Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.”
By this point, people have been standing on this hillside in the sun for awhile as they have listened to Jesus. The morning breeze has died down, and sweat is forming on people’s faces and running down into their eyes. And now this group can scarcely believe their ears! Has Jesus just said what they think he’s said? “Jesus, what do you mean? The Romans are already mistreating us! Rich people are taking advantage of us! Hey, you village boy from Nazareth, don’t you think we are suffering enough? Do you really know what you are saying?”
Those listening to Jesus have heard the stories. Isaiah was sawn in two at the order of wicked King Manasseh. Jeremiah nearly drowned in a well full of muck. Zechariah ben Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:20–22): said to be of Jerusalem, he was killed by Jehoash near the altar of the Temple. He was buried near his father Jehoiada. After his death, the priests of the Temple could no more, as before, see the apparitions of the angels of the Lord, nor could make divinations with the Ephod, nor give responses from the Debir. The prophet Amos is said to have been killed by the son of Amaziah, priest of Bethel. In all, at least six Old Testament prophets were said to have been murdered. (wikipedia.org
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Lives_of_the_Prophets
Jesus pauses while his audience adjusts to the shock of his statement, listening to the murmurs of disbelief from his audience. If anybody has fallen asleep, the reaction of their neighbors will certainly arouse them! First, nobody wants to suffer if at all possible. Second, what does Jesus mean when he says that they might be persecuted because of him? Isn’t Jesus simply the son of Joseph, the carpenter from Nazareth? Where does Jesus get off flaunting such authority? And yet….
And yet, when Jesus is speaking, people feel as if they are hearing directly from God. That Voice that has spoken at midnight, that Voice that has comforted in the midst of catastrophe, that Voice that has calmed fears when nothing else can-When Jesus is speaking, those who believe recognize that Voice as the Voice of God and they long to hear it again and again. Observant rabbis who have yearned for God’s presence are standing with tears streaming down their faces. Grizzled working men, haggard village women who have known nothing but hard work and struggle all their lives are also in tears. When Jesus is speaking, those who have passionately desired to experience God’s presence KNOW that Jesus is telling them the truth and that He is God’s messenger. And they also KNOW that God loves them and that He truly longs to bless them, just as they long for His presence.
Thousands of years later, a believer will write a hymn that expresses the feelings of those people on that hillside.
In fancy I stood by the shore, one day, of the beautiful murm’ring sea;
I saw the great crowds as they thronged the way of the Stranger of Galilee;
I saw how the man who was blind from birth, In a moment was made to see;
The lame was made whole by the matchless skill of the Stranger of Galilee.
I heard Him speak peace to the angry waves, of that turbulent, raging sea;
And lo! at His word are the waters stilled, this Stranger of Galilee;
A peaceful, a quiet, and holy calm, now and ever abides with me;
He holdeth my life in His mighty hands, this Stranger of Galilee.
And I felt I could love Him forever, so gracious and tender was He!
I claimed Him that day as my Savior, this Stranger of Galilee.”
That love you have missed all your life, that blessing you have longed for, that healing your soul needs-Jesus is still blessing and healing and giving his Heavenly Father’s love and blessings freely. Let’s pray.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we long for Your touch on our lives. We beg You to look on our struggles, to heal us and to bless us. We know that we are sinners and that no good we can do is enough to make up for our sins. But we also know that Jesus has already sacrificed His life on Calvary so that we might be forgiven. Please forgive us and help us to trust only in You for salvation. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
(For the full lyrics and a wonderful story about the writer of this hymn, go to https://hymnary.org/text/in_fancy_i_stood_by_the_shore The lady who wrote these lyrics went blind at age 52 and her family built her a 28-foot blackboard so that she could continue to write nearly 1000 hymn lyrics and tunes.)
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