which is only due unto Him who is "Godblessedfor evermore" (Romans 9:5)
— or, if you will, it is because we dare not worship the beast — that they serve
us thus. To sum up all in one — it is for the vindication of Christ in all His
offices that we endure these indignities at their hands. Three consolatory
inferences.
1. In that it is but from men — "When men shall hate you" (Matthew 10:28).

17. 2. It is "for the Son of Man's sake" thatwe thus suffer. And if He had
required greatermatters of us, would we not have done them?
3. Christ has pronounced such sufferers blessed — "Blessedare ye"(1)It is
Christ's judgment on our case and condition. And He, we may truly saythen,
sees notas man sees.(2)It is not a bare opinion (though His could not be
erroneous)that we are blessed, but it is Christ's effective sentence. His dicere
is facere. Christ doth "make" them blessedwhom He "pronounces" to be so;
and He can make a blessedpersecution. If He bless, who can curse? (Numbers
23:8). "Lord, let them curse, but bless Thou" (Psalm109:28).
(P. Finke, D. D.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(22) Blessedare ye.—SeeNotesonMatthew 5:10-12. The clause “whenthey
shall separate you from their company” is peculiar to St. Luke, and refers to
the excommunicationor exclusionfrom the synagogue,and therefore from
socialfellowship, of which we read in John 16:2.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
6:20-26 Here begins a discourse of Christ, most of which is also found in Mt 5;
7. But some think that this was preachedat another time and place. All
believers that take the precepts of the gospelto themselves, and live by them,
may take the promises of the gospelto themselves, and live upon them. Woes
are denouncedagainstprosperous sinners as miserable people, though the
world envies them. Those are blessedindeed whom Christ blesses,but those
must be dreadfully miserable who fall under his woe and curse!What a vast
advantage will the saint have over the sinner in the other world! and what a

18. wide difference will there be in their rewards, how much soeverthe sinner
may prosper, and the saint be afflicted here!
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
That hunger now - Matthew has it, "that hunger and thirst after
righteousness."Matthew has expressedmore fully what Luke has briefly, but
there is no contradiction.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
22. separate you—whetherfrom their Church, by excommunication, or from
their society;both hard to flesh and blood.
for the Son of man's sake—Compare Mt5:11, "for My sake";and
immediately before, "for righteousness'sake" (Lu 6:10). Christ thus binds up
the cause ofrighteousness in the world with the reception of Himself.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Luke 6:21"
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Blessedare ye when men shall hate you,.... For the sake ofChrist, and his
Gospel:
and when they shall separate you from their company; either from civil
conversationwith them, as if they were Gentiles and uncircumcised persons;
or from their religious assemblies,and so may have respectto that sortof
excommunication in use, among the Jews, calledor "separation":by which
persons were not only excluded from the congregation, but from all civil
societyand commerce:such a person might not sit nearer to another than
four cubits, and this continued for thirty days; and if not dischargedthen, he
continued thirty more (t):
and shall reproachyou: as heretics, apostates,and enemies to the law of
Moses,as the Jews did reproachthe Christians;

19. and castout your name as evil; or "as of evil men": as the Syriac and Arabic
versions render it: this may have respectto the greatersorts of
excommunication, used among them, called"Shammatha" and "Cherem", by
which a person was accursed, anddevoted to destruction; so that our Lord's
meaning is, that the should be esteemedand treated as the worstof men, and
stigmatized in the vilest manner they were capable of:
for the son of man's sake;not for any immorality committed by them, but
only for professing and, preaching that the Messiahwas come in the flesh, and
that Jesus ofNazareth was he; and that he who was the son of man, according
to his human nature, was, the Sonof God according to his divine nature.
(t) Vid. Maimon. Talmud Tora, c. 7. sect. 4, 5, 6.
Geneva Study Bible
Blessedare ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall {d} separate you
from their company, and shall reproachyou, and castout your name as evil,
for the Son of man's sake.
(d) Castyou out of their synagogues, as Johnexpounds in Joh 16:2, which is
the severestpunishment the Church has, if the elders judge rightfully, and by
the word of God.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Luke 6:22. Comp. Matthew 5:11 f.
ἀφορίσωσιν] from the congregationofthe synagogue andthe intercourse of
common life. This is the excommunication ‫ּדִנ‬‫יּו‬ (Buxtorf, Lex. Talm. s.v.).
Comp. John 9:22. But that at that time there were alreadybeside this simple
excommunication one (‫ח‬ ֵ‫ר‬ ֶ‫)ם‬ or two (‫םרח‬ and ‫ש‬ ַׁ‫ל‬ַּ‫ת‬ ַּ‫)א‬ still higher degrees (see, in
general, Grotius on this passage;Winer, Realw.)is improbable (Gildemeister,
Blendwerke d. vulgär. Ration. p. 10 ff.), and, moreover, is not to be inferred

20. from what follows, wherein is depicted the hostility which is associatedwith
the excommunication.
καὶ ἐκβάλωσι τ. ὄν. ὑμ. ὡς πονηρ.] ἐκβάλλειν is just the German wegwerfen,
in the sense ofcontemptuous rejection, Plato, Pol. ii. p. 377 C, Crit. p. 46 B;
Soph. O. C. 637, 642;Ael. H. A. xi. 10;Kypke, I. p. 236;but τὸ ὄνομα is not
auctoritas (Kypke), nor a designationof the characterorthe faith (de Wette),
nor the name of Christian (Ewald), which idea (comp. Matthew 10:42; Mark
9:41) occurs in this place for the first time by means of the following ἕνεκα τοῦ
υἱοῦ τ. ἀνθρ.; but the actual personalname, which designates the individual in
question. Hence:when they shall have rejectedyour name (e.g. John, Peter,
etc.)as evil, i.e. as being of evil meaning, because it represents an evil man in
your person,—onaccountof the Son of man,—ye know yourselves as His
disciples. The singular ὄνομα is distributive. Comp. Ael. H. A. 5. 4; Polyb.
xviii. 28. 4; Krüger, § 44. 1. 7; Winer, p. 157 [E. T. 218], Others interpret
wrongly: When they shall have exiled you (Kuinoel), to express which would
have required ὑμᾶς ὡς πονηρούς;or: when they shall have struck out your
names from the registerof names (Beza and others quoted by Wolf, Michaelis
also), which even in form would amount to an unusual tautology with ἀφορίσ.;
or: when they shall have spreadyour name abroadas evil (defamed you)
(Grotius, Bengel, Rosenmüller, Schegg), whichis ungrammatical, and not to
be establishedby Deuteronomy22:19; or: when they declare it as evil (Bleek),
which, nevertheless, wouldbe very different from the classicalἔπη ἐκβάλλειν,
to castup words, verba proferre (Hom. Il. vi. 324;Pind. Pyth. ii. 148);and,
withal, how feeble and inexpressive!
Expositor's Greek Testament
Luke 6:22-23. In the corresponding passage in Mt. there is first an objective
didactic statementabout the persecuted. then an expansion in the second
person. Here all is in the secondperson, and the terms employed are such as
suited the experience of the early Christians, especiallythose belonging to the
JewishChurch, suffering, at the hands of their unbelieving countrymen,
wrong in the various forms indicated—hatred, separation, calumny,

21. ejection.—ἀφορίσωσινmaypoint either to separationin daily life (Keil,
Hahn) or to excommunication from the synagogue (so most commentaries)=
the Talmudic ‫נ‬ ַׁ‫ּד‬‫.יּו‬ In the former case one naturally finds the culminating evil
of excommunication in the lastclause—ἐκβάλωσιντὸ ὄ. ὑ. = erasing the name
from the membership of the synagogue.In the latter case this clause will
rather point to the vile calumnies afterwards heapedupon the
excommunicated. “Absentium nomen, ut improborum hominum, differre
rumoribus,” Grotius.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
22. hate you...separate you...reproach...castoutyour name as evil] We have
here four steps of persecutionincreasing in virulence:
(1) Generalhatred, (2) Exclusion from the synagogue, a lesser
excommunication, viz. the Neziphah or exclusionfor 30 days, or Niddoui for
90 days (Gfrorer, Jahrh. d. Heils, 1. 183;John 9:34. Hence aphorismos means
‘excommunication’), (3) Violent slander, (4) The Cherem, Shammata, or
greaterexcommunication,—permanentexpulsion from the Synagogue and
Temple (John 16:2). The Jews pretendedthat our Lord was thus
excommunicated to the blast of 400 ram’s horns by Joshua Ben Perachiah
(Wagenseil, Sota,p. 1057), and was only crucified forty days after because no
witness came forward in His favour.
as evil] ‘Malefic’or ‘execrable superstition’ was the favourite description of
Christianity among Pagans (Tac. Ann. xv. 44;Suet. Nero, 16), and Christians
were chargedwith incendiarism, cannibalism, and every infamy. (The student
will find such heathen views of Christianity collectedin my Life of St Paul,
Exc. 15: Vol. 1.)
for the Son of man’s sake]The hatred of men is not in itself a beatitude,
because there is a generalconsciencewhichcondemns certainforms of

22. wickedness, anda man may justly incur universal execration. But the world
also hates those who run counter to its pleasures and prejudices, and in that
case hatredmay be the tribute which vice pays to holiness;1 Peter2:19; 1
Peter3:14. “The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world,
even as I am not of the world;” John 17:14. Still a man may well tremble when
he is enjoying throughout life a beatitude of benediction. And ‘the world’ by
no means excludes the so-called‘religious world,’which has hated with a still
fiercer hatred, and exposedto a yet deadlier martyrdom, some of its greatest
prophets and teachers. Nota few of the greatand holy men enumerated in the
next note fell a victim to the fury of priests. Our Lord was handed over to
crucifixion by the unanimous hatred of the highest religious authorities of His
day.
On the title Son of Man, which occurs in all the four Gospels, seep. 119. In
using it Christ “choosesfor Himself that title which definitely presents His
work in relation to humanity in itself, and not primarily in relation to God or
to the chosenpeople, or even to humanity as fallen.” Canon Westcott(on John
1:51) considers that it was not distinctively a Messianic title, and doubts its
having been derived from Daniel7:13. “The Son of God was made a Son of
Man that you who were sons of men might be made sons of God.” Aug. Serm.
121. As the “SecondAdam” Christ is the representative of the race (1
Corinthians 15:45) in its highest ideal; as “the Lord from Heaven” He is the
Promise of its future exaltation.
Bengel's Gnomen
Luke 6:22. Ἐκβάλωσι, castout) defaming you in the way of contumelies in
public and private. This is more than ὀνειδίζειν. The same phrase occurs,
Deuteronomy 22:19.—[τὸ ὄνομαὑμῶν, your name) viz. the designation
whereby they were called, the DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST.—V. g.]—
ἕνεκα, for the sake)viz. for this reason, because ye believe in the Christ, whom
ye see.
Pulpit Commentary

23. Verse 22. - Blessedare ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall
separate you from their company, and shall reproachyou, and castout your
name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. An onlook into the yet distant future.
These words would be repeatedby many a brave confessorin the days when
persecution, at the hands of a far strongerand more far-reaching government
than that of Jerusalem, should be the generallot of his followers. We find
from pagan writers of the next age that Christians were chargedwith plotting
every vile and detestable crime that could be conceivedagainstman-. kind
(see, for instance, the historian Tacitus, 'Annal.,' 15:44; Suetonius, 'Nero.,'
16).
Vincent's Word Studies
Compare Matthew 5:11.
Son of Man
The phrase is employed in the Old Testamentas a circumlocution for man,
with specialreference to his frailty as contrastedwith God (Numbers 23:19;
Psalm8:4; Job 25:6; Job 35:8; and eighty-nine times in Ezekiel). It had also a
Messianic meaning (Daniel7:13 sq.), to which our Lord referred in Matthew
24:30;Matthew 26:64. It was the title which Christ most frequently applied to
himself; and there are but two instances in which it is applied to him by
another, viz., by Stephen (Acts 7:56) and by John (Revelation1:13; Revelation
14:14 :); and when acquiescing in the title "Sonof God," addressedto himself,
he sometimes immediately after substitutes "Sonof Man" (John 1:50, John
1:51; Matthew 26:63, Matthew 26:64).
The title asserts Christ's humanity - his absolute identification with our race:
"his having a genuine humanity which could deem nothing human strange,
and could be touched with a feeling of the infirmities of the race which he was
to judge" (Liddon, "Our Lord's Divinity"). It also exalts him as the
representative ideal man. "All human history tends to him and radiates from
him; he is the point in which humanity finds its unity; as St. Irenaeus says, '
He recapitulates it.' He closes the earlier history of our race;he inaugurates
its future. Nothing local, transient, individualizing, national, sectariandwarfs
the proportions of his world-embracing character. He rises above the

24. parentage, the blood, the narrow horizon which bounded, as it seemed, his
human life. He is the archetypal man, in whose presence distinctionof race,
intervals of ages, types of civilization, degrees ofmental culture are as
nothing" (Liddon).
But the title means more. As Son of Man he asserts the authority of judgment
over all flesh. By virtue of what he is as Son of Man, he must be more. "The
absolute relation to the world which he attributes to himself demands an
absolute relation to God....He is the Son of Man, the Lord of the world, the
Judge, only because he is the Son of God" (Luthardt). Christ's humanity can
be explained only by his divinity. A humanity so unique demands a solution.
Divestedof all that is popularly called miraculous, viewed simply as a man,
under the historicalconditions of his life, he is a greatermiracle than all his
miracles combined. The solution is expressedin Hebrews 1:1-14.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Luke 6:22 "Blessedare you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult
you, and scornyour name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.
KJV Blessedare ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate
you from their company, and shall reproachyou, and castout your name as
evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Blessedare you when men hate you Matthew 5:10-12;10:22; Mark 13:9-13;
John 7:7; 15:18-20;17:14; 2 Corinthians 11:23-26;Philippians 1:28-30;1
Thessalonians 2:14,15;2 Timothy 3:11,12;1 Peter2:19,20;1 Peter3:14; 4:12-
16

25. ostracize you (KJV = separate from you) - Lk 20:15; Isaiah65:5; 66:5; John
9:22-28,34;12:42; 16:2; Acts 22:22;24:5
for the sake ofthe Son of Man Lk 21:17; Mt 10:18,22,39;Acts 9:16; 1
Corinthians 4:10,11
Luke 6 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Luke 6:20-23 The Characterof a True Christian-1 - John MacArthur
Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After - Steven Cole
Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After - Steven Cole
BLESSED ARE
THE DETESTED!
Matthew has a parallel passage
Blessedare those who have been persecutedfor the sake of righteousness, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven (i.e., THEY ARE BELIEVERS). 11 “Blessed
are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of
evil againstyou (AND HERE IS THE CRITICAL QUALIFYING PHRASE)
because ofMe. 12 “Rejoiceand be glad, (WHY?) for (A STRATEGIC termof
explanation) your reward in heaven is great(THIS LIFE IS A BAD AS IT
WILL EVER GET!); for in the same way they persecutedthe prophets who
were before you (YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY, cf 1 Peter5:9-10-note).
(Mt 5:10-12-note)
Blessedare you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and
scornyour name as evil - This is the most paradoxicalof Jesus'4 beatitudes in
this section. Fromthe world's perspective hatred, ostracism, insults and scorn
are hardly a goodrecipe for blessing. But this passage is not referring to the
unbelieving world's perspective but to God's perspective. Why? Jesus says the
fact that they are detestedis because of the Sonof Man. So clearlythose who
are hated, etc, are true Christ followers and they are rejectedby the world
because the world rejectedHim.

26. Steven Cole - When Jesus blessesthose who are hated, ostracized, insulted,
and spurned for His sake, He compares their treatment to that of the godly
prophets. The reasonfor their ill treatment is that they have stood for God’s
truth and righteousness, whichsinners, especiallyreligious hypocrites, hate.
Jesus’disciples who are so mistreated should rejoice and leap for joy, because
they have greatreward in heaven. But Jesus compares those who are well-
spokenof to the false prophets. It’s never hard to gain a following:Just flatter
people and tell them how wonderful they are. They will flock to hear you and
buy your books. You will be famous and successfulon earth, but rejectedin
heaven. One reasonJesus paints with these broad strokes ofblack and white,
with no gray, is to draw the line and make us examine ourselves. Which side
are you on? I immediately want to say, “Lord, how about someone who isn’t
poor or rich? I’m just kind of middle class!How about someone who isn’t
starving, but I’m not a glutton? I’m not going around weeping, but neither am
I a comedian. People aren’t throwing rotten eggs atme, but neither am I Mr.
Popular. Isn’t there room for a guy like me in the middle?” Jesus replies, “No,
you’re either decidedly for Me or you are decidedly againstMe. There’s no
middle ground.” He forces us to getoff the fence and decide: Are we living for
this life and its temporary pleasures or are we living for Jesus and His eternal
kingdom? (Luke 6:20-26 How to Live Happily Ever After)
MacArthur explains that "The underlying reasonfor sinners’ hatred,
ostracism, insults, and scornful denunciation of the name (Christian) that
believers bear as evil is because oftheir associationwith the Son of Man. The
Lord elaboratedon that truth in His charge to the Twelve before sending
them out to preach (Mt 10:16-33). In Mt 10:16 Jesus likenedthe opponents
they would face to vicious wolves (cf. Mt. 7:15; Acts 20:29). He further
cautionedthe apostles that they would be severelypunished in the courts and
synagogues(cf. 2 Cor. 11:24), including being put out of the synagogue (Jn
9:22, 34;16:2), and by rulers (Mt 10:17-18). Families will be divided when
some members identify with Christ (Mt 10:21;cf. Luke 12:51-53). All of this
hatred will be directed at believers because they name the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ (Mt 10:22, 24-25), whom the unbelieving world hates (John
15:18-19;16:33)."
Blessed(3107)(makarios)seenote

27. Hate (3404)(miseo frommisos = hatred) means to dislike strongly, to have a
strong aversionto or to detest, all of these representing expressions of hostility
of one person (or group) towardanother. Other uses in Luke - Lk. 1:71; Lk.
6:22; Lk. 6:27; Lk. 14:26;Lk. 16:13; Lk. 19:14;Lk. 21:17.
Scorn(1544)(ekbállō)literally means to castout and thus speaks ofejectionby
force (like one would a demon in Lk 11:20 or Jesus did to the money changers
in Mt 9:34, 21:12)! In this context ekballo means to reject. Scorn is a mean-
spirited word for it reflects not only lack of respectbut also a feeling of intense
dislike.
NET Note on scorn your name as evil - Or “disdain you”; Greek literally
means to “castoutyour name as evil.” The word “name” is used here as a
figure of speechto refer to the person as a whole. The phrase when they
exclude you and insult you and rejectyou as evil alludes to a person being
ostracizedand sociallyisolatedbecause ofassociationwith the Sonof Man,
Jesus.
Bock notes that "In Jewishcircles the choice to be a disciple would have
meant ostracism. The goalof such ostracismwas to punish and shame the
"defector," orperhaps to persuade the defectorto return. Socialisolation
would bring economic consequences."(Ref)
Of course, in most of the 10-40 Window (See map) where many souls have
never even heard the Name of "Jesus," to convertfrom their family's religion
(be it Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, etc), is not only almost guarantee ostracism
from one's own family, but is also associatedwith a very real risk of being
martyred for the sake of the Son of Man! The 10-40 Window gives new
meaning to Jesus'words "count the cost!"
Ostracize ("excommunicate")(873)(aphorizo from apó = off from, apart +
horizo = mark out the limit) means to mark off the boundaries, to appoint, set
one apart for some purpose. It is used of the final separationof the righteous
from the wicked(Mt 13:49; 25:32);of the separationof the disciples from the
world (Lk 6:22); and of the setting apart of apostles to specialfunctions (Acts
13:2). The centralidea is “to limit by setting apart from the rest,” hence, to
distinguish from others in some specific way.

28. Gotquestions uses the unusual term "Christianophobia" to refer "to the state
of being hateful or spiteful to Christians. A Christianophobe hates or despises
Christians and/or what they stand for." (See What is Christianophobia?).
Relatedresources -
How should a Christian respond to persecution?
Christian martyrdom - what does the Bible say? Should Christians desire to
become martyrs?
Is it wrong to be a Christian secretlyin order to preserve your own life?
Is suffering for Christ always going to be a part of being a followerof Christ?
What should we learn from Christian martyrs?
Brian Bell - American Christians are persecuteddaily! Christianity is
attackedeverywhere!{In politics; often w/church building projects(notours);
public Preaching & outreach; in our Schools(discrimination) - in every
subject, w/evolution, w/morals(orthe lack of them), their hero’s(sportfigures,
& rock stars); the attack on the family structure). How do we gain happiness
from this?
Realize that is a privilege to be persecutedfor Jesus sake(cfPhp 1:29-note).
Realize this is evidence that we’re living like Him. (cf Jn 15:18-20)
Realize that the fellowship of his sufferings (Phil.3:10-note) is the closest
fellowship possible w/God!When we are in the furnace, the Son of God is
there with us (cf Da 3:24-26-note)!
Realize when the stones are flying we have opportunity to be His best witness!
(Stephen with Saul - Look at the results! Acts 7:57-60, 8:1)
Realize persecutiongives us the opportunity to grow!“It has a wayof driving
us to God!” (cf 1 Peter 1:6-7)
Spurgeonwrote that “Persecutionofthe tongue is more common, but not less
cruel than that of the hand!”

29. For the sake ofthe Son of Man - (on accountof the Son of Man = ESV;
because you follow the Sonof Man = NLT) Analogous to the sloganduring
the Christmas holidays that "Jesus is the reasonfor the season", here Jesus is
the reasonfor the hatred of his followers. And it is always "openseason"
when it comes to shooting down (figuratively and sometimes literally) the
followers of Jesus. Do notbe surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon
you for your testing as if some strange thing were happening to you! When we
suffer for the sake of the Son of Man, understand that He suffers with us in
one sense (not in the sense of adding to His finished atoning work on the
Cross), becauseHe is in covenantwith us and because ofthat unbreakable,
eternal bond, when we suffer, He suffers. We see this clearlyin Acts 9 where
the risen, glorified Jesus ask Saulwho was ravaging the Church
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You,
Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whomyou are persecuting, 6 but getup and
enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do. (Acts 9:4-6)
So persecutionof those who belong to Jesus is tantamount to persecuting
Jesus Himself! And He is our covenantdefender (see study of this great
Biblical truth)!
Jesus issuedthe word of warning regarding coming persecutionon numerous
occasions,evento Saul after his conversionin Acts
"you will be hated by all because ofMy name." (Luke 21:17)
You will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a
testimony to them and to the Gentiles. (Mt 10:18)
“You will be hated by all because ofMy name, but it is the one who has
endured to the end who will be saved. (Mt 10:22)
“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has losthis life for My sake
will find it. (Mt 10:39)
"I (JESUS)will show him (Saul of Tarsus)how much he must suffer for My
name’s sake.”(Acts 9:16)
Paul warned the saints at Philippi...

30. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, notonly to believe in Him,
but also to suffer for His sake (Php 1:29)
Peterand the apostles gives us the pattern to imitate when we suffer for His
Name's sake...
So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that
they had been consideredworthy to suffer shame for His name. (Acts 5:41)
THOUGHT - Do we in America really understand what a privilege and honor
we have to be able to represent the King of kings and Lord of lords and to
suffer for the sake of the Son of Man? Beloved, it is a high and holy privilege!
Readabout many saints of the past who counted themselves worthy to suffer
for Jesus in Foxe's Book ofMartyrs. Many (most) of them paid with their
lives!
Rod MattoonIllustrates a Disciple's Rejection- G.Campbell Morganwas one
of 150 young men who sought entrance to the Wesleyanministry in 1888 at
the age of25. He passedthe doctrinal examinations, but then facedthe trial
sermon. In a cavernous auditorium that could seatmore than 1,000 people sat
three ministers and 75 others who came to listen. When Morgansteppedinto
the pulpit that day, the vast room and the searching, criticaleyes caughthim
off guard even though he had been preaching since he was 13. Two weeks
later Morgan's name appearedamong the 105 REJECTED applicants forthe
ministry that year.
Jill Morgan, his daughter-in-law, wrote in her book, A Man of the Word, "He
wired to his father the one word, 'Rejected,'and satdown to write in his
diary: 'Very dark everything seems. Still, He knoweth best.'Quickly came the
reply: 'Rejectedon earth. Acceptedin Heaven. Dad.'"
In later years, Morgansaid: "God saidto me, in the weeksofloneliness and
darkness that followed, 'I want you to cease making plans for yourself, and let
Me plan your life.'" Rejectionis rarely permanent, as Morganwent on to
prove.

31. Even though Morganhad no formal training for the ministry, his devotion to
studying of the Bible made him one of the leading Bible teachers in his day.
His reputation as preacherand Bible expositorgrew throughout England and
spread to the United States.
In 1896, D. L. Moodyinvited him to lecture to the students at the Moody Bible
Institute. This was the first of his 54 crossings ofthe Atlantic to preach and
teach. After the death of Moody in 1899, Morganassumedthe position of
director of the Northfield Bible Conference. Afterfive successfulyears in this
capacity, he returned to England (in 1904)and became pastorof Westminster
Chapel of London. His preaching and weeklyFriday night Bible classeswere
attended by thousands of people to hear the preaching of the Word of God. So
much for a guy who supposedly could not preach. Godused him greatly. He
was faithful in preaching the Word of Goduntil his death in 1945 atthe age of
81. He was rejectedby men, but approved by God.
Let me ask, "Do you find yourself rejecting Christ? Christian, do you find
yourself rejecting His leading and will? Have you put your faith in the Lord
or do you persist to say 'No' to His offer of salvation?" Realize thatHe is your
true hope for the hassles youface in this life. He can meet your needs when
you are facing the stress from sickness, scarcity, strainon your finances,
sorrow, scorn, slander, and spurning. Our Lord is the "GreatSatisfier" of
mankind that provides hope for us in our hassles.(Treasuresfrom Luke,
Volume 1)
WILLIAM BARCLAY
Luke's Sermon on the Plain and Matthew's Sermon on the Mount (Matthew
5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-34; Matthew 7:1-29) closelycorrespond. Bothstart with
a series ofbeatitudes. There are differences betweenthe versions of Matthew
and Luke, but this one thing is clear--they are a series of bombshells. It may
well be that we have read them so often that we have forgotten how

32. revolutionary they are. They are quite unlike the laws which a philosopher or
a typical wise man might lay down. Eachone is a challenge.
As Deissmannsaid, "Theyare spokenin an electric atmosphere. They are not
quiet stars but flashes of lightning followedby a thunder of surprise and
amazement." They take the acceptedstandards and turn them upside down.
The people whom Jesus calledhappy the world would call wretched;and the
people Jesus calledwretchedthe world would callhappy. Just imagine anyone
saying, "Happy are the poor, and, Woe to the rich!" To talk like that is to put
an end to the world's values altogether.
Where then is the key to this? It comes in Luke 6:24. There Jesus says, "Woe
to you who are rich because you have all the comfort you are going to get."
The word Jesus uses for have is the word used for receiving payment in full of
an account. What Jesus is saying is this, "If you setyour heart and bend your
whole energies to obtain the things which the world values, you will get them--
but that is all you will ever get." In the expressive modern phrase, literally,
you have had it! But if on the other hand you setyour heart and bend all your
energies to be utterly loyal to God and true to Christ, you will run into all
kinds of trouble, you may by the world's standards look unhappy, but much
of your payment is still to come;and it will be joy eternal.
We are here face to face with an eternal choice which begins in childhood and
never ends till life ends. Will you take the easyway which yields immediate
pleasure and profit? or, Will you take the hard way which yields immediate
toil and sometimes suffering? Will you seize on the pleasure and the profit of
the moment? or, Are you willing to look ahead and sacrifice them for the
greatergood? Will you concentrate onthe world's rewards? or, Will you
concentrate onChrist? If you take the world's way, you must abandon the
values of Christ. If you take Christ's way, you must abandon the values of the
world.
Jesus had no doubt which way in the end brought happiness. F. R. Maltby
said, "Jesuspromisedhis disciples three things--that they would be completely
fearless, absurdly happy and in constanttrouble." G. K. Chesterton, whose
principles constantlygot him into trouble, once said, "I like getting into hot

33. water. It keeps you clean!" It is Jesus'teaching that the joy of heaven will
amply compensate for the trouble of earth. As Paul said, "This slight
momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weightof glory beyond all
comparison" (2 Corinthians 4:17). The challenge of the beatitudes is, "Will
you be happy in the world's way, or in Christ's way?"
JIM BOMKAMP
6:22-23 - “22 “ Blessedare you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and
insult you, and scorn your name as evil , for the sake of the Son of Man . 23
“Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is greatin
heaven . For in the same waytheir fathers used to treat the prophets.”” -
Jesus teachesthat the one who suffers various types of persecutionbecause of
his faith in Jesus is ‘blessed’
7.1. Being ‘blessed’ or “happy” as a result of suffering persecution
goes againstallthat our natural logic would tell us. However, just as in the
previous “beatitude” what one experiences in his life does not determine
whether or not he has true inner contentment and joy.
7.2. In Acts 5:41, we see the truth of this beatitude displayed in
human flesh, for there we readthat when Peterand the apostles had been
arrestedfor preaching the gospelin Jerusalemthat the religious leaders had
them floggedand releasedandthat they went their way rejoicing because they
had been found worthy to suffer shame and persecutionfor the Name of
Jesus, “41 So they went on their way from the presence ofthe Council,
rejoicing that they had been consideredworthy to suffer shame for His
name.”

34. 7.3. Likewise, afterbeing beaten with rods for Jesus’Name, in
Acts 16:25 Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to the
Lord. What a testimony it is when God’s people rejoice in the midst of great
trials and suffering. See also Acts 4:23-31 and 21:13-14.
7.4. In the New Testamentwe read in 2 Tim. 3:12 that if you are
living a godly life for Christ that you will experience persecution, “12 Indeed,
all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus willbe persecuted.” IfJesus was
persecutedthen we will be persecutedas we follow His example in our own
lives.
7.4.1. Iguess you could saythen that if a person is not experiencing
persecutionfor the Name of Christ then it is highly likely that this is because
they are not living as godly life as they should and are allowing quite a bit of
compromise in their walk. A person who is walking as Jesus walkedwill
experience the same persecutionfor righteousness thatJesus experienced.
7.4.2. Bythe way, some Christians suffer what they think is persecutionfor
the Name of Christ howeverreally it is persecutionbecause they are doing a
lot of stupid stuff that is bringing this kind of difficulties upon them. It is not
being persecutedfor righteousnessif you getyourself into difficulties because
of being obnoxious, breaking the law of the land, or acting in a ridiculous way,
for instance.
7.5. This is the only “beatitude” that includes an exhortation, and
the exhortation is to ‘Be gladin that day and leap for joy.’
7.6. Jesus gives two goodreasons for rejoicing when you suffer
persecutionfor the Name of Christ:

35. 7.6.1. Your rewardwill be greatin heaven.
7.6.2. People persecutedthe greatmen of Godin history past in the same
manner, in other words because you are in goodcompany.
THOMAS CONSTABLE
Verse 22-23
Various forms of persecutionwill give way to ultimate reward and consequent
joy. Note the logicalprogressionin Luke 6:22 from hatred to ostracismto
insults and finally to characterassassination. Luke recordedin Acts that all
these forms of persecutionovertook the early Christians. The New Testament
epistles also warn Christians about them (e.g, 1 John 3:13; 1 Peter4:14;
James 2:7). Not just the prophets of old but also Jesus Himself experienced
these persecutions. Disciples canexpectthe same. God will vindicate them
eventually and reward them for their faithfulness (cf. Luke 12:37; Luke
12:42-44;Luke 18:1-8).
The use of "Sonof Man" here is significant since it combines the ideas of
Jesus as Godand as man. Discipleshipinvolves commitment to Jesus as the
God-man. The disciples who first heard this beatitude had not yet experienced
much persecutionfor Jesus" sake,but they would shortly. "In heaven"
focuses onthe ultimate destiny of the disciple. It is an alternative expressionto
"God" that Luke and Jesus used frequently.

36. MATTHEW HENRY
. "You now undergo the world's ill will. You must expectall the base
treatment that a spiteful world can give you for Christ's sake, becauseyou
serve him and his interests you must expect that wickedmen will hate you,
because your doctrine and life convict and condemn them and those that have
church-power in their hands will separate you, will force you to separate
yourselves, and then excommunicate you for so doing, and lay you under the
most ignominious censures. Theywill pronounce anathemas againstyou, as
scandalous and incorrigible offenders. They will do this with all possible
gravity and solemnity, and pomp and pageantryof appeals to Heaven, to
make the world believe, and almost you yourselves too, that it is ratified in
heaven. Thus will they endeavour to make you odious to others and a terror to
yourselves." This is supposedto be the proper notion of aphorisosinhymas--
they shall castyou out of their synagogues."And they that have not this
powerwill not fail to show their malice, to the utmost of their powerfor they
will reproachyou, will charge you with the blackestcrimes, which you are
perfectly innocent of, will fastenupon you the blackestcharacters,which you
do not deserve they will castout your name as evil, your name as Christians,
as apostles they will do all they canto render these names odious." This is the
application of the eighth beatitude, Matthew 5:10-12.
"Suchusage as this seems hard but blessedare you when you are so used. It is
so far from depriving you of your happiness that it will greatly add to it. It is
an honour to you, as it is to a brave hero to be employed in the wars, in the
service of his prince and therefore rejoice you in that day, and leap for joy,
Luke 6:23. Do not only bear it, but triumph in it. For," (1.) "You are hereby
highly dignified in the kingdom of grace, foryou are treatedas the prophets
were before you, and therefore not only need not be ashamed of it, but may
justly rejoice in it, for it will be an evidence for you that you walk in the same
spirit, and in the same steps, are engagedin the same cause, and employed in
the same service, with them." (2.) "You will for this be abundantly
recompensedin the kingdom of glory not only your services for Christ, but
your sufferings will come into the account:Your reward is greatin heaven.

37. Venture upon your sufferings, in a full belief that the glory of heaven will
abundantly countervail all these hardships so that, though you may be losers
for Christ, you shall not be losers by him in the end."
JOHN MACARTHUR
The Characterof a True Christian, Part 2
Sermons Luke 6:23–26 42-85 Oct7, 2001
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Many people are, of course, fascinatedby the life of the Lord Jesus Christ,
fascinatedby His birth, which is, or course, signifiedin our worldwide
Christmas celebrations. Fascinatedby His miracles, fascinatedby His ability
to heal the sick, raise the dead and castdemons out of people, even fascinated
by His death, fascinatedby His resurrection. Without question the life of the
Lord Jesus Christ is marvelous beyond words, unique, compelling. And yet, it
is not His life by which men are saved. It is His teaching. The way He lived,
the miracles that He did wouldn’t mean anything unless they were explained
to us. His life can only be explained in the sense that He is God. That’s why
He was born of a virgin, why He had divine power. That’s why He lived a
sinless life, died a substitutionary death. That’s why He was able to conquer
death and rise a third day. He is God.
And that would be taking it a step in the right direction to understand not
only the fascinationand the amazing miraculous characterofHis life, but to

38. understand that the only explanation of that is that He is God is moving in the
right direction. But in the end the only way that His life and His work can be
applied to us is to understand His teaching because, afterall, it is a matter of
believing in the messagethat Jesus brought that saves. The world is full of
people who are fascinatedby His life. They might even concede that He was,
in fact, God in some form. But in the end it’s a question of believing what He
said. His messageis most critical.
Salvationfrom sin, escape fromjudgment and hell, eternal joy, heavenly glory
doesn’t come to people who are fascinatedwith Jesus Christ. It doesn’t come
to people who believe that He is God in human flesh. The devils believe and
tremble. It isn’t enough to feel sentimental about Jesus, it’s not even enough
to have respectfor Him. Salvationcomes to those who believe His message.
And so, as we work our way through the gospelof Luke, from fascinating
incident to fascinating incident, from powerful divine display to powerful
divine display, we find ourselves in the most critical of all portions when we
come to sections which indicate His teaching. It is the words of Jesus that
have life.
And so we find ourselves in one of His greatestsermons, oftencalledthe
Sermon on the Mount in Luke chapter six. Let’s open our Bibles againto
Luke 6 in verse 20. The initial message thatJesus preachedwas a message
about sin. Obviously, He hadn’t died and He hasn’t risen from the dead, and
so He was not preaching the cross and resurrectionthe way the apostles did
after those events.
He was really preaching the way John the Baptist preached. He was
preaching the way the prophets of the Old Testament, the true prophets,
preached. He was preaching repentance. He was preaching that people are
sinners, that they are desperate sinners, that they are incurable sinners, that
they are powerless sinners, resourcelesssinners and that that sin is
catapulting them into eternal judgment. And their sin is defined by the law of
God.
God gave His law, the prophets articulatedit. John the Baptistobviously
referred to it, Jesus as well. And sinners are, therefore, measuredagainstthe

39. perfect standard of God’s law and they all come short of that. And, therefore,
having violated God’s law fall under His just and eternal condemnation. That
is Jesus’message. Everybodyis a sinner headed for divine judgment which
will catapult them into eternalhell where there is outer darkness, fire never
quenched, a worm that never dies, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth in
eternal consciouspunishment. That was His message. And the remedy to that
was to recognize one’s sinful condition and helplessnessand cry out to God for
mercy and forgiveness, realizing that one could make no contribution to that.
That was His message. Thatwas the message ofJohn, “Repent.” Thatwas
the messageofthe true prophets of old. Now this is not a popular message.
This wouldn’t be a popular messagein a paganculture. This wouldn’t be a
popular messagein an outright agnostic oratheistic culture. And it certainly
is not a popular messagein a religious culture because religious people
convince themselves that their religion makes them goodenough.
I was riding the other day…the gentleman who was taking me to a meeting I
had, and I said to him, “Do you have any particular belief in God?” He said,
“Oh, I believe in God. Absolutely I believe in God.” And he said, “I’ve
always believed in God.” And he said, “I just figure that I’m just a goodman.
I’m just a good personand there’s just no way Godcould refuse me heaven.”
That’s a pretty typical, if not always articulatedview of a religious person.
And that’s exactly the way the Jewishpeople thought. The Judaism of the day
of Jesus was literally built on a systemby which through your external,
superficial morality and your ceremonialreligious activity, you certainly had
offered to God enough to purchase your salvation. And the message ofJesus
was, “You’re all wrong. You’re all wrong.” And they killed Him for it
because that’s not a popular message, particularly with religious people.
Jesus came preaching repentance. He came defining sin in absolutelyno
uncertain terms. His messagewas so clearthat nobody could miss it. And,
essentially, whatHe was saying to the Jews in His preaching was, “You are
sinners separatedfrom God, alienatedfrom God, outside the Kingdom,
outside the Covenant, outside the promise, even though all of that came to you
by His revelation.” Theywere deeply religious. They were widely moral on a
superficial level and thus convinced they needed no repentance because they

40. were pleasing to God. As John the Baptisthad before Him, and had Isaiah
and the other prophets before them, Jesus then came preaching repentance.
In fact, His message wasabsolutelyopposite what was politically correctand
conventionalwisdom.
He called them, essentially, to overturn their entire self-assessmentand to
evaluate them the opposite of the waythey were evaluating themselves,
recognize that they were not in the Kingdom of God, they did not know God,
they were not His children, they were not headed for heaven. But on the other
hand, they were in a desperatelywickedcondition without God, without
salvation, separatedentirely from Him by sin. And they had coveredthe
truth with their blanket of self-righteousnessbut the truth was under there,
nonetheless. Theyhad all demonstrated, as all people do, the inability to keep
the law of God…and to break it at one point is to be cursedby all of it. This
was His message.
This is not the message theyexpectedfrom the MessiahwhenHe arrived.
They expectedthe Messiah, whenHe arrived, to embrace the nation, to affirm
their righteousness, theirgodliness, their kingdom state. The messagethat
they thought the Messiahwould give them was a messageofsalvation. “You
are the people; I’m here for the kingdom; the kingdom if yours. Here we go,
we’re going to launch the kingdom and we’re going to capture the whole
world. That’s essentiallywhat they expected. His messagethen was shocking.
It was unacceptable. It was downright intolerable. And that’s why they killed
Him.
And it’s still the same messagetoday, only now we know how God can forgive
the sinner through the death of Christ and His resurrection. That hadn’t
happened yet, obviously, when Jesus was preaching. His messagewas still
repentance, of confessionof sin and crying out to God for mercy and grace to
receive salvation, a salvationwhich is made possible because Jesus bore our
sins on the cross and therefore satisfiedthe justice of God. But Jesus
preachedsin. Not a popular subject then and not one now.
He devastatedthe illusion by making it clear, along with the prophets before
Him and the Apostles after Him and all faithful preachers throughout all of

41. redemptive history, that it is not religious people who go to heaven, it is not
superficially moral people who go to heaven; it is people who are
overwhelmed with their sinfulness who go to heaven. It is people who are
overwhelmed and oppressedby the reality of their condemnationand
inability, who reachout and cry out to God for forgiveness and are granted
that forgiveness by mercy. Those are the people who go to heaven.
As I said last time, this teaching of Jesus shatteredall of man’s thinking,
literally overturned all of it. And this passage is a classic illustration of that.
Let me read verses 20 to 26 and then we’ll comment on it. “Turning His gaze
on His disciples – ” Now remember, disciples is a term for that mixed group of
people who were the learners, the mathts…that’s the word in the Greek…the
learners, the students of Jesus. Some were true disciples, some were false,
some were in process one way or another. And He’s going to give them the
criteria by which they can evaluate the legitimacyand genuineness of their
discipleship. So He says to this mixed group of followers…inthis case, not to
be confused with the apostles who were just identified in the previous passage.
They were, of course, true disciples and now messengers, orapostles…butto
the restof this large crowd of hundreds, if not thousands who followedHim.
He says, Here’s what you need to know.
“Blessedare you who are poor for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessedare
you who hunger now for you shall be satisfied. Blessedare you who weepnow
for you shall laugh. Blessedare you when men hate you and ostracize you and
castinsults at you and spurn your name as evil for the sake ofthe Sonof Man.
Be glad in that day and leap for joy for behold, your rewardis greatin
heaven, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. But woe
to you who are rich for you’re receiving your comfortin full. Woe to you who
are wellfed now for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now for you
shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak wellof you for in the
same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.”
There is in no uncertain terms a very clearcontrastand it is backwardto the
way people thought. Poverty, hunger, sorrow, rejection…ablessing? Riches,
satisfaction, happiness and popularity…a curse? And that is preciselythe
point. What Jesus says is directly opposedto the way they think. That’s why

42. they’re so intolerant of it. As we saw back in the synagogue in Nazarethin the
fourth chapter, when Jesus went to the Jews in the synagogue and said, “I
offer the gospelofforgiveness and salvationto those of you who realize you
are poor, prisoners, blind and oppressed,” they were so offended that He
designatedthem as poor, prisoners, blind and oppressed, spiritually bankrupt,
spiritually imprisoned by their sin and shut up to the judgment of God,
spiritually blind to divine truth, spiritually oppressedby their iniquities, they
were so angry at that description of them, they took Jesus…andthese are His
own friends and family, His own town…afterHe preachedthat one sermon,
out to a cliff and tried to throw Him off. They hate that message, particularly
religious people hate that message,self-righteous people.
And here He comes with it again. It’s the poor and the hungry and the
weeping and the rejectedthat are blessed. And it’s the rich and the well fed
and the happy and the popular that are cursed. These are the paradoxes of
blessing and cursing we started into two weeks ago. Let’s remind you the
paradoxes of the blessed. The first one is the blessing of poverty, verse 20,
“Blessedare you who are poor for yours is the Kingdom of God.”
It’s not talking about material poverty, or economic poverty. There’s no
necessaryvirtue in that. It’s talking about spiritual poverty. Blessedare
those who understand their spiritual bankruptcy. Blessedare those who
know they have no resourcesto buy their salvation. They know they can do
nothing to please God. They have no ability to gain what is necessaryto
please God. Blessedare those who know they are spiritually destitute,
bankrupt. They are the ones who receive the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom
of God is for the sinners who know they can’t save themselves.
And then, secondly, came the blessing of hunger. “Blessedare you who
hunger now for you shall be satisfied.” It’s not talking about people who
don’t have any food. He’s talking about people who hunger for righteousness.
Blessedare those who feel the emptiness. Blessedare those who know they
aren’t righteous. They feel it. They are starved for it. They understand their
spiritual bankruptcy and they cry out to be fed righteousness from God, even
though they are unworthy of it.

43. And then also we saw the blessing of sorrow. Verse 21, “Blessedare you who
weepnow for you shall laugh.” Those whosespiritual condition produces an
overwhelming grief, this is brokenness and contriteness ofheart which Isaiah
spoke. Blessedare those who because they’re so spiritually bankrupt, because
they have such a profound hunger for righteousness whichthey know they
don’t have and can’t earn are, therefore, in grief, those people will receive the
riches of the Kingdom. Those people will be eternally satisfiedand those
people will have eternal joy.
And then the fourth, where we dropped off last time, comes in verse 22.
“Blessedare you when men hate you and ostracize you and castinsults at you
and spurn your name as evil for the sake of the Son of Man.” This is the
blessing of rejectionto be added to the blessing of poverty, the blessing of
hunger, the blessing of sorrow comes this upside-down blessing of rejection.
I’m assuming that the people, even including the apostles, wouldhave
assumed, “Boy, here’s the Messiah. We believe the Messiah, we are now His
messengers. We’re going to go out and preach this message. Isn’t it going to
be wonderful? We’re going to proclaim the messageand people are going to
hear about the gospel, they’re going to hear about forgiveness,and certainly
their hearts are going to be open and the Messiahis going to establishHis
Kingdom and it’s all going to be wonderful.” And Jesus tells them at the very
outset, “Getready. You’re going to be hated, you’re going to be ostracized,
you’re going to be insulted, you’re going to be spurned. That’s how it’s going
to be. Blessedare you.”
The first three deal with how the sinner sees himselfas poor, hungry and
sorrowful. The fourth one is how the world sees the sinner. They hate him.
They alienate him. They ostracize him because he has a true understanding of
his sinfulness and a true understanding of his need for grace from God. Four
verbs are used there in verse 22, hate, ostracize, castinsults, and spurn; just
summing up the vitriol, the hostility that’s going to come from a sinful world.
You’re going to be hated. You’re going to be excluded. You’re going to be
slandered. You’re going to be rejected. This is a sortof sequence ofevil
attitudes directed at believers. They’re going to spurn your name. What does

44. that mean? John, and Bill, and Saran, and so…? No, your name, Christian,
Christian as evil because of the Son of Man. Jesus said, “It’s because ofMe
that they’re going to hate you because this is My message, this is My gospel,
this is My salvation, this is really My call to repentance.”
I’m not preaching My owncall to sinners, I’m just echoing the callof Christ,
right? I’m just echoing the Word of God. And so here Jesus has just called
His disciples together, those that are going to be apostles. He’s pulled the
twelve out of a larger group of disciples, identified the twelve. Very soonafter
that, of course, He come down the mountain, He starts into this sermon called
the Sermonon the Mount, and right off the bat He says, “I want you to get
ready, guys, because if you’re going to be identified with Me it’s going to be
persecution, hostility. They’re going to hate the name that you bear because
they hate Me.”
Turn to Matthew chapter 10. It’s worth taking a deeperlook at this issue
from Matthew’s account. In Matthew chapter10, we have the occasionwhere
Jesus gave powerto His apostles,and we’ll come to that in Luke 9. This is a
parallel passageto Luke 9. But I want you to notice what Jesus says to them
when He gives them instruction. Go down to verse 16. And you can
now…they’ve been given, obviously, the title of apostle, they have been given
the ability to heal the sick. They’ve been given the ability to castout the
demons so they have power overthe physical world and the spiritual world.
They might sense that everything is going to fall into place, it’s all going to be
great. And so He tells them in verse 16, “I send you out as sheep in the midst
of wolves.” You’re going to go out there and they’re going to try to eat you
up.
Verse 17, He takes it further, “Beware ofmen, you’re going to have to be wily,
you’re going to have to be shrewdas serpents and innocent as doves, be aware
of men because they will deliver you up to the courts and they will scourge you
in the synagogues.” This happened to the apostle Paul. Five times, he
received39 lashes from the Jews. They, literally, whipped him in the
synagogue. Talkaboutchurch discipline. They whipped him with 39 lashes,
ripping and tearing his flesh because ofwhat they viewed as heresy, because
he was a Christian.

45. And Jesus is telling the twelve, they’re going to take you to court over this.
And they’re also going to lash you in the synagogues. “They’re going to bring
you, – ” in verse 18 – “before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony
to them and the Gentiles. And when they deliver you up, don’t become
anxious about how or what you will speak, it will be given you in that hour
what you are to speak, forit is not you who speak but it is the Spirit of your
Father who speaks in you.” And that would still be true, we don’t get direct
revelation now but when you get in that situation if it happens today, you just
speak whatthe Spirit has spokenin Scripture, you just speak the truth of
God’s Word.
“Brother– ” verse 21 – “will deliver up brother to death. A father will deliver
his child to death. Children will rise up againstparents, cause them to be put
to death.” Literally, killing is going to happen in the family over this
identification with Jesus Christ. Verse 22, “You will be hated by all on
accountof My name.” And there is the issue again, that identification with
Jesus Christ is so repulsive, particularly to religious sinners, that you’re going
to suffer. Downin verse 24 He says something I think is very important, “A
disciple is not above his teacher, a slave is not above his master.” Pointbeing,
if I’m your masterand they mistreat me and I’m your teacherand they
mistreat me, don’t expect to get any different treatment. That’s how it’s going
to be. They’re going to persecute you the way they persecutedMe.
This is still going on even today. Christians are being persecutedtoday. I
think more are dying, according to the statistics I have today than any time in
history, mostly at the hands of radical Muslims. I want you to turn to John
chapter 9 because I think we need to understand what the Lord is saying to
these apostles. Theymight have thought, you know, when they were identified
to be the twelve apostles, Jesus pulls them out, they might have been sort of
congratulating eachother on this wonderful honor and then they’re
immediately hearing about what it’s going to costthem, because the message
is so contrary to the wickedhearts of the people.
In John 9, Jesus healeda blind man, and people came to the blind man’s
parents. You remember, he was born blind so he had congenitalblindness, or
some blindness that occurred at his birth. And Jesus healedhim and he could

46. see. And so people came to the parents in verse 22 and they said, verse 21,
“You know, can you tell us, you know, what’s going on here? How does he
see?” Theystartedquestioning in verse 19, and there’s this little dialogue.
His parents said, “Well, we know that this is our son and we know that he was
born blind, but if you want to know, you can ask him. You ask him why it is
that he can see.” Verse 22 says, “His parents said this, they deflectedthe
question to the son because theywere afraid of the Jews. Forthe Jews had
already agreedthat if anyone should confess Him to be Christ, he should be
put out of the synagogue,”excommunicated. And in many cases witha
whipping at the same time. So his parents for that reason, verse 23 says, “Ask
him, he’s of age.”
Go to chapter 15 of John and, again, Jesus refers particularly to this kind of
hostility. John 15:18, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it
hated Me before it hated you. Don’t be surprised.” Verse 19, “If you were of
the world, the world would love its own.” Boy, that’s such a profound truth.
“But because you’re not of the world but I choose youout of the world,
therefore the world hates you.” It just goes with the territory that there are
all kinds of religions toleratedwithin the world because they’re all a part of
the same system. And they all can agree notnecessarilyon everything, but
they can all agree on one thing and that is that they’re againstChristianity.
Remember this. Verse 20, againhe repeats, “A slave is not greaterthan his
master, if they persecutedMe, they’ll persecute you. If they kept My word,
they’ll keep yours also. All these things they will do to you for My namesake
because they do not know the One who sent Me.” Verse 23, “He who hates
Me hates My Father also.” Theyhate you, they hate Me, they hate My
Father. That’s how it is. Verse 16 He says…this is in the upper room at the
Last Supper, as we call it, when He’s had His last night with His disciples.
He’s getting them ready for what is to come. This is some time much later
than the incident in Luke 6, but He’s giving them the same message. “I’m
telling you these things,” He says in verse 1 of 16, “so that you don’t stumble
when it happens because they’re going to make you outcasts from the
synagogue. An hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he’s

47. offering service to God. And these things will they do because theyhave not
known the Father or Me.”
So this is to be expected. This is exactly how it’s going to be. By the end of the
first century, this was so embedded in Judaism. The early Christians suffered
greatly, as you know. I mean, take a look at the apostle Paul, he was going
everywhere breathing out threatenings and slaughterings againstthe
Christians enacting this very thing himself. Then you have the occasionin the
seventh chapter of Acts of the stoning of Stephen by those Jews of Jerusalem
who killed him because he was a Christian heretic. This is the way it went.
By the end of the first century they had developed a wayin which they
thought they could smoke out any Christian Jews in the synagogues.
There’s a series ofprayers called the Shemoneh Esreithat developedamong
the Jews. There are 18 ofthese prayers. Let me read you the twelfth prayer
of these eighteen. And by the way, these prayers were prayed aloud by the
individuals in the synagogue. This is the twelfth prayer. It is a prayer for the
renegades, “Letthere be no hope and may the arrogant soonbe rootedout in
our days, the Christians and the heretics perish as in a moment and be blotted
from the book of life and with the righteous may they not be inscribed, blessed
are You, O Lord, who humble the arrogant.” That’s the prayer.
So here’s a Jewishprayer, basicallydamning Christians, to be prayed. And
they had them pray it, personally, in the synagogue so that they could watch
to see who stumbled over that prayer. And who stumbled over that prayer
could then be determined to be a Christian or a Christian supporter and
therefore put out of the synagogue. So that prayer became a test, a curse kind
of designedto expose Christians who would stumble trying to pray that
prayer if it was not already manifest who they were. Thenthey would be put
out of the synagogue.
So what Jesus was saying was going to happen. And it did happen. Mostof
the apostles themselves,as you know in our series on the apostles, were killed
for the proclamation of the truth. And those who named the name of Christ
were put out of synagogues,whipped and killed as well. That kind of
persecutiongoes onand goes onand goes onand goes on for the most part at

48. the hands of religious people who do not like the diagnosis of Christianity that
the man and the woman without Christ is a doomed, damned sinner, no
matter how religious he or she may be. That is the repulsive diagnosis.
Now, go back to Luke 6. So He says, “You’ll be blessedif this happens.” You
should be among the blessed, you should count yourself among the blessed
because that’s reality. In fact, when all of this comes upon you because of
your name, Christian, and because ofthe sake ofthe Son of Man, a title we
already discussedearlierin this gospel, here should be your response. Verse
23, “Be glad in that day.” Now let me grab you right there. Thatday. That
isolates the day of persecution. It’s not always going to be that way. It’s not
going to be non-stop persecutionfor everybody. “Be gladin that day.” What
day? That day. Go back to verse 22, “Blessedare you when men hate you.”
That “when” is a very important word. When indicates that this is not
constant, this is occasional. Whenit happens, and then later, in that day that
it happens.
So we don’t want to set this up so that you expectthat your life will be nothing
but an act of persecutionand you develop some kind of martyr complex.
Look, the early church, according to Acts 2:47, had favor with all the people.
Later on, in Acts chapter 5 verse 13, it says the people in Jerusalemhad great
esteemfor the Christians. And 1 Timothy chapter 2 says that we’re to
conduct ourselves in a godly fashion, living a quiet, peaceable, tranquil life so
that there will be respect. Petersays you ought to live your lives so that evil
people have nothing of which to accuse you. Titus chapter 3 says you’re to
live your life in a very quiet way, in a gracious wayso that you have a
testimony as to the transforming powerof Christ in your life to reach those
who are without Him.
There is that balancing reality that the life of a Christian can be a dramatic
testimony to the power of God. And to those who are open to the gospel, it is
an important, criticalpart of evangelism, isn’t it? But there will come times
when they will hate you and ostracize you and slander you and spurn you.
There will come “that day” when such things take place, againemphasizing
the occasionalnature of this. It’s going to come. It has to do generallywith
how uncompromising and how bold and how faithful you are to say what

49. should be said in a religious environment or confronting the sinners. If you
never say anything, you canescape it. If you compromise, you canescape it,
keepyour mouth shut you can escape it, you can escapeit. You tell the truth,
it’s pretty hard to avoid in some settings.
But He says, when it happens be gladin that day. In fact, be so glad you leap
for joy, start dancing, exuberance, get completelycarried away. Now we do
that but it isn’t usually connectedto persecution. We don’t…even as
Christians, we don’t quite get this. If you’re being persecutedbecause ofthe
name of Jesus Christ, if you’re being persecutedbecause ofthe name of the
Son of Man, if you’re being persecutedbecause you’re a Christian, if you’re
being persecutedbecause you’re giving a true diagnosis ofa sinner’s heart
and you’re confronting that spiritual poverty, that spiritual bankruptcy there,
you’re trying to overturn their own sense of self-esteemand self-respectand
self-righteousness;if you’re attacking that, as you must to getthe gospel
through, if you’re faithful in doing that and you come to hostility, even being
thrown out of a synagogue,evenbeing whipped, even having your life
threatened or takenaway from you, put on your dancing shoes, be exuberant.
Why? “Leap for joy for behold your reward is great – ” Where? – “In
heaven.” You have to have an other worldly perspective to deal with this. If
all you want is comfort here, you’re going to miss it. If you understand that
your eternal rewardis proportionate to your willingness to confront and
suffer for the gospel, then you realize that the little suffering here is not
worthy, as Paul said, to be comparedwith the glory there. That’s the eternal
perspective. What do I care what hostility comes to me in this life for the
truth of the gospel? Whatdo I care what people do to me in this life for
preaching the truth, when I understand that there is a reward for me in the
glory that I will receive and be able to castat the feet of my Christ for the
little suffering here?
And I am confident that that eternal reward is something, having castit at the
feet of Christ, you will yet enjoy its fullness foreverand ever. That’s why in
Acts 5 when the apostles were preaching, they…it didn’t take them long to see
this fulfilled, you know. They startedpreaching on the day of Pentecost, and
no soonerdid they start preaching then the persecutioncame, right? Right

50. away, told them not to preachanymore. Chapter 5 of Acts, verse 41, they
had…verse 40, they had takenthe Apostles in and they…the Jewish
authorities floggedthem. They gave them those 39 lashes acrosstheir backs
and they ordered them to stop speaking the name of Jesus and they released
them. What is the next verse? “So they went on their waydepressed?” No.
“Theywent on their way from the presence of the council rejoicing – ” Why?
– “that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” What a
privilege.
You have been given a greatprivilege. We who are not worthy to suffer for
the name of Christ. We are not worthy to even be mentioned in the same
breath are given the greatprivilege of suffering for His sake. Paulsaidin
Colossians 1:24, this greatstatement, “I fill up in my body the afflictions of
Christ.” Whata statement. In other words, every persecutionthat comes to
me is intended for Christ. He’s not here so they getme in place of Him. And
he said, “I rejoice in this, I bear in the body the marks of Christ,” he said to
the Galatians. Whata privilege for an unworthy, wretchedsinner to literally
be punished in the place of Christ who on the cross was punished in his place.
What a greatreality. I’m not even worthy to be takenblows meant for Christ,
but what an honor, what a privilege.
And he said there’s another privilege. Look forwardand see your eternal
reward and look back and see who you’re associatedwith. “Forin the same
way their fathers used to treat – ” Whom? – “the prophets.” You’re in some
really goodcompany. You can go through your suffering for your honest
presentationof the reality of sin and judgment and the need for mercy, grace,
forgiveness and salvation. You can take that hostility with a forward look,
that’s fine. The sufferings of this world are not worthy to be comparedat the
glory that shall come. I can take the forward look. I canalso spin and take
the backwardlook and say, “This puts me in pretty goodcompany.”
This is familiar Old Testamenthistory. In the same waytheir fathers used to
treat the prophets. You study the Old Testamentand study the story of
Israel. See whatthey did to the true prophets. Turn to Matthew 21. This will
be a glimpse of it without going through the Old Testament. Matthew…I’m
sorry, 22. There’s a parable at the end of Matthew 21 that gives a description

51. of how they treated the prophets in a parable. You remember the Lord told
about a man who had a vineyard and he hired people to run it. And they
came back to check on it, sent servants back, they killed the servants, beat the
servants. Finally he sent his son, they killed his son. That’s a picture of
Israel, God’s vineyard. He sent the prophets, they killed the prophets. He
sent His Son, they killed His Son.
Then in chapter 22…well, let’s go to chapter23. I want to get done. Chapter
23 verse 31, “Consequentlyyou bear witness againstyourselves, He says.”
This is a…this chapter 23 is a blast againstthe religious leaders of Israel. It
starts out in verse 1 being directed at scribes and Pharisees. Inverse 31,
“Consequentlyyou bear witness againstyourselves that you are the sons of
those who murdered the prophets. Fill up then the measure of the guilt of
your fathers.” You’re going to murder Me, you’re going to murder those who
name My name, you’re going to murder My apostles, you’re just the sons of
your fathers who murdered the prophets. And that is a strong statementof
condemnation. It couldn’t be stronger.
Then you see the sort of pathos of it in verse 37 where Jesus says, “O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem– ” How does He define Jerusalem? – “who kills the
prophets and stones those who are sent to her. This is Jerusalem.” So when
they persecute you, you’re in some goodcompany. You’re in some good
company. It was Israel, not just any religious group but it was Israelthat
killed the true prophets of God. In James he…Jameswrites his epistle to
encourage suffering believers. And in chapter5 verse 10, he says as an
example of suffering and endurance, “Take the prophets who spoke in the
name of the Lord.”
You want a goodillustration of those who endured persecution, look at the
prophets. All through history, folks, those people who preachedthe truth
have been vilified and persecuted. Why? Becausethe message thatman is a
wretchedsinner heading for eternal judgment and has nothing goodin
himself to remedy it but must casthimself on the grace and mercy of God is
repulsive to the sinner. He wants to believe in his own self-esteem, his own
self-righteousness. And so they killed the prophets then; they killed the
prophets at the time of Jesus. They’re still killing those who name the name