One of my favorite Beatitudes can be found in (Matthew 5:11-12): “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
There are three reasons these two verses are such a blessing to me:
Blessing 1 – Joy doesn’t depend on circumstances
Normally we think that joy comes when things are going well for us. While this is true, for the Christian joy is something we can experience at all times; even when things are not going well for us. Clearly no one wants to be reviled, persecuted, and spoken evil of, however, when it comes from sharing the goodness of Christ we are told that we will receive abundant joy in the process. One of the greatest blessings I have learned in my walk with the Lord is that joy doesn’t depend on circumstances but on obedience to the Lord. As we obey Jesus joy will always be something that will accompany our obedience. In these two verses when we do something to help advance the kingdom of God be prepared to rejoice even if we are persecuted for our actions. Knowing that we are doing things that please the Creator of the universe is what real joy is all about!
Blessing 2 – Be prepared to receive an awesome reward
Whether we share Christ with an unbeliever or take a stand for morality sometimes we are not going to be well received. In fact, we may be mocked, ridiculed, and even ostracized by our actions. I believe that when this happens we receive an immediate reward as well as a future one. The immediate reward is knowing that you may either lead someone to Christ by planting a seed, or let Jesus know that His priorities are your priorities. Either way, while our feelings may be hurt in the process, our spirit can rejoice that we are doing things to advance the kingdom of God; and nothing is more wonderful than this. And of course, as these verses share great is our reward in heaven. While it is hard to say just what this great reward will be, I believe, it may be that we will be given a greater capacity to enjoy and worship Jesus. But whatever reward we receive it will clearly be grand.
Blessing 3 – We will be in great company
Did you know that when you receive persecution for Christ’s sake you enter into some exclusive company. We are told in verse 12 that the prophets of old were subject to similar persecution for standing up for God. I love reading (Hebrews 11), the great heroes of the faith chapter, to see that many of the heroes received persecution for their stance for God. For example, we read about Moses in (Hebrews 11:24-25): “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” And my friend when we are reviled and afflicted for our stance for Christ we too become a hero of the faith. So, while we can’t be added to (Hebrews 11) since the Scriptures are complete we can know that we share in these heroes of the faith accolades. Again, to have God well-pleased with our loyalty to Christ is and should be a great source of joy.
In closing I love reading the corollary verses in (Luke 6:22-23): “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” I love the phrase: “and leap for joy.” As we draw closer to Christ this demonstrative attitude and action should, I pray, accompany all of us.
Rejoicing on the Anvil: Why Joy Grows Best Under Pressure
A Bible Apologetics Essay, House Style
1. Joy Is Not a Weather Report; It’s Obedience in Motion.
Curt reminds us that “joy doesn’t depend on circumstances but on obedience to the Lord.”
When Jesus says, “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad” even when reviled (Matthew 5:11–12), He is not offering a suggestion for the spiritually athletic. He is revealing a spiritual law: obedience produces joy the way seeds produce fruit.
Joy is not the absence of trouble. It is the presence of Christ in the trouble. It is the quiet thunder of knowing that the Creator of the universe is pleased with your faithfulness.
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2. The Reward Is Immediate, Eternal, and Worth Every Bruise.
Curt writes that when we take a stand for Christ, “we receive an immediate reward as well as a future one.” The immediate reward is the inner witness: “His priorities are your priorities.” The future reward is the heavenly one Jesus promises: “great is your reward in heaven.”
This is not spiritual bribery. It is spiritual reality. Faithfulness enlarges our capacity to enjoy God. The test becomes the testimony, and the testimony becomes the treasure.
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3. Persecution Puts You in the Hall of Faith, Not the Hall of Shame.
Curt notes that when we suffer for Christ, “you enter into some exclusive company.” Hebrews 11 stands as the roll call of those who chose affliction over applause. Moses “chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God” than enjoy temporary pleasures.
When you are mocked for righteousness, you are not failing. You are joining the prophets. You are stepping into the lineage of those who believed God more than comfort.
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Joy, Reward, and the Test That Makes the Testimony.
The Beatitudes ( Matt 5:3-12) end with a paradox so sharp it almost sparkles. Persecution is a blessing. Not because pain is pleasant, but because obedience is precious. Jesus does not say, “Endure and grit your teeth.” He says, “Rejoice… leap for joy.” Luke 6:23 adds the physicality: joy so real it moves your feet.
Why?
Because persecution is not a sign of God’s absence. It is evidence of your alignment with Him. The world recognizes Christ in you, and not everyone applauds.
Joy, then, is not emotional convenience. It is covenantal confidence.
And the reward? Jesus doesn’t describe it in detail, maybe cuz because our language can’t hold it. But Curt’s insight is right on target. The reward may be a greater capacity to enjoy and worship Jesus.
Heaven is not a merit badge ceremony. It is the expansion of the soul into the fullness of God’s delight.
And woven through all of this is the apologetic truth. Christianity alone makes sense of suffering by transforming it into glory.
No other worldview turns persecution into praise, wounds into worship, or trials into triumphs.
And yes: there is no testimony without a test. God does not waste pain; He repurposes it.
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A Few Words for the Children…
Hey brats—lean in. I got snacks and wisdom. (ha-yaa)
Sometimes doing the right thing feels like standing in the lunch line while everyone else is cutting in front of you. You think, “Why am I the only one following the rules?”
But Jesus says when you choose His way—even when it’s hard—you get joy that jumps. Like actual jump-up-and-down joy. The kind that makes your shoes squeak.
And guess what?
Every hero in the Bible had to pass a test before they got their story.
So when life feels tricky, just remember:
God is turning your test into a testimony, and your testimony into a superpower.
Keep-the-Tip
Joy is not the escape from the fire—it’s the proof that Christ walks in it with you.
Thanks Curt.