Life of Christ Lesson 32: Highway to Happiness - Part IV

The Beatitudes of the opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount are referred to as "The Sacred Paradoxes" (Thomas Watson), for they tell us that opposites often can and do co-exist.  The Lord Jesus is "The Master of the Paradox"!  Think about some of the seeming contradictions He taught - the first shall be last; giving is receiving; losing is finding; dying is living; serving is ruling, weakness is strength, being His bondslave is being set free; and the least is the greatest.  The Beatitudes contain some equally paradoxical statements:  the poor are rich; the sad are happy; the meek are winners; the hungry are satisfied - and, strangest of all, the persecuted rejoice!  This lesson continues the discussion from Lesson #31 on the final Beatitude, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for My sake".

Why did the Lord spend three times the space on the last Beatitude?  Why did He mention the word "blessed" twice in this last Beatitude?  What are the three primary types of persecution of Christians?  What does it mean if a Christian is experiencing not one of those three types of persecution in his life?  How is the believer in Christ to respond to both persecution and the persecutor?  And how in the world can a Christian rejoice because he is persecuted (which includes not only physical harm, but verbal abuse, and false witness - including slander)?  One more question: is it wrong to be motivated by heavenly rewards to live righteously?  

Would you like to hear answers to the above questions?  Okay.  Push the play button on this message!  Enjoy.