Blessed Are You

OT Lesson: Jeremiah 38:1-13 (CEB)

Shephatiah, Mattan’s son; Gedaliah, Pashhur’s son; Jucal, Shelemiah’s son; and Pashhur, Malchiah’s son heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people: The Lord proclaims: Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and disease. But whoever surrenders to the Babylonians will live; yes, their lives will be spared. The Lord proclaims: This city will certainly be handed over to the army of Babylon’s king, who will capture it.

Then the officials said to the king: “This man must be put to death! By saying such things, he is discouraging the few remaining troops left in the city, as well as all the people. This man doesn’t seek their welfare but their ruin!”

“He’s in your hands,” King Zedekiah said, “for the king can do nothing to stop you.” So they seized Jeremiah, threw him into the cistern of the royal prince Malchiah, within the prison quarters, and lowered him down by ropes. Now there wasn’t any water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah began to sink into the mud.

Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, got word that they had thrown Jeremiah into the cistern. Since the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-melech left the palace and said to the king: “My master the king, these men have made a terrible mistake in treating the prophet Jeremiah the way they have; they have thrown him into the cistern where he will die of starvation, for there’s no bread left in the city.”

Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here and take Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” So Ebed-melech took the men and returned to the palace, to an underground supply room, where he found some old rags and scraps of clothing.

Ebed-melech lowered them down the cistern by the ropes and called to Jeremiah, “Put these old rags and scraps of clothing under your arms and hold on to the ropes.” When Jeremiah did this, they pulled him up by the ropes and got him out of the cistern. After that Jeremiah remained in the prison quarters.

NT Lesson: Matthew 5:11-12 (NRSV)

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the beautiful weather last week. Samuel made the most of it, enjoying the splash pads before it gets too cold for water play. On Friday, we took a trip to the Boone County Fairgrounds for the “Back to the Fifties” event. Speaking of Friday, it was also Friday the 13th—did anything strange happen to you? For me, I encountered a bacon-topped doughnut. Now, you all know my love for bacon and doughnuts, but together? That was a bit too much for me! I couldn’t muster the courage to try it, but if anyone’s feeling adventurous, you can head over to Titus Bakery and give it a go.

Who Is the Most Important Person to You?

Recently, I watched a few short videos by Michael Yo Simmons, a stand-up comedian who refers to himself as a “Blaisan”—a blend of Black and Asian, as his father is African American and his mother is Korean. In one of his routines, he talks about the difference between having a son and a daughter, sharing memories from when his children were born. When the doctor handed him his infant son for the first time, Michael said he felt like he “would die for his son.” A few years later, when his daughter was born and placed in his arms, he felt a very different instinct: “I would kill for her.” Then, with a humorous twist, he added, “I’ll never kill for my wife—that’s her father’s job.”

According to Michael, his daughter is clearly the most important person in his world, followed by his son but not closely. His wife and parents, as he jokes, rank a bit lower. Now, I can’t fully relate to his joke because I don’t have a daughter. But I do have a son, and I can certainly say I feel like I would die for him. So, I guess his joke holds some truth for me! But let me ask you—who is the most important person to you? You may have different answers, but your answer should be “you.” Does that sound selfish? Maybe at first glance, but let’s think about it a little deeper.

Imagine you’re on a flight with your toddler, 40,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, something goes wrong, and the plane becomes unstable. Oxygen masks drop from the overhead compartments. As a loving parent, your first instinct is probably to put the mask on your child, right? After all, you want to make sure they survive, even if it means sacrificing yourself. But what do the flight attendants or the safety video always tell us before take-off? They remind us that we need to put on our own oxygen mask first, before helping anyone else, including our children. Is the FAA telling us to be selfish, to let our children suffer so we can save ourselves? Not at all. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Without your ability to stay alert and conscious, you wouldn’t be able to help your child at all. The safety instruction teaches us that in order to care for others, we must first take care of ourselves.

This principle reminds me of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 18, where God says that “all nations on earth will be blessed through you.” When you are blessed, those around you can also be blessed. In the same way, when you ensure your own survival on that air plane, you make it possible for your child to survive as well. We often think that being selfless means giving everything away, but sometimes, being a little “selfish” is necessary to ensure that we have the strength to help others. In other words, we need to be selfish to be ultimately selfless.

“You” Is the Centre of the Beatitudes

In this light, I am so grateful that Jesus, in the final blessing of the Beatitudes, says, “Blessed are you.” This blessing is powerful because everything is only meaningful when it applies to us. Think about it—if the whole world were saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ, but I were not, what would it mean for me? The blood of Jesus would seem distant, unrelated to my life. If everyone else were blessed by the Word of God except me, then the entire Bible would feel empty, having no significance for me. It is only when I am blessed by the Word of God, only when I am saved by the blood of Christ, that it becomes real and personal.

There’s a joke that asks, “What do you call cheese that you didn’t buy?” The answer: “Nacho cheese.” In other words, if it’s not your cheese, it means nothing to you—you can’t eat it. The same goes for blessings. If they are not your blessings, they’re just “nacho” blessings. You can’t benefit from them.

Throughout the Beatitudes, Jesus says, “Blessed are they.” And while it’s great to hear about others being blessed, we might find ourselves thinking, “Good for them—but what does that mean for me?” These blessings can feel distant or abstract when they don’t seem personal. But then, at the end, Jesus turns to us and says, “Blessed are you,” and suddenly, everything changes. The Beatitudes come alive because now these blessings are for us—they are for you and for me.

With this final blessing, all the others find their meaning for us. Therefore Jesus teaches us today, “Blessed are you who are poor in spirit, for yours is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you who mourn, for you will be comforted. Blessed are you who are meek, for you will inherit the earth. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who are merciful, for you will receive mercy. Blessed are you who are pure in heart, for you will see God. Blessed are you, the peacemakers, for you will be called children of God. Blessed are you who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.”

Lot Was Saved Because of Abraham

As I mentioned earlier, God promised that all nations would be blessed through Abraham. One clear example of this is seen in the story of Lot. Lot wasn’t particularly evil, nor was he exceptionally righteous. He was simply one of the many residents of the city of Sodom, destined to be destroyed along with everyone else when God brought judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. There was nothing that Lot did on his own to deserve salvation from that destruction.

You might think that Lot welcomed the angels who came to rescue him, but if we look closely, that was after God had already made the decision to save him. The angels didn’t save Lot because he found them and invited them into his home; rather, they found him and came with the purpose of delivering him. Genesis 19:29 (NIV) tells us, “So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.”

Lot and his daughters were saved not because of anything special they had done, but because Lot was Abraham’s relative. Lot’s salvation came through Abraham—because Abraham was blessed, those close to him were blessed as well.

Some of you might be worried about children or grandchildren who are not part of the faith or don’t attend church. But forcefully dragging them to church is not the solution. Instead, pray for them persistently and focus on receiving God’s blessing in your own life, just as Abraham did. When you are blessed, that blessing can extend to them.

Think of St. Augustine, who rejected Christ and lived a life far from what would be considered godly. Yet, his mother, St. Monica, prayed for him without ceasing. Eventually, God led Augustine to faith in Jesus Christ, and he went on to become one of the greatest theologians in Christian history. His mother’s faith and perseverance in prayer were instrumental in his journey to Christ.

Can We Be Blessed without Persecution

Now, let’s return to the homework I gave you last week. I asked you to reflect on Jesus’ words, “Blessed are those who are persecuted.” But here’s the thing—clearly, we are not persecuted in this wonderful country where freedom of religion is protected and guaranteed. None of us have been thrown into prison for believing in Jesus, nor have we been arrested by the sheriff for coming to church.

In the Bible, we see many examples of persecution, such as in today’s Old Testament lesson where Jeremiah was thrown into a well full of mud, sinking deep because of his prophetic message. Even now, there are Christians who experience this kind of persecution. In regions dominated by Islamic rule, Christians face severe oppression. In nations under dictatorship, believers are also persecuted for their faith. Take North Korea, for example. No missionaries are allowed in, yet somehow there are still Christians. They don’t even have access to a full Bible—just a few pages of the Gospels—but they gather secretly, and their faith runs deep. If caught, they are tortured mercilessly. And yet, many of them choose to endure those tortures rather than deny Jesus. In many parts of the world, missionaries also face great danger, working under the constant threat of violence. Even in today’s world, countless Christians are persecuted for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Gospel. I can confidently say that these Christians are absolutely blessed, just as Jesus said. But what about us? None of us are tortured or imprisoned because of our faith. So, if we are not persecuted in the same way, does that mean we are not blessed? Are we blessed or not?

Other Kinds of Persecutions

Don’t worry—this doesn’t mean we can only be blessed if we experience physical persecution. There are many forms of persecution, not all of which involve physical suffering. Today, Jesus says in the NRSV, “Blessed are you when people revile you.” Other translations use the word “insult.” When people insult us because of our faith in Jesus, that too is a form of persecution. When we are mocked or made fun of because of our belief in Christ, that is persecution as well. So, even in a country where religious freedom is protected, persecution is still present in more subtle ways. It happens when people ridicule us for praying, when they scoff at us for believing in the Creator God or for trusting in the Bible. In those moments, we may not face physical harm, but we are still being persecuted for our faith.

And how should we respond? Jesus tells us to rejoice and be glad! Rather than avoiding persecution, we should embrace it. When we feel tempted to be ashamed of our faith or to hide it, we are, in a sense, avoiding persecution. But Jesus encourages us not to shrink back from these challenges.

I want to share a few personal examples of how this plays out. When I was in middle school, I wasn’t a Christian yet, but I remember one day in seventh grade, one of my atheist teachers ridiculed religion, especially Christianity. He then asked the class, “Are there any students here who are stupid enough to be Christians? Raise your hand if you’re a church-going dumb ass. I am gonna kick your ass.” Out of at least thirty Christians in the class—including two pastor’s kids—only two students raised their hands. The rest stayed silent, too ashamed to stand up for their faith. Those two students faced persecution while others avoided it.

Even here in America, where religious freedom is valued, I’ve seen similar situations. A few years ago, I travelled overseas with a group of pastors. When we reached immigration, we were asked about our occupations. I told the officer that I am a Presbyterian pastor. But later, I overheard one of the other pastors answering the same question and saying that he was a “motivational speaker.” I was shocked—how could a pastor hide his identity and be ashamed of his calling just because we were in a country that wasn’t predominantly Christian?

Not to boast, but I faced my own trial during my time in the army. I wore a small cross on my dog tag, and a few of my superiors didn’t like it. They told me to take it off and even beat me daily because of it. But I kept wearing that cross because I wasn’t ashamed of my faith. The Apostle Paul gives us a powerful example of this kind of boldness. In his letter to the Romans, he declares, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Let us hold to that same courage in our own lives, never ashamed of the gospel, no matter what form of persecution we may face.

Conclusion

Friends, even in this wonderful country, we may still face persecutions, though they might not look the same as those we read about in the Bible or hear about in other parts of the world. Yet, when we encounter these challenges to our faith—when people mock or ridicule us—we are truly blessed. Jesus reminds us to rejoice and be glad, for in those moments, we are sharing in His own persecution.

At the same time, let us not forget the many Christians and missionaries around the world who endure physical persecution—imprisonment, torture, and even death for the sake of the Gospel. By supporting them through our prayers and offerings, we are joining in their struggles, just as the early Christians supported the Apostle Paul in his times of trial. One way we can do this is through the PCUSA Special Offering of Peace and Global Witness. By giving and praying, we take part in their mission and stand in solidarity with them in their persecution.

Finally, let us be bold and courageous in our faith every day. As we go forth into the world, may we hold fast to God’s command to Joshua, which speaks to us today as well: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Amen.