Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

Why would I be rejoicing and leaping for joy when I am hated, excluded, insulted, and rejected as evil, because of Jesus? This sounds like a masochist. But there is a principle here hidden under the surface that makes more sense.

Imagine with me a father and mother. They watch their children grow up, learn to make their own choices, love well, and be hurt sometimes. And they are there to help them, but not take away all of their challenges in life. As their children mature, they are time-tested through trials and are dependable and helpful to others in life. They pass on these skills which were handed down to them from their parents. And they experience the rewards of service to others.

I think the point that Jesus is trying to make is that we are to future-cast the hope we have in him. When in trials of various kinds, we can be joyful because: 1) we will get to see God provide in big God-like ways down the road, 2) we get to move closer to him as we seek his comfort and provision during the trials, 3) God our Father will reward his faithful servants who stood up under persecution and trials, and 4) we get to carry on the sufferings of Jesus and all the Saints before us. We get to proclaim the good news while we suffer and make a bigger impact on a fallen world, and hopefully save more from evil and into the light of righteousness.

Oh, I pray for you, my friends, that you will drink frequently and often from the river of life, that is relationship with Jesus, in the midst of your trials. I love this passage in Psalms: “For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” (Psalms‬ ‭95‬:‭3‬-‭7a‬‬‬)

So, seek the shelter of the Great Shepherd today and worship and praise him in the storm!
Lord, thank you that you are close by in the trials of life. I rejoice in you that I have the honor to bear your banner into the spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and societal battles of this life. You go before me and I see in the long run you win and I get rewarded, so I am excited and rejoice! Teach me to be a frequent visitor to your quarters!