Luke 6:22-23 22Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and reject your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold your reward is great in heaven; for according to these things, their fathers did to the prophets.
The next beatitude is a difficult one to live out. It is challenging to see any blessing when people are against us. Luke’s fourth beatitude corresponds to Matthew 5:11-12. Jesus gives four scenarios of how his followers will be challenged by those who oppose the gospel. Hate (misēsōsin) is a strong word that indicates detest and hostility in attitude and sometimes in action towards another person. Jesus reminds us in John 3:20 that those who are evil and in darkness hate people of the light because they feel convicted and perhaps judged for their wickedness.
Exclude (aphorisōsin) can mean to expel, reject, or have nothing to do with another person. Many early Christians were cast out of synagogues and rejected by their Jewish communities. Rejection by family or those closest to us can be especially painful. We all like a sense of belonging, especially in cultures where there is a strong group sense. To be cast out, alone, and isolated can be painful and lead to the weeping of the previous beatitude.
To revile (oneidisōsin) means to mock, insult, and ridicule. People do this for many reasons, including a sense of superiority over someone or finding faults in another person. In the highly competitive world in which we live, people will insult others in order to make themselves look better or to move up the pecking order of importance and benefit. Christians can be especially vulnerable to ridicule from unbelievers who see them as roadblocks to doing whatever they want. This problem is similar to the previous one is that the darkness does not like the light.
To reject (ekbalsōsin) literally means to throw out or expel. The specific reason for the expulsion is because of your name, referring to the name we bear as believers in Jesus Christ. People of other religions see Christians as evil. The early Christians faced a lot of opposition from both Jews and Gentiles because of their claims about Jesus and the way they lived. We today should expect nothing less because we bear the name of Jesus. All four of these terms come because we have identified our lives with the Son of Man. We are his people. If the world hated Jesus, we should expect the same response.
In the midst of this persecution and rejection, we can experience the blessing of joy. The joy we can have is not simply a sense of peace inside but bursts forth in leaping, signifying our faith, confidence, and praise for God’s blessings and presence with us. In that day shows that that when the trial comes, right in its midst, is the time for rejoicing. The motivation is that we will get a great reward in heaven. This reward comes as a result of God’s blessing and grace and not because we can somehow make it through the trial on our own. Heaven is the place of God’s presence. To be with our Creator is beyond our comprehension and is the reward itself, not living in a mansion on a hilltop or walking on golden streets. The promise of eternal life free from pain, sorrow, and death is unimaginable, but many people have wondered and dreamed about it, including those who wrote the Bible. Enduring through trials and suffering is one of the key themes throughout the New Testament. We must not give in to the struggles and rejection we will face as followers of Jesus. We are in good company because the ancient prophets experienced the same rejection from their own people. When God’s kingdom breaks into this fallen world, it will both transform the world but also cause division because many people will reject the hope it offers. They would rather walk in the darkness of their own deception and self-satisfaction. Our hope is built not on our present experience but on the promises of God.
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