Biblical Text

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5.10, NRSV)

Reflection Video

For the video with the reflection on Matthew 5.10 click here

Clarification

In Jewish writings, the Greek word dikaiosune and the Hebrew word tsedaqah, both translated “righteousness,” carry the notion of doing what is right for a relationship rather than individual moral uprightness. So, for instance, in Romans 1:16-17 Paul says that God is shown to be righteous because, knowing human frailty, he has chosen to save them on the grounds of faith leading to faithfulness.

Questions

• Reflect on the people in your life. In which relationships would you say you are relating rightly? In which are you relating wrongly? Think of one particular relationship and decide what practical steps you can take to relate correctly with that person or those persons.
• Have you ever been ridiculed because you brought your faith to bear on a relationship between two or more other people? How did you respond?
• Can you think of two people whose relationship would benefit from the efforts of a Christian peacemaker? How could you be that peacemaker?