1. Blessed are the persecuted (10)

The kingdom of heaven is promised to two kinds of people: to those who know their spiritual poverty and to those who are persecuted because of righteousness. It is not easy to stand on Jesus' side in a world that hates truth and righteousness. It is not easy to be faithful to Jesus to the end. But the reward for doing so is very great--it is the kingdom of heaven. One who has the kingdom has everything.

2. Rejoice and be glad (11-12)

No one enjoys suffering. But Jesus says that we should rejoice and be glad when we are persecuted for his sake. Why? Because our reward in heaven will be great (12). We stand in God's redemptive history with great servants of God like Moses, Elijah and Isaiah. Meaninglessness is a sickness of our times. When we find our small place in God's history and faithfully stand there, we find the meaning of our lives.

Application: Lord, help me to be faithful to you to the end and receive your promised crown of life.
One Word: Rejoice to suffer with Jesus