The Beatitudes Series: Part 8
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
By Marc Eskander
The sermon on the Mount remains, to this day, one of the most uplifting sources of inspiration for Christians around the world. Far be it from Christ to do anything by chance, the very mountain on which He stood first resembles the heights of His love.
As Christians, we all aspire to climb the mountain that is our spiritual life, for if we are not climbing higher, we know that we are falling backwards. We endure injuries, setbacks, trials, tribulations but we continue to climb higher. We “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:1).
The final beatitude says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake,” and again, its final position isn’t by chance with a promise that mirrors the first. The Beatitudes are widely regarded as the most concise summary of the spiritual life of Man. Each beatitude, a height of virtue that we climb. Why then, does Christ seal his sermon speaking about persecution, and furthermore, persecution for righteousness’ sake?
What makes persecution for righteousness’ sake different to other kinds of persecution? St Peter puts it very simply, “For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God” (1 Peter 2:20). The ultimate example of persecution for righteousness’ sake is in martyrdom – those that laid down their lives for the sake of Christ. But when we consider our own day to day lives, persecution for righteousness’ sake can still be emulated; we can still lay down our lives for the sake of Christ. For every, “why me?” or “this is so unfair” or “I don’t deserve this,” there is also an opportunity for us to lay down our will. Each of these moments, when given to Christ, takes us one step closer to persecution for righteousness’ sake.
In this life, we will have tribulation, Christian or not, righteous or not, but how we handle tribulation makes a world of difference. The Silent Patriarch by Fr Daniel Fanous gives a fascinating insight into the way that Pope Cyril VI embodied poverty of spirit and persecution, through his life of “kenotic ecclesiology.” While this book is a biography, it should be read as a guide for a life of asceticism, service and self-emptying. Pope Cyril undoubtedly led a near impossible revolution of the Coptic church in many aspects. It was done however, with little to no fanfare. One can see an echoing of Christ’s crucifixion – public and humiliating yet remaining in peaceful silence. While he enjoyed the glorious Resurrection in complete secrecy and humility.
Pope Cyril’s revolution was a reflection of his inner life. He was simple, yet determined to instil inner silence and peace. His very source of life was prayer. Prayer unceasing, well-fed by humility. Many times he would be heard berating himself, “the boy has become a Patriarch.” As a Pope, he would write to a future bishop, “I am very sad because I cannot achieve humility up until now…” The many years he spent as Fr Mina in prayerful solitude in various settings, whether the desert or the windmills of old Cairo, had ingrained in him a strong sense of “self -emptying”. It is through this self-emptying that the Lord came and made His home. As a Pope, his method of constant prayer, sacrificial love for his congregation, and commitment to silence attracted much criticism and negativity, yet beneath the surface was being wrought an inner revolution in the Coptic Church on a scale that would create boundless positive change.
In a teary recount, we read one of these instances; an instance of persecution for righteousness’ sake. There was a decision to move a certain priest against the wishes of his congregation who loved and adored him. For months on end, the Pope endured criticism in newspapers, protests, questioning of his judgement and much more…all with silence. When asked why later on, it was revealed the priest was guilty of financial misconduct within his parish. Had this been publicly revealed it would certainly have led to the demise and ill-repute of this priest. The Pope decided to reform and correct this priest quietly, while taking the backlash on himself, not saying a word. A move that would prove to restore this priest and correct him. At no point did Pope Cyril consider his own reputation but how he may restore the salvation of this priest.
We see that we have now come full circle of the beatitudes. The First Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” lists the same blessing as the last beatitude; the Kingdom of Heaven. There is a correlation between being poor in spirit and those that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Christ begins and ends the same for His ultimate will for our lives is to enter the Kingdom.
Poverty in spirit is the condition for those that gain the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the first rung on the ladder of virtues that Christ has invited us to climb. Why is it so crucial? To be poor in spirit is to begin to look inwards. It is to see our own helplessness, smallness and unworthiness before God. To begin to be poor in spirit requires humility. It requires accepting that with Christ we can neither be nor go anywhere. The closer we begin to draw to God, the more we realise how big the gulf is between us and Heaven.
By emptying ourselves and submitting our lives to Him, we begin to find ourselves in Him. If we were to find ourselves in another way, it would only lead to despair. For we are a creation made for the Creator. We cannot begin to attain mercy, peace, meekness, or mourning of spirit unless we empty all that is within us. As David the Psalmist says, “a broken and a contrite heart, these O God you will not despise.” Ps 51:17
Poor in spirit, when fully formed, will inevitably mean persecution for righteousness’ sake but having already attained poverty of spirit, the persecution no longer feels like persecution, but a loving encounter with our Father. Persecution for righteousness sake’ entails a higher spiritual level than to be persecuted when it is warranted. To be persecuted for your faith, your beliefs, when you are wronged because of no wrongdoing of your own – these are all ways in which we imitate the suffering of Christ and grow in compassion and love for both Christ and those around us.
This does not mean that we suffer abuse as a means of virtue, Christ never asked this of us. But to recognise that we are not our own, and any kind of blessing and abuse alike, is handed over to Christ. For the battle is not ours, but His. As St John Chrysostom says, “Scripture therefore does not mention the persons of the persecutors, but only the cause of persecution, that you may learn to look, not by whom, but why you suffer.”
When we look above the pain and the suffering and begin to look to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, we are reminded that the purpose of this life is much bigger than our present situation. As St Paul teaches us, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” – Hebrews 12:11.
We cannot forget the ultimate goal that Christ has prepared for those who love Him…
“For after your resurrection you shall begin to possess the earth delivered from death, and in that possession shall find comfort” – Ambrose of Milan