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Matthew 5:10-12 meaning

The eighth and final statement (A’) of Jesus’s Makarios chiasm deals with being righteously persecuted. Jesus reiterates this point by telling His disciples that God will reward them for their righteous living in the face of persecution.

The parallel account of this teaching is found in Luke 6:22-23.

Jesus’s statement (A’) Makarios are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, corresponds with (A) Makarios are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (vv 10, 3).

The kingdom of heaven presently belongs to both those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness and the poor in spirit (v 10). All the other blessings in this chiasm are presented as being delivered in the future. The paradoxical mix of present with future blessings corresponds with the paradoxical nature of God’s kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is both now and ‘not-yet.’ Jesus told Pilate that “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). This statement is both present and future. The kingdom is now, because Jesus says, “My kingdom is.” But we know from other scriptures that Jesus’ kingdom will someday be upon the earth. His kingdom is real, and in existence. But it does not currently occupy the full space it is destined to fill.

Persecution occurs when a group or individual is harassed or harmed because of who they are, what they represent, or what they do. Persecution can come from a broad spectrum of sources and degrees. It can be social, such as public ridicule or shame. It can be political where the abuse comes from a governmental authority in the form of fines, confiscation of property, imprisonments, or execution. Regardless of who is doing the persecution, the goal is always the same: shame the victim, isolate them from the wider group, and make an example in order to shape the behavior of others within the community.

Jesus paradoxically says that those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness are Makarios (happy and fulfilled) (v 10). Jesus knew that the rulers of the world’s kingdoms would not like it when His followers began to live according to the laws of His kingdom (John 15:18-20, 16:1-2, 33). The powers of the old kingdoms will demand that Jesus’s followers act like them. They will persecute anyone who seeks and practices His righteousness, which is harmony with Jesus’ kingdom, instead of their righteousness, which is harmony with their kingdom. Jesus tells His faithful followers that when they are persecuted for following His righteousness, they are Makarios for it means that theirs is the kingdom of heaven (v 10). The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are persecuted for living Christ’s righteousness (v 10).

In effect Jesus is saying live in harmony (righteousness) according to God’s kingdom, over living in harmony (righteousness) with the kingdoms of this world (Romans 12:2). In other words, happiness and fulfillment (Makarios) doesn’t come from seeking harmony with the world, it comes from seeking harmony with Jesus. When we seek harmony (righteousness) with Jesus, His kingdom is ours.

Jesus emphasizes this point by shifting from a generic Blessed are those to a more personal Blessed are you. Jesus is telling His disciples that they are a part of His kingdom and will receive its blessings if they will be like Jesus, and live out these sayings in the “Beatitudes.”

As He shifts from third person to second, Jesus unpacks the final line of the chiasm. He tells His followers that even when people insult (try to shame) you, persecute (harass or harm) you, or falsely say all kinds of evil against you (slander) because of Me—that you are Makarios (v 11). Notice that Jesus nowhere says that everyone who is persecuted for any reason is Makarios. It is only those who are persecuted for the sake of Christ’s righteousness or those who are harassed because of Jesus that are Makarios (v 10).

Rather than mourn or complain about their mistreatment, Jesus remarkably tells His disciples to Rejoice and be glad! (v 12). The reason for their gladness is not sadistic pleasure over the pain and shame, but because of the result of being persecuted: for your reward in heaven is great (v 12). Jesus regularly speaks of reward throughout the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:46; 6:1-6; 6:16-18; 6:19-20). This makes sense because He is teaching His disciples. His servants.

Just as the first Moses set forth a path of life and blessing if Israel would follow God’s commands which He set forth in His covenant agreement with them, now Jesus, the second Moses, is setting forth rewards for obedience. Jesus speaks of rewards in the context of future reward (from God) for present faithfulness.

This reward in heaven is not ‘getting into heaven’ or ‘spending eternity with God’ which is only granted on the basis of God’s grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). Rather, the reward that Jesus promises is Makarios. To be satisfied. To reign in harmony with Christ over His kingdom. The reward is given for faithful service. For living a life of faith in the face of earthly trials, of which persecution is only a type. Jesus’s half-brother, James, writes the same message in his epistle: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2). James also writes “Blessed (Makarios) is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

Jesus demonstrates that this is how God has always treated those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness (v 10). He reminds His disciples that the prophets who were before you (Abel, Noah, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, etc.) were persecuted in the same way (v 12). The implied upshot is that as God richly honored and rewarded those prophets for seeking harmony with Him instead of the world, despite constant persecution, so will He reward us if we do the same.

Biblical Text

¹⁰ Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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Additional Resources

Book Theme

The Gospel of Matthew was written to demonstrate to the Jews of Jesus, the Messiah’s generation that He was indeed the Christ. Matthew thematically substantiates the Messianic identity of Jesus beginning with the genealogy of Jesus, which ran from Abraham, the father of Israel’s people through King David who was promised to have a son who would be on Israel’s throne forever. Throughout his Gospel account Matthew makes use of numerous prophecies both explicitly stated and by way of subtle allusion to support his thesis. Matthew further makes use of parallel events in Jesus’s life to those of Messianic figures from the Old Testament (Moses, Joseph, David, etc.) to bolster his argument.

Jesus came to offer the Jews the chance to participate in the inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom. To do this, they would have to receive and follow Him as their Messiah. Jesus’s message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Ultimately, they rejected Him as their Messiah and condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion. The Jews’ rejection of the Messiah opened the door for Gentiles to enter the kingdom (Matthew 8:11-12, 22:1-10). Matthew’s Gospel is therefore a call for the Jews repent of their murder of Jesus and to embrace Him for the divine Messiah He is.

Matthew shows how their rejection of Him and His brutal death was predicted not only by Jesus Himself, but also was foretold in the Jewish scriptures of the Messiah.

The main proof that Jesus was the Messiah was “the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:39, 16:4). This was Jesus’s death and resurrection from the dead. “Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).

Because Matthew’s Gospel was written to people who were already members of God’s eternal family by virtue of their faith in God’s promise to send the Messiah, Matthew emphasizes the “reward of eternal life” (aka “The Prize of Eternal Life”) rather than “the Gift of Eternal Life”. In other words, Matthew’s Gospel focuses on how to “enter the kingdom” rather than how to “be born again”.

Matthew’s Gospel demonstrates how Jesus came to fulfill the law and open a way for God’s people to participate in the Messianic kingdom if they would follow His example of worshiping God from the heart by forgiving and serving others.

For “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). If we have faith to follow the example set forth by the resurrected Messiah, whom all authority on heaven and earth has been granted (Matthew 28:18) and take up our cross for His sake (Matthew 16:24-25), then we will become great in His kingdom (Matthew 20:26).

Finally, Matthew provides extensive samples of Jesus’s teachings including “the Sermon on the Mount”, “the Little Commission”, and “the Olivet Discourse” and many parables, alongside accounts of numerous miracles and wonders, personal moments with His twelve disciples, interactions with seekers, and increasingly as his Gospel account progresses: challenges and confrontations with His adversaries – the Pharisees, Scribes, and Priests.

Chapter Context

Chapters 5-7 form the “Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus withdraws from the large crowds and focuses on teaching His disciples. This is Jesus’ kingdom platform. Jesus is the second Moses prophesied by Moses, giving a new word from God from a different mountain. Jesus’s sermon has the same purpose as the word from God on Mount Sinai—it shows humans how to live constructively in fellowship with God and one another. Jesus’s emphasis is on the spirit behind the law. Without a change of heart, rules don’t work. Jesus initiated a new covenant, where the law was written on the heart (Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 25:28).

The Sermon on the Mount transitions from Jesus speaking to “large crowds” to speaking to a “crowd” that consists of His disciples. The “large crowds” included Gentiles from the surrounding nations who had come to be healed of physical illnesses. It is likely Jesus would have spoken Greek to the “large crowds” as that was the language of commerce of that time. It is widely held that Jesus typically taught in Aramaic when speaking to Jews. It was the street language spoken by the Jews after they returned from Exile in Babylon.

But Jesus, like most Jews of His day would also have been multilingual. He would certainly have been able to read and speak from the Hebrew scriptures. And, as mentioned, He also would most certainly have known Greek, the common language of the Ancient world. It is likely that his adoptive father Joseph would have had work as a tradesman in the nearby Roman city of Sepphoris, which would have required knowing some Greek.

He might have also learned some Latin, the official language of the Roman government. Matthew may have originally written all or part of his Gospel narrative of Jesus the Messiah in Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek. But regardless of which language He originally wrote in, his gospel was preserved in Greek. It is from Greek manuscripts that all our translations are ultimately based.

Matthew 5:10-12 meaning

Check out our other commentaries:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 meaning

Revelation 2:18-19 meaning

Philippians 1:18b-21 meaning

Hebrews 4:6-9 meaning

Founding Paradox meaning

Additional Resources

Book Theme

Chapter Context

Maps and Charts

Videos

The Bible Project - Matthew Summary Pt. 1

The Bible Project - Matthew Summary Pt. 2

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