Kingdom Disciples

In the experience of many disciples of Jesus, the outbreak of persecution is always a possibility. Moreover, they often face hostility from employers, neighbors, and even family members. So, how should they react when the possibility becomes a sudden and brutal reality? Fortunately, both Jesus and his Apostles left us with clear instructions and examples of how we ought to react when facing persecution.

“ I never knew you! Depart from me! ” These are the most frightening words anyone could ever hear on the lips of Jesus, and they are central to the conclusion of his ‘ Sermon on the Mount .’ His discourse was never a program for reforming or governing civil society. Instead, it instructs his disciples how they must live in the present evil age as faithful citizens and representatives of his Kingdom and message. There is no bypassing the Cross if you wish to enter his domain.

Jesus exhorted us to become “ perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect ,” yet how can we emulate the perfect righteousness of God? His explanation was clear - By performing acts of mercy,  ESPECIALLY  to our enemies. Self-sacrificial love goes to the heart of his message and reflects the nature of the merciful God. Was he not the Messiah who submitted to an undeserved death for us even when we were the “ enemies of God ”?

The reality of persecution raises important questions. How should disciples of Jesus react, especially when persecuted by the State? Is resorting to anger or acts of civil disobedience appropriate, or should they instead emulate examples from the life of Christ? In his teachings, he warned that all men who decide to follow him would experience “ tribulation ,” and he summoned them to follow his path (“ If they persecuted me, so they will persecute you ”).

In  Matthew , the life, words, and deeds of Jesus echo key events in the history of Israel. He brings the things God began in the past to their intended fulfillment. He is the Greater Lawgiver foreshadowed in the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. By presenting parallels between Moses and Jesus,  Matthew  sets the stage for the teachings of Christ, especially as represented in his ‘Sermon on the Mount’.

Fulfillment is a key theme in  Matthew . With the arrival of the Messiah, the time of fulfillment had commenced. But what were the implications for the Law of Moses? In his ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus provided clear answers. He did not come to adjudicate the interpretive disputes between competing Jewish sects over the details of the Law but to  FULFILL  the “ Law and the Prophets .”