Today’s author is Prince of Peace member Scott Tunseth.
Yesterday, my sermon focused on the Old Testament story of Joseph, who was accused wrongly by Potiphar’s wife and tossed in jail. I did not touch on the Gospel lesson at all, but the connections to the Joseph story are clear. The words are from the Beatitudes taught by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:
“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.” (Matthew 5:11-12)
In this final “Blessed are” statement from the Beatitudes, Jesus was projecting the future—his own and those of many of his disciples and followers. Jesus’ future would be fraught with false accusations against him and the ultimate persecution, his death on a cross. His reward for doing God’s will was death. Through his death the path to eternal life was opened for us all. Blessed, so blessed, are we!
Many of Jesus’ own disciples likely suffered similar persecutions and death. I say “likely” because the death of only two disciples is recorded in the Bible: Judas by suicide and James, executed by the sword around AD 44 by order of King Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1–2). Church tradition suggests the martyr deaths of several of the disciples in a number of gruesome ways and in many different countries. These are interesting stories that may have merit, but are not easy to prove.
History is clear that the followers of Jesus did face persecution under various Roman emperors and at the hands of other authorities. Christians throughout the ages have faced persecution and death at the hands of enemies. The Vatican News recently reported that about 388 million Christians still face significant threats of persecution in the world, according to the Open Doors World Watch List (2026). Living where we do in a country that (mostly) supports freedom of religion, it’s difficult to imagine what it feels like to be persecuted because we follow Jesus. I can’t say I have ever faced persecution because of my Christian belief. At most, I may have had an uncomfortable conversation here and there, but feeling threatened, not at all.
I’m not looking to be a martyr, and martyrdom is certainly not a prerequisite for a heavenly reward. Still, Jesus’ words about persecution for his sake disturb my comfortable life, my easy access to worship, my safe faith. They cause me to stop and ponder what his sacrifice meant for me and what may be “sacrificed” in my life for the sake of the gospel.
God of faithfulness, you bless those who are persecuted. Strengthen those who suffer for the sake of the gospel. Be with those who are wrongly accused, imprisoned, or face death simply because they bravely lay claim to the Christian faith. Amen.