Matthew 5:11

Mat_5:11

For My sake.

For My sake

The supreme and commanding claims implied. Endeavour to understand the meaning of the words, for my sake. All intelligent creatures act from some consideration or other-for the sake of something. At the root of the life we are living there is a strong and dominant reason; or, if not one, several that sway us in turn. Motive in every action-money, pleasure, etc., regard for others. So that the principle which is contained in the text is by no means new or exceptional, but is as old and as wide as the world. Comes before us in its highest and most glorious application. The claims involved. We have, then, here-

I. A person. A unique person.

III. A unique person who claims to be Lord of our life. What are we to do for the sake of Christ? To labour and suffer. (Dr. Mellor.)

For My sake.

1. There is a self-assertion here, which is justified by the character and position of the speaker.

2. All beings capable of love and hatred must, if placed together, act with direct regard to each other, and they will do many things for each others sake.

I. What is the nature of Jesus claims?

1. Jesus claims work for His sake.

2. We owe to Jesus Christ patient endurance of suffering for His sake.

3. Jesus claims cheerful and generous gifts for His sake.

4. Jesus claims attachment to life, with a readiness to die, for His sake.

5. Jesus claims the devotion of ourselves to Him.

II. Some of the means by which we may stir up ourselves to recognize these claims more cordially.

1. Distinct ideas of the person of Christ are essential to our being moved by considerations which originate in Himself.

2. Frequent meditation upon the service He has rendered.

3. In order to this we need the communion of the Holy Ghost. (S. Martin, D,D.)

The words bring before us the relation of the Christian to his living and loving Lord.

I. Let us seek clearer views of the influence of Christian motive. Christ has certain peculiar and special claims on us. There is the authority of His Godhead. The love of His incarnation and death.

II. Let us get a juster estimate of its range.

1. It bears on our efforts after personal holiness.

2. On the Christians work for others.

3. It extends to the enduring of suffering for conscience sake.

4. It applies to the sacrifices we are required to make. This principle possesses a testing power to reveal whether or not we are what we profess to be as followers of Christ. (Dr. W. M. Taylor.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 5:11-12. Blessed are ye — My true and faithful followers, when men shall revile you — Shall unjustly and injuriously reproach you; and say all manner of evil against you falsely — This both the Jews and heathen did with respect to the first Christians, and this the Papists have done with regard to the Protestants: for my sake — Because you believe in, love, obey, and follow me. Rejoice, &c. — Let not this load of infamy and oppression discourage and cast you down, but rather rejoice and be exceeding glad, or, exult with triumph, as the original word, αγαλλιασθε, may be properly rendered. For great is your reward in heaven — Such a patient and cheerful suffering of persecution for Christ in this life, will certainly be rewarded with the glory and blessedness of the life to come. The reward, however, will not be of debt, but of grace; for our light and momentary afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the eternal and exceeding weight of glory. For so persecuted they the prophets, &c. — Who, long before your time, were the messengers of God to this very people. Indeed, persecution has been the portion and the proof of the most eminent saints in all ages.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 5:11. Ὀνειδίσωσιν, shall revile) sc. in your presence: understand ἀνθρώποι, men. They inflict insult by words, persecution in fact.—ὑμᾶς, you) Jesus speaks sometimes in the first person plural of Himself, and mankind, taken collectively, when the matter treated of is one plainly external (see Joh 11:7), or when He speaks as one unknown (see ch. Mat 3:15, Joh 4:22); but mostly uses the second person, to signify that He is not on a par with others. See Mat 5:12-13; Mat 5:20; Joh 6:49; Joh 10:34; Joh 14:9; Joh 20:17.—εἴπωσι, shall say) sc. in your absence.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_5:11-12. Comp. Isa_51:7 ff. Application of Mat_5:10 to the disciples. To explain ὀνειδίζειν, to make reproaches (Wurm, Dinarch. p. 77), and διώκειν (comp. 1Co_4:12), with Beza, Raphel, and Wolf, of indignities and accusations before the court, is an unwarrantable limitation. The whole of the hostility which is to assail His disciples stands even now before the soul of the Lord, and He prepares them for it; there is accordingly no reason to see in Mat_5:10-12 an addition by the evangelist (Hilgenfeld).

The ψευδόμενοι, which is to be defended as genuine (see the critical remarks), easily and appropriately connects itself with καθʼ ὑμῶν, so that the latter forms with ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ an emphatic correlative; the whole participial definition, however, from εἴπωσι to ῥῆμα, is appended as a statement of modality, in their speaking falsely against you for my sakethat is, because you belong to me, which is their motive for making lying statements against you. On ψεύδεσθαι with κατά, contra, comp. Jam_3:14; often thus amongst Greek writers.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 5:11 . μακάριοί ἐστε . The Teacher expatiates as if it were a favourite theme, giving a personal turn to His further reflections “Blessed are ye.” Is it likely that Jesus would speak so early of this topic to disciples? Would He not wait till it came more nearly within the range of their experience? Nay, is the whole discourse about persecution not a reflection back into the teaching of the Master of the later experiences of the apostolic age, that suffering disciples might be inspired by the thought that their Lord had so spoken? It is possible to be too incredulous here. If it was not too soon to speak of Pharisaic righteousness it was not too soon to speak of suffering for true righteousness. The one was sure to give rise to the other. The disciples may already have had experience of Pharisaic disfavour (Mar 2:3 ). In any case Jesus saw clearly what was coming. He had had an apocalypse of the dark future in the season of temptation, and He deemed it fitting to lift the veil a little that His disciples might get a glimpse of it. ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν … ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ : illustrative details pointing to persistent relentless persecution by word and deed, culminating in wilful, malicious, lying imputations of the grossest sort πᾶν πονηρὸν , every conceivable calumny ψευδόμενοι , lying: not merely in the sense that the statements are false, but in the sense of deliberately inventing the most improbable lies; their only excuse being that violent prejudice leads the calumniators to think nothing too evil to be believed against the objects of their malice. ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ : for Him who has undertaken to make you fishers of men. Do you repent following Him? No reason why.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you--or abuse you to your face, in opposition to backbiting. (See Mar 15:32).

and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake--Observe this. He had before said, "for righteousness' sake." Here He identifies Himself and His cause with that of righteousness, binding up the cause of righteousness in the world with the reception of Himself. Would Moses, or David, or Isaiah, or Paul have so expressed themselves? Never. Doubtless they suffered for righteousness' sake. But to have called this "their sake," would, as every one feels, have been very unbecoming. Whereas He that speaks, being Righteousness incarnate (see Mar 1:24; Act 3:14; Rev 3:7), when He so speaks, speaks only like Himself.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 11. When men shall revile you, and persecute] The persecution mentioned in the preceding verse comprehends all outward acts of violence - all that the hand can do. This comprehends all calumny, slander, &c., all that the tongue can effect. But as διωκειν, which we render to persecute, is a forensic term, and signifies legal persecutions and public accusations, which, though totally unsubstantiated, were the means of destroying multitudes of the primitive Christians, our Lord probably refers to such. No Protestant can think, without horror, of the great numbers burnt alive in this country, on such accusations, under the popish reign of her who is emphatically called Bloody Queen Mary.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(11) Blessed are ye.—Here, for the first time, the beatitude is uttered, not as a general law, but as the portion of the listening disciples to whom the Teacher spoke. The words contain three forms, hardly three successive grades, of suffering: (1) the vague contempt. showing itself in gibes and nicknames; (2) persecution generally; (3) deliberate calumnies, such as those of the foul orgies and Thyesteian banquets, which were spread against the believers in Christ in the first two centuries.

Falsely.—The word is absent from the best MSS., and was probably added as a safeguard against the thought that a man might claim the reward of the persecuted, even if really guilty of the crimes laid against him.

For my sake.—Here, again, there is a more emphatic personal directness. For the abstract “righteousness” we have “for my sake.” He forewarns His disciples that they must expect persecution if they follow Him; His very name will be the signal and occasion of it (Act_14:22; 2Ti_3:12).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you,.... These words are particularly directed to the disciples of Christ, and are designed to inform them, that they should not be exempted from reproach and persecution, and to animate and fortify them against it; and are prophetical of what they, and the first Christians particularly, were to endure for Christ's sake. Men should "revile" them, speak very reproachfully of them, brand them with infamy, and load them with disgrace; and

persecute you from place to place, by ill usage of all sorts;

and shall say all manner of evil against you: the worst things they could think of and invent, and all of them; such as that they were seditious persons, enemies to the commonwealth, and the public good, guilty of sacrilege, incest, and murder but what would serve to relieve them under these heavy charges is, that they were "falsely" laid; there was not a word of truth in them; wherefore their own hearts would not reproach them; but all were the malicious lies of men, invented on purpose to bring them and Christianity into disgrace: and that they were brought against "them for Christ's sake", for his name's sake, for the sake of his Gospel and interest: the treatment they meet with is on his account, and the same that he himself met with; the like reproaches fell on him, which will be all wiped off from him and them another day; when they will appear to be the blessed persons, and their revilers and persecutors the unhappy ones. The Jews have some sayings not unlike these, and which may serve to illustrate them:

"ajal aht alw ajwl aht, "be thou cursed", or bearing curses, but do not curse (g). The gloss upon it is, it is better to be one of them that are cursed, than to be of them that curse; for, at the end, the curse causeless returns to him that curseth.''

Again (h),

"for ever let a man be of them that are persecuted, and not of them that persecute; of them that suffer injury, and not of them that do it.''

Once more (i),

"they that suffer injury, and do it not; who hear reproach, and do not return it; who act from love, and rejoice in chastisements, of them the Scripture says, "let them that love him", &c. Jdg 5:31.''

(g) T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 49. 1. (h) T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 93. 1. Maimon. Hilch. Deyot. c. 5. sect. 13. (i) T. Bab. Sabbat. fol. 88. 2. Yoma, fol. 23. 1. & Gittin, fol. 36. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Ver. 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake] There are tongue-smiters, as well as hand-smiters; such as malign and molest God’s dearest children, as well with their virulent tongues as violent hands: "Such as will revile you," saith our Saviour, twit and upbraid you with your profession, bit you in the teeth with your God (as they dealt by David, and that went as a murdering weapon to his soul), and lay your preciseness and conscientiousness in your dish. This is the force of the first word. (Basil εις τους μαρτυρας ονειδισωσιν, Psa 2:10) Further, "they shall persecute you," eagerly pursue and follow you hot-foot, as the hunter doth his prey. (Διωκειν est more venatorum persequi proedam. Aretius.) The word betokeneth a keen and eager pursuit of any other, whether by law or by the sword, whether by word or deed. For scoffers also are persecutors, as Ishmael, Gal 4:29, and for such shall be arraigned, Jdg 1:15. And cruel mockings and scourgings are set together by the author to the Hebrews, as much of a kind, Heb 11:36; especially when (as it follows in the text) they "shall say all manner of evil against you," call you all to pieces, and think the worst word in their bellies too good for you. This is collateral blasphemy, blasphemy in the second table, and so it is often called in the New Testament. God, for the honour he beareth to his people, is pleased to afford the name of blasphemy to their reproaches, as importing that he taketh it as if himself were reproached, Eph 4:31; Tit 3:2; Col 3:8; 1Pe 4:4; 2Pe 2:10. Thus the Israelites were of old called by the profane heathens, Apellae ( Credat Iudaeus Apella. Hor.), and Asinarii, as if they worshipped a golden asshead, and in derision of their circumcision; as afterward they called the primitive Christians, murderers, church robbers, incestuous, traitors to the state, &c.; and if inundations, famine, or other public calamities occured, they presently cried out, Christianos ad leones. To the Lions Christians. (Tertul. Apolog. Si Tiberis ascendit, si terra movit, si fames, si lues.) So, in after times, the Arians called the orthodox Christians, Ambrosians, Athanasians, Homousians, what not? The pseudo-catholics, "speaking evil of that which they knew not," Jdg 1:10, disgraced the professors of the truth by the names of Wyclevists, Waldenses, Huguenots, poor men of Lyons, &c. Thus of old, as of late, Heretics, New-Gospellers, Puritans, all manner of evil they speak against us, but "falsely," that is our comfort; not earing what they speak, nor whereof they affirm, so they may promote their catholic cause and the devil’s kingdom, which as it began in a lie, so by lies do they maintain it. A friar a liar, was anciently a sound argument in any man’s mouth (saith Thomas Walsingham), tenens tam de forma, quam de materia. Hic est frater, ergo mendax; sicut et illud, Hoc est album, ergo coloratum. But the Jesuits have won the whetstone from all that went before them, for frontals and prodigious lies and slanders. Eudaemon Joannes, that demoniac, blusheth not to affirm that these are our decrees and doctrines, that no God is to be worshipped, that we must shape our religion according to the times, that gain is godliness, that we may make the public cause a pretence to our private lusts, that a man may break his word whensoever he thinketh good, cover his hatred with fair flatteries, confirm tyranny by shedding innocent blood. Salmeron the Jesuit hath published to the world in his Comment upon the Gospels, that the Lutherans now make fornication to be no sin at all. And a little before the massacre of Paris, the monks slanderously reported that the Huguenots met together for no other purpose than that (after they had fed themselves to the full) they might put out the lights and go together promiscuously, as brute beasts. Cenalis, Bishop of Auranches, wrote against the congregations of Christians at Paris, defending impudently that their assemblies were to maintain whoredom. The lives of Calvin and Beza were (at the request of the Popish side) written by Bolsecus, a renagde friar, their sworn enemy; and though so many lines, so many lies, yet are they in all their writings alleged as canonical. (Acts and Mon.) Wycliffe disallowed the invocation of saints, whom he called servants, not gods. For the word knave, which he used, signified in those days a child or a servant; not as it doth in our days, a wicked varlet, {a} as his enemies maliciously interpret it; -Bellarmine for one, a man utterly ignorant of the English tongue. (Genebrard basely reporteth that Luther and Bucer died of drunkenness.) Hereupon the people are taught to believe that the Protestants are blasphemers of God and all his saints; that in England churches are turned into stables, the people are grown barbarous, and eat young children; that they are as black as devils, ever since they were blasted and thunderstruck with the pope’s excommunication ( contraxisse amorem diabolicum, Prid.); that Geneva is a professed sanctuary of roguery, &c.; that the fall of Blackfriars (where besides a hundred of his hearers slain, Drury the priest had his sermon and brains knocked out of his head together) was caused by the Puritans, who had secretly sawed in two the beams and other timber. With like honesty they would have fathered the Gunpowder Plot upon the Puritans, by their proclamations, which they had ready to be sent abroad immediately, had Fawkes but fired the powder. And a certian Spanish author hath taken the boldness, since, to aver that they were the authors of that hellish conspiracy. Puritanos eosdem tradit coniurationis sulphurariae authores fuisse. (Author quidam Hispanicus, Dr Prideaux.) There is a book recently published, and commonly sold in Italy and France, containing a relation of God’s judgments shown on a sort of Protestant heretics by the fall of a house in Blackfriars, London, in which they were assembled to hear a Geneva lecture, October 26, 1623. And Dr Weston doubted not to make his boasts to a nobleman of England, that at the recent conference and disputation between Fisher and Featly (with certain others of both sides), our doctors were confounded, and theirs trimuphed and had the day; insomuch that two earls and a hundred others were converted to the Roman Carbolic faith. Whereas he, to whom this tale was told, was himself one of the two earls, continuing sound and orthodox, and knew full well that there were not a hundred Papists and Protestants (taken together) present at that disputation. But this was one of their piae fraudes, holy deceits, doubtless; much like their legend of miracles of their saints, which the Jesuit confessed to myself, saith Dr Prideaux, to be for the most part false and foolish; but it was made for good intention; and that it was lawful and meritorious to lie and write such things, to the end the common people might with greater zeal serve God and his saints. (Spanish Pilg.) So long since, because freedom of speech was used by the Waldenses, in blaming and reproving the dissolute life and debauched manners of the Popish clergy, Plures nefariae affingebantur iis opiniones, a quibus omnino fuerant alieni, saith Girardus: they were cried out upon for odious heretics and apostates. Manichees they were said to be, and to make two first beginnings of things, viz. God and the devil. (Field of the Church.) And why? because they preached and maintained that the emperor depended not upon the pope. Moreover, they were Arians too, and denied Christ to be the Son of God, because, forsooth, they denied a crust to be transubstantiated into Christ, as one speaketh, Crustam in Christum fuisse transubstantiatam. But blessed be God, that although they have in all ages spoken all manner of evil against us, yet they have done it falsely, and for Christ’s sake; wherefore we may take up their books written against us, and "wear them as a crown." "Do well and bear it, is written upon heaven’s gates," said that martyr, Bradford. "Christ himself," saith Father Latimer, "was misreported, and falsely accused, both as touching his words and meaning also." Count it not strange to be traduced, disgraced, scandalized. Austere John hath a devil; sociable Christ is a wine bibber, and the scribes and Pharisees (whose words carry such credit) say as much. Contra sycophantae morsum non est remedinm. It is but a vain persuasion for any child of God to think, by any discretion, wholly to still the clamours and hates of wicked men, who when they think well, will learn to report well. In the mean time, let our lives give them the lie-confute them by a real apology.

{a} A person of a low, mean, or knavish disposition; a knave, rogue, rascal. ŒD

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you - Reproach you; call you by evil and contemptuous names; ridicule you because you are Christians. Thus, they said of Jesus that he was a Samaritan and had a devil Joh 8:48; that he was mad Joh 10:20; and thus they reviled and mocked him on the cross, Mat 27:39-44. But, being reviled, he reviled not again 1Pe 2:23; and thus being reviled, we should bless 1Co 4:12; and thus, though the contempt of the world is not in itself desirable, yet it is blessed to tread in the footsteps of Jesus, to imitate his example, and even to suffer for his sake, Phi 1:29.

All manner of evil against you falsely - An emphasis should be laid on the word falsely in this passage. It is not blessed to have evil spoken of us if we deserve it; but if we deserve it not, then we should not consider it as a calamity. We should take it patiently, and show how much the Christian, under the consciousness of innocence, can bear, 1Pe 3:13-18.

For my sake - Because you are attached to me; because you are Christians. We are not to seek such things. We are not to do things to offend others; to treat them harshly or unkindly, and. to court revilings. We are not to say or do things, though they may be on the subject of religion, designed to disgust or offend. But if, in the faithful endeavor to be Christians, we are reviled, as our Master was, then we are to take it with patience, and to remember that thousands before us have been treated in like manner. When thus reviled or persecuted, we are to be meek, patient, humble; not angry; not reviling again; but endeavoring to do good to our persecutors and slanderers, 2Ti 2:24-25. In this way many have been convinced of the power and excellence of that religion which they were persecuting and reviling. They have seen that nothing else but Christianity could impart such patience and meekness to the persecuted; and have, by this means, been constrained to submit themselves to the gospel of Jesus. Long since it became a proverb, “that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Reviling and speaking evil of persons falsely, because of their profession of Christ, and because they dare not sin against God, is a species of persecution, Gen 21:9; Gal 4:29, though the lowest degree of it. It hath been the constant lot of God’s servants. David said, Psa 35:11, that false witnesses did rise up, and laid to his charge things that he knew not. Thus John and Christ were served, Mat 11:18,19; Lu 7:33,34; nor is it to be wondered that those whose consciences are so seared that they cannot feel the guilt of persecuting others for righteousness’ sake, should not feel the guilt of lying and false swearing. But, saith our Saviour, you are blessed when these things happen unto you, 1Pe 4:13.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. Revile… persecute… say all manner of evil against you falsely — In this benediction it is the endurance of persecution of character, the martyrdom of reputation, by revilings and calumny, which is blessed. Opposed to this is the woe pronounced upon “you when all men shall speak well of you.” The reward is promised in the following verse.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 11-16. Some critics (e.g. Godet, Weiss) think that vers. 13-16 are no part of the original sermon, but only an interweaving of sayings which were originally spoken at other times. This is possible, but external evidence exists only in the case of vers. 13 and 15 (for vers. 14 and 16 are peculiar to Matthew); and even in the ease of these verses it is by no means clear (vide infra) that the occasions on which, according to the other Gospels, the sayings were uttered are the more original. Weiss"s assertion ("Life," 2:144), "The remarks in Mat_5:13-16, bearing on the calling of discipleship,.., cannot belong to the sermon on the mount, carefully as they are there introduced, for the prophesied sufferings of his followers might have made them disloyal," is wholly gratuitous. In fact, the sufferings have been much more strongly spoken of in vers. 11, 12.

The disciples are now addressed directly, and are urged to "walk worthily of the vocation wherewith they are called." The mention of those who have endured persecution leads our Lord to warn his disciples not to faint under persecution in any of its forms; they are but entering on the succession of the prophets; their work is that of purifying and preserving and of illuminating; they must therefore allow their character as disciples to appear, as appear it must if they arc true to their position. There is a purpose in this, namely, that men may see their actions, and glorify their Father which is in heaven.

Vers. 11, 12. Parallel passage: Luk_6:22, Luk_6:23.

As ver. 10 spoke of the blessedness of those who had suffered persecution and had endured it, so this verse speaks of the blessedness of those who are suffering from it at the moment, whether it be in act or word. Whilst Christ still keeps up the form of the Beatitudes, he speaks now in the second person, this and the following terse thus forming the transition to his directly addressing those immediately before him. His present audience was not yet among oi dediwgmenoi , but might already be enduring something of the reproach and suffering now referred to. Revile (oneidiswsin); Revised Version, reproach; as also the Authorized Version in Luk_6:22. "Revile" in itself implies moral error in the person that reviles. Not so oneidizein . (cf. Mat_11:20 Mar_16:14) Our Lord purposely uses a word which includes, not only mere abuse, but also stern, and occasionally loving, rebuke. Falsely, for my sake. The comma in both the Authorized (Scrivener) and the Revised Versions after "falsely" is opposed to that interpretation (Meyer) which-closely connects qeudomenoi with both kay umwn and eneken emou. Qeudomenoi is really a modal definition of eipwsin (Sevin, Weiss), and eneken emou goes with the whole sentence "when men," etc. for my sake. In ver. 10 he had said eneken dikaiosunhv ; here he directly speaks of himself. In Lu 6 the phrase is transitional, "for the Son of man"s sake." Mat_4:19 he had claimed to be tile Source of power for service; here he claims to be the Object of devotion. His "Messianic consciousness" (Meyer) is, at even this early stage of his ministry, fully developed (cf. also vers. 17, 22). It is possible that in Heb_11:26 (vide Rendall, in loc. ) and 1Pe_4:14 refer to this expression.

Vers. 11, 12. The Beatitude of suffering for the sake of Jesus.

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." It cannot be denied that we have here before us a Beatitude, and one warm with life and comfort and love. It is, however, particularly addressed to the disciples present, face to face, with Jesus. As the foregoing Beatitude seemed to be in the mind of St. Peter, (1Pe_3:14) so his words, as written in the same Epistle, (1Pe_4:14) seem the very reminiscence of this ninth and closing Beatitude, which his ears had heard more than thirty years before. Notice how, by this kind, direct appeal, Christ betokens his forethought for those on whom should fall the first severity of trial, temptation, and suffering "for his sake." Notice

I THE THREE FORMS OF TRIAL PREDICTED FOR THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST. They are, reproach or railing; persecution; and "falsely saying every evil thing about them," i.e. all kind of slanderous abuse. Even so in all these respects "Christ suffered for us in the flesh." The parallel suggestions in the second, third, and fourth chapters of the First Epistle of St. Peter are frequent. (1Pe_2:12, 19-23 3:9, 13, 14, 16-18 4:12-19) They are great types of the wounds the world inflicts. They are very liable to be successful assailers of our peace and of our principles, of our temper and of our steadfast endurance. To be forewarned, in order to be forearmed, was never a wiser precaution to take, nor a more gracious one to give. As St. James says," If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body;" so in most manifest harmony must it be true, that if any man can silently, patiently, forgivingly stand against and withstand the sort of darts described above, he has not in vain learned of the Lord Jesus, whether of his word or his deed that one perfect Man!

II THE FIRST RECORDED USE ON THE PART OF JESUS CHRIST OF THAT SUPREME CLAIM OF HIS, WITH ALL ITS SPLENDID SIGNIFICANCE, "FOR MY SAKE." Note:

1. How sovereign this claim is!

2. How the more remarkable from the known "lowliness and meekness" of Jesus Christ!

3. How deeply imbued it is with faith in the force and fidelity of affection what a condescending bond as between Jesus Christ and any man! And, once more:

4. How wonderfully it has shown itself equal to all whatsoever that it has been called to bear or to do! Granted that love is a strong principle in human nature, the mightiest of its forces, yet what surpassing strength, continuance, inseparableness have through Christ been made all its own, for all its service of him and for all his requirement of it! So still the gift from him has exceeded infinitely all the gift to him, though he speaks of those that are "reproached, persecuted falsely, evil spoken of, for his sake.

III THE ENERGY OF JOY WHICH THE CASE JUSTIFIES AND WHICH CHRIST ENCOURAGES. How few things to be had on earth, or even to be begun on earth, do warrant such energy of joy; and how utterly averse the verdict of the world from this of Jesus Christ! But the grounds of this joy are real, and they look far, far on; they command a prospect bounded by no earthly horizon. And the bright joy and succeeding gladness will do much to revive the soul, vexed, humbled, worn by the evil speech of the world. This contrast and the effect of it can hardly have been undesigned, in the merciful calculation of the Lord and Master of souls. Nor undesigned the combination of the joy, of "the glorious company of the apostles" with "the goodly fellowship of the prophets." For is not this the inspiriting outcome of the last sentence, "For so persecuted they the prophets, which were before you"? "Their reward great in heaven" had already been ascertained. And apostles now in their earliest training, putting on of the armour, and young fresh aspirations, emulate their historic renown, their everlasting reward. B.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Revile - When present: say all evil - When you are absent.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Jesus applies this to His immediate disciples:

v. 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My name’s sake.

These are a few of the forms in which the hatred of the enemies will be likely to manifest itself. It is a persistent, continuous persecution by word and deed, especially hard to bear because of malicious lies which implied, and accused the disciples of, all manner of evil. There are two facts that serve to console them. The statements thus made are deliberate lies due entirely to violent prejudice. And the hatred of men strikes them for His name’s sake. It is a distinction, an honor, to suffer in His interest, because they bear His name.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. Blessed … when men revile you. This is a personal application of what has just preceded. Some of those who listened were reviled by the Jews, and persecuted unto death. For my sake. In the preceding verse it is said “for righteousness' sake.” The two expressions mean the same.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Connecting Statement:

Jesus finishes describing the characteristics of people who are blessed.

Blessed are you

The word "you" is plural. (See: Forms of You)

say all kinds of evil things against you falsely

"say all kinds of evil lies about you" or "say bad things about you that are not true"

for my sake

"because you follow me" or because you believe in me"

Rejoice and be very glad

"Rejoice" and "be very glad" mean almost the same thing. Jesus wanted his hearers not merely to rejoice but to do even more than rejoice if possible. (See: Doublet)

translationWords

bless

persecute

evil

joy

reward

heaven

prophet

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

11. The nature of the persecution is indicated in this verse; not torture, imprisonment, and death, but reproach and calumny, precisely the form of persecution to which the disciples must have been now subjected.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11.] With the preceding verse the beatitudes end, in their general reference, and in this our Lord addresses His disciples particularly. The actions described in this verse are the expansion of δεδιωγμένοι in the last. διώξωσιν, however, still means persecute; its legal usage is unknown in the N.T. ψευδόμενοι does not belong to ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, as some recent Commentators have supposed (Tholuck, Meyer), but to εἴπωσιν. The pres. part., as usual, carries with it the logical condition.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(L) 11, 12. In the ninth blessing Christ addresses Himself directly to the disciples. S. Luke has the second person throughout.

Blessed are ye when they shall reproach you and persecute you, and speak all manner of evil against you for My sake. Rejoice and exult, Because your reward is great in the heavens. For so did they per secute the prophets who were before you.] Lk. has: “Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and reproach you, and cast out your name as evil for the sake of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven. For likewise did their fathers treat the prophets.”

μισθός] The later Jewish theology is much coloured by ideas of reward and punishment. In Wis 2:22 we read of the “reward of holiness” μισθός—ὁσιότητος. Cf. Wis 5:15, 2 Es 7:35, 83, 98, Est 7:8:33, 39, 13:56. Occasionally, however, we find a protest against the idea of reward for goodness. “Be not,” saith Antigonus of Socho, “as slaves who minister to the Lord in order to receive recompense,” Aboth 1:3. Here the thought is not that of reward for piety, but of future recompense for a present condition of persecution and reproach. The number of the Beatitudes is much disputed. They can be reckoned as seven by disconnecting 11-12 from the preceding verses and uniting 8 and 10 as one (so Meyer), or by regarding v. 5 as a marginal gloss (so Bacon, Wellhausen); or they may be reckoned as eight by treating 10-12 as one beatitude (so Votaw), or by disconnecting 11-12 from the preceding (so Zahn). But it seems better to treat them as nine in number in spite of the fact that 11-12 only repeat and apply v. 10 to the disciples. In the Secrets of Enoch, two groups of Blessings occur, one (42:6-14) of nine, the other (52) of seven Beatitudes.

11. καθʼ ὐμῶν] Add ψευδόμενοι, א B. al. Om. D k S1. The word seems to have been added to limit a wide generalisation; cf. v. 22.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.