Perseguição
Jesus advertiu que seus seguidores seriam perseguidos pelo mundo. Mas a perseguição não é sinal de fracasso — é sinal de fidelidade. Bem-aventurados os que sofrem por causa da justiça.
Perseguição como marca do discípulo
Jesus disse: se o mundo vos odeia, sabei que antes de vós odiou a mim. Todo o que quer viver piedosamente será perseguido.
The world hates
"When the world hates you, you can be sure that it has hated me first.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted on account of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.
For disciples
"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and speak all kinds of evil against you, lying, because of Me.
Blessed are you whenever men hate you,
and whenever they exclude you and heap insults on you
and trash your name as ‘malignant’, for the Son of the Man’s sake.
Recompensa na perseguição
Os perseguidos por causa de Cristo receberão grande galardão no céu. Quem perde por amor ao evangelho receberá cem vezes mais.
In answer Jesus said: "I tell you assuredly, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields, for my sake and for that of the Gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and father and mother and children and fields (with persecutions)—and in the age to come, eternal life.
So then, I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Amor e confiança em meio à adversidade
A Bíblia nos ensina a amar nossos perseguidores, abençoar os que nos maldizem e confiar que nossos tempos estão nas mãos de Deus.
But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’