👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾( #Anqetse #Bitsuan)"#Blessed are you when people #insult you, #persecute you and #falsely say all kinds of evil against you #because of #me "(#Matthew 5:11-12).
(Part 44)
Dear followers of the Orthodox teachings on John's Repentance website .we greet you with the peace of the Lord. Today, based on the topic mentioned above, we present to you the following important lesson. We encourage everyone to read it carefully and learn from it.
✍🏾The Jews falsely accused our Lord, saying, “Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” (John 8:48). When He cast out demons by His divine power, they said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons” (Luke 11:15). When He came eating and drinking, they said, “Behold, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19).
When they seized our Lord and brought Him before the high priest, the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy. What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have heard His blasphemy. What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves to die” (Matthew 26:65–66).
✍🏾Later, when our Lord came to His own country and taught in their synagogue, they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? Are not His brothers James and Joses and Simon and Judas? And are not all His sisters with us? Where then did He get all these things?” They were offended by Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house” (Matthew 13:54–57).
👉🏾When the Apostle Paul was preaching, some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be proclaiming foreign gods,” because he preached Jesus and the resurrection (Acts 17:18–19).
When Paul was defending himself, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad” (Acts 26:24).
Therefore, Saint Paul teaches us:
✍🏾 “By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, yet true; as unknown, yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”
(2 Corinthians 6:8–10)
✍🏾 Suffering for Sin Is Not Righteousness
However, if we are accused truthfully because of our bad deeds, we will not receive a reward in heaven. If we are rebuked for poor judgment, uncontrolled speech, confusion, sin, laziness, or negligence, this is the result of our actions, not righteousness.
Our Lord teaches that blessing belongs to those who are falsely criticized, reviled, and accused for speaking the truth and preaching Christ. But if we are accused and punished because of our sinful conduct, this suffering is not righteousness, it is correction for the wrong we have done.
Therefore, we must not deceive ourselves or others by saying, “We are suffering for the truth,” when the suffering has come upon us because of our sins (cf. John 3:11).
✍🏾Rejoice and Be Glad, for Your Reward Is Great in Heaven
Our Lord has given great hope to those who are reviled, persecuted, and falsely accused for His name’s sake. He says, “Great is your reward in heaven.” Indeed, the reward of eternal life in heaven is exceedingly great, and nothing surpasses it.
By saying, “Rejoice and be glad,” our Lord teaches that the reward we receive through faith in Him, through reproach, persecution, and hatred endured for His sake, is a source of true joy. He then adds, “For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you,” showing that those who suffer for His name share in the same honor and glory as the holy prophets who came before them.
Continues 👇🏾