Blessing and Woe: Part 4

March 10

(Luke 6:22-23, 26 NIV) “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. {23} "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. {26} Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.”

(Luke 11:43 NIV) “Woe to you Pharisees, because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.”

(Matthew 5:10-12 NIV) “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. {11} "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. {12} Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Disciples of Jesus march to the beat of a different drummer, which makes them out of step with their culture. Blessed are those who are persecuted for not fitting into this world anymore. Too many Christians spend their lives trying to fit in. Our flesh desires popularity, so instead of standing out for Jesus, we excel at blending in with the crowd. We don’t rock the boat. We keep our faith quiet and subtle. We want Jesus, but we want to look like, act like, and be like the rest of the world. Our idea of what it means to be blessed is all messed up. If this sounds like who you are today, Christ says, “Woe to you! Woe to those who live for popularity instead of living for my Name.” We cannot successfully do both at the same time. Jesus says, “Blessed are the persecuted.” Will your life warrant a blessing like this? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day