27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who are abusive to you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 35 But love your enemies and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil people. Luke 6:27-30,35
22 Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.23 Rejoice on that day and jump for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to treat the prophets the same way. Luke 6: 22-23
We are to rejoice and jump for joy in the fact that people will hate us. When Paul can into a city he did not know how we would be received. Many times they rose up do harm to Paul because of his faith in Jesus Christ, but he was to rejoice in that. Paul was to bless the very people who wanted to do him harm. Paul was a missionary proclaiming the Good news to everyone who would listen. Paul Himself was martyred for his faith (there is some debate over how he died but most except the thought that he died of martyrdom). He was to be happy, rejoice and jump for joy that he died in this manner.
We are to go out in the same way as Paul did, when we are missionaries or have a missionary mindset. when he we go out, we do not know just as Paul did, how we will be received. When we do go out, we are to be joyful and jump for joy. I keep mention that over and over again because I want that to sink in. This talks to more than just being martyrs for Jesus, but we that is a discussion for another time. I want to stay on point because I am good at going off point. When we go we do not know what is to happen or if we will be received. If we are treated badly like getting hit on the cheek we are suppose to offer the other cheek up. I don't know about you but I don't know if I got hit if I would offer up my other cheek for the same thing let alone be rejoicing and jumping for joy for it, but that us what we are to do.
To bring home this point I will create a picture for you. A Woman of faith goes out and is caught proclaim the good news and is arrested for doing so. (She is to be joyful and be jumping for joy for this happening). she is taken and ready to be beaten. the beating starts and as she is beaten, the one beating her says, have you had enough and denounce the God you proclaim. She says, no, may I have another and is joyful as she says this.
Another example to bring this point home. a man is thrown into prison for his faith just like Paul was (the rest did not happen to Paul). The man is there for 20 days and then asked do you want to be free, all you have to do is denounce your faith. The man says no, and the jailer say you will rot in this cell them.
I leave you with these stories to meditate on. (These stories are not real stories but example of real stories that happen all the time throughout history).
All bible verses taken from the NASB
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