Blessed [fortunate] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ^[1]

~Jesus (Matthew 5:11-12)

The emphasis in the “Jesus Manifesto” shifts more and more from pronouncement to the crowds and the corporate leadership to instruction for Jesus’ disciples. This is important to us, in our life at work. Insults and lies about us hurt. The corporate leadership and our colleagues will insult, persecute, and utter evil against the disciples in God’s name, but Jesus will reveal these leaders to be no different than the hypocritical leaders of the Old Testament, who persecuted God’s true prophets.

• The harassment his disciples receive is more specific than “because of righteousness”; it is “because of me”.
• Since Jesus himself will experience opposition and persecution, his disciples should expect the same.
• It will happen at work. Count on it and prepare for it.

In this instruction Jesus prepares his disciples for the time when persecution will indeed come to them, offering them the hope that no matter how hard the circumstances, they are truly heirs of the kingdom. It will come to us at work.  Although the kingdom belongs to us, it does not currently usher in a time of peace and safety.

In fact, Jesus indicates that their reward will not come in an earthly kingdom but “in heaven.” He looks down the long corridor of time until the kingdom is set up on earth in its final form and offers hope during those times when it seems doubtful that his kingdom will ever arrive. It may not look like it from a religious, corporate, or social perspective, but the kingdom is ours nonetheless—and in this we will truly rejoice.

How should we act when we are insulted at work? The way of Jesus is the Way of Love. Later in the manifesto (Matthew 5-7), Jesus shows us we must love our enemies. We can prepare now by loving now. We can also prepare by playing a few likely scenarios out and ask God for wisdom on how to act.

We should expect to be persecuted at work. Jesus said it. it is normal for a disciple. Why? Because following Jesus and living in His righteousness threatens so many. Want to find out how threatening it is? Proclaim the truth to the “new atheists” and see what happens. Live in a socialist or communist country and follow Jesus.

We have gotten comfortable in the U. S. It is coming.

The principles laid out here by Jesus in his manifesto are not entrance requirements to the kingdom of God, or else Jesus would be sanctioning torture or martyrdom as a way of earning one’s entrance to the kingdom. At the same time, this again makes clear that they are not ethical demands for personal behavior at work, or else Jesus would be implying that it would be good for his disciples to seek out persecution to gain his blessing.

Jesus comforts those who have suffered undeserved persecution at work. Persecution for one’s own sin or foolishness may be deserved, but these people have been persecuted because of their stand for righteousness.

• Persecution at work may come in many forms.
• We can be disciplined for speaking up.
• We might get fired. It happens at work increasingly frequency.
• Are we ready? Fear of it will paralyze out witness to the good news of Jesus.

Persecution can take the form of physical or verbal abuse, or both, but it especially points to the way that the religious leaders hounded the populace and excluded from their fellowship any who did not meet up to their standards. Exclusion from the right groups at work is immensely powerful. Corporate leaders should seek out the righteous at work. Forces are at work that lead them in other directions.

As difficult as is the persecution, the reward far outweighs the hazard, because “ours is the kingdom of heaven.” This is a present tense declaration. Jesus here gives hope to the people of his day who have stood up and contended for God’s form of righteousness against the self-righteousness of the corporate leaders. Although we will be persecuted for it, Jesus says that the kingdom of God belongs to us, not the corporate leaders, and all they need to do now is to respond to his invitation to join the kingdom.^[1]

God’s people have always faced persecution in their jobs. The prophets were reviled, tortured, and killed. History records that ten of Jesus’ disciples were executed for preaching the Messiah. Tradition states that Peter insisted on being crucified upside down because he counted himself unworthy to die in the same manner as his Master. Yet he wrote,

“If you are reviled for the name of the Messiah, you are blessed, because the Spirit of God and of glory rests on you”

(1 Peter 4:14)

The apostle Paul was jailed, beaten, shipwrecked, and stoned numerous times for preaching the Messiah, but he considered suffering not even worth mentioning compared to the reward he knew awaited in paradise.

• 2 Timothy 3:12 —Indeed, all who desire to live godly in the Messiah Jesus [at work] will be persecuted.
• Matthew 13:21 —Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
• Mark 10:29–30 —Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the sake of the good news, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:4 —For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know.

Here are some issues that could be a challenge. Are you ready?

• Abortion – What happens when your CEO becomes member of the local Planned Parenthood chapter and encourages others to get involved and donate.
• LGBT issues – What will happen when you refuse to use pronouns other than those corresponding only the two genders of male and female?
• CRT – What will happen when you refuse to admit you are a racist?
• Freedom of Religion – What will you do when you are asked not to wear your cross or take down the scripture you have posted at your desk? What will you do when you are asked not to talk about Jesus?

^[1] Wilkins, M. J. (2004). Matthew (pp. 210–211). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

^[1] New American Standard Bible. (2020). (Mt 5:10–12). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.